Gujaratis in western India do not actually drink soups as such. They do have many soupy dishes, which are meant to be eaten with flatbreads, rice, or spongy, savory, steamed cakes known as dhoklas. Here is one such dish. It makes for a gorgeous soup. I serve it with a little dollop of cream and a light sprinkling of ground roasted cumin (page 284), though these are not at all essential. In the summer months, I make my own tomato puree and use that to make the soup. Store-bought puree is perfectly good too. In Gujarat a similar dish is served with homemade noodles in it. It is known as dal dhokli. I sometimes throw small quantities of cooked pasta bow ties or even macaroni into the soup.

Ingredients

　　3 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　1/8 teaspoon ground asafetida (optional)

　　1/2 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds

　　1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

　　2 tablespoons chickpea flour

　　4 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water

　　2 cups tomato puree

　　About 20 fresh curry leaves or 6 basil leaves

　　1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1/8–1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　1 teaspoon salt, or a bit more, to taste

　　1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

　　Pour the oil into a large pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asafetida, mustard, and cumin seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, add the chickpea flour. Turn the heat to medium low. Stir a few times with a whisk, until the chickpea flour turns a shade darker. Slowly add the stock, stirring with a whisk as you go. When well mixed and thick, add the tomato puree, mixing as you go, then the curry leaves, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the soup in the pan as long as possible, allowing the spices to release more of their flavors. Push through a strainer and reheat before serving.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.