Kaddu ka shorba or ashgourd soup

Ingredients

• Ashgourd / White pumpkin / Kaddu - 400g
• Coconut milk extracted from 4 cups of freshly grated coconut - about 4 cups milk
• Cauliflower - 100g
• Garlic - 1 pod
• Almonds soaked for at least 3 hours in plain water and skinned - 5 nos.
• Coconut oil - 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

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Preparation

• Peel and cut pumpkin into cubes. Separate cauliflower into small flowerets. Boil the two together in water enough to cover nearly whole of the vegetable.
• Cool and grind the cooked vegetables in the residual water along with almonds and garlic. Strain the juice. Repeat till you are left about 1 cup of smooth paste in the strainer.
• You should get about 3 cups of thick stock. The residue need not be thrown. It makes a good thickener for gravies as it does not have any taste.
• Mix the coconut milk in the stock and warm on low heat till it gets warm enough. Do not heat on high flame or for long as the coconut milk may curdle.
• If thin add a tablespoon of the residue paste and mix. Top with 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil and stir lightly once. Serve garnished with mint.