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MATZO BALL SOUP & AMARANTH SALAD

JEWISH COOKING



Jewish cooking shows the influence of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Spanish, German and Eastern European style of cooking. One ingredient mainly you will see in many of recipes are matzah meal. Matzo meal (also spelled matzah meal and matzoh meal) is a food product which is made by grinding matzo bread, a traditional Jewish food. Matzah ball soup is generally a very thin chicken broth (But here I have substituted with veggie broth) with two or three ping-pong-ball sized matzah balls in it. Sometimes, a few large pieces of carrot or celery are added. Matzah balls can be very soft and light or firm and heavy.

We happened to taste this few times and fell love with the taste, So I started making this. Very Easy to make and this matzo meal are usually in stock at stores which carry Jewish foods. The Soup which I am posting today will be fulfilling and comforting dinner with a salad. Over to salad .......

The Salad which I am posting is normal salad with combination of onion, Green bell pepper, tomato, cucumber etc. But the extra and interesting ingredient is the Amaranth or Rajgira. I think it will be familiar if I say the Tamil name too, It is nothing but the "Keerai Pori", which you would have tasted in ladoo or chikki form. Yah this is so tasty. The amaranth grain is widely available here which you can include in many dishes.



MORE ABOUT RAJGIRA OR AMARANTH :

Whole grain Amaranth is an ancient "grain". The name amaranth comes from the ancient Greek meaning "deathless". It was said that this plant promoted a very long life. Note the sanskrit similarity - amara - also meaning deathless. This grain combined with other ingredients makes delicious soups, breads and salad dressing. Rajgira atta is also used for making many dishes , which is made from the seeds of a plant.

There are many members of the amaranth family. Some are grown primarily for their seeds, which are treated as a grain, others are decorative, and some are considered weeds. All are edible. Leafy part is regularly used for day to day cooking and say it has much more nutritional value than spinach.

Ok I am not going to drag anymore....Now its time for the recipe.



MATZO BALL SOUP

Ingredients :

Matzo ball mix - 1 ( prepare the balls as per the instruction given in the package)
Carrot - 1 cubed
Celery - 1 stalk sliced
Vegetable stock - as required
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Pepper
Salt
Oil - 1 tsp
For Garnishing:
Celery leaves and Parsley few


The cracker which is under the flower pot is the Matzo cracker








Method:

1. Prepare the balls as per the instruction.
2. Heat oil in the pan, add the garlic powder.
3. Add the carrot and celery saute slightly, add the vegetable stock.
4. Once they come to boil add the balls and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Check for seasoning and add pepper.
6. Garnish with leaves.





Note :

1. You can substitute the veggie stock with chicken broth too.
2. Instead of garlic, stock all these ingredient you can add the veggie cubes.
so easy...
3.Amount of stock, no of balls all are according to your wish.





AMARANTH SALAD




Ingredients :

Amaranth grain - Cook in the water, in the ratio of 3:1
Onions - As required (cubed)
Tomato - As required (De seeded and cubed)
Cucumber - cubed
Bell pepper - cubed
Coriander leaves for garnish
Pepper, salt - as required







Method :

1.Once the grain is cooked it absorbs water, cool it and toss with other ingredients.
2. Garnish with Coriander leaves.
3. Serve cold.

WARM SOUP WITH COLD SALAD IS READY !!!!!!

 


Tip :

You can use this grain in making , breads, Roast it and add to the morning cereal. Add with oats butter milk porridge... Tastes good ....

Pari Vasisht  – (April 22, 2010 at 10:19 AM)  

This bread is new to me, will search for it's recipe. I love the rajgeera and I loved the read on it. The salad with rajgeera very interesting, after boiling it looks so much like the couscous.

Faiza Ali  – (April 22, 2010 at 10:29 AM)  

Yummy soup, pavithra..let me see if I can get that matzo ball mix here in the stores..If I can, I am definitely going to try this and the salad also looks healthy and as usual nice presentation.

Madhura Manoj  – (April 22, 2010 at 11:29 AM)  

Interesting soup.New to me.Lovely clicks.

Finla  – (April 22, 2010 at 11:39 AM)  

I love soup with matzo balls, i buy the premade packets which you get from the jewish section of the supermarket. Looks sos so good, wish i has a bowl.

Preethi Rajeev  – (April 22, 2010 at 12:09 PM)  

Pavithra the soup and salad looks so inviting.

Sailaja Damodaran  – (April 22, 2010 at 12:21 PM)  

Very unique recipe.......nice click too

Panchpakwan  – (April 22, 2010 at 12:31 PM)  

Delcious soup..These are new to me !
Perfect presetation.

Uma  – (April 22, 2010 at 12:56 PM)  

nice soup and salad Pavithra! looks yum :)

Subhie Arun  – (April 22, 2010 at 2:15 PM)  

v unique recipe...new to me..nice presentation...sou n salad looks yummy

Priya Suresh  – (April 22, 2010 at 2:43 PM)  

Very new dishes for my especially that amaranth salad sounds really unique..awesome..

divya  – (April 22, 2010 at 2:50 PM)  

v unique recipe...new to me..nice presentation...sou n salad looks yummy

Sook  – (April 22, 2010 at 4:54 PM)  

Oh wow, the soup looks incredible! I have never tried it before but I am going to save this recipe to try it later. Thanks!

Anu Nandu  – (April 22, 2010 at 5:16 PM)  

Looks just wonderful Pavithra. I like such a simple and yet flavorful dish - love the salad. May you live forever and give us all such wonderful dishes to drool at!

Cool Lassi(e)  – (April 22, 2010 at 5:59 PM)  

A jewish dish that is everyone's favorite. Lovely bowl of soup. Looks like a filling one too.

Deepti  – (April 22, 2010 at 6:40 PM)  

never had them b4...thanks 4 introducing to matzo meal...will check out in stores soon ...
nice recipes to try out !!

Unknown  – (April 22, 2010 at 7:17 PM)  

Delicious soup and salad, Pavithra..Thanks for sharing..

Anonymous –   – (April 22, 2010 at 7:53 PM)  

புது à®°ெசிப்பியா இருக்கு..கண்டிப்பா செஞ்சு பாக்கறேன்.

PJ  – (April 22, 2010 at 10:09 PM)  

soup and salad is a perfect lunch for me! i have been meaning to make matzo soup for such a long time.. yes, its one of my favorite soups which surprizingly enough i have only ate at restaurants. yours look so yummy and tempting.

Pam  – (April 22, 2010 at 11:01 PM)  

The soup looks comforting and delicious and the salad looks tasty too.

Sushma Mallya  – (April 22, 2010 at 11:14 PM)  

Soup & salad looks healthy and very beautiful..never heard of this soup, but def looks good and worth trying it...thanks for sharing pavithra..

Angie's Recipes  – (April 22, 2010 at 11:49 PM)  

Never had matzo soup...looks very tempting and delicious.

PranisKitchen  – (April 23, 2010 at 12:03 AM)  

2 delicious healthy dish..soup and salad are always good options.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.the matzo ball soup is very new to me.
nice reading about the details of the dish ingredients ..liked it

Urmi  – (April 23, 2010 at 1:19 AM)  

Thanks for visiting my blog and for your lovely comment.
I liked your blog very much. I appreciate for your wonderful presentation. Soup looks yummy and delicious. Salad also looks very nice and beautiful.

Gita Jaishankar  – (April 23, 2010 at 1:23 PM)  

Thanks for sharing this recipe Pavithra..I too wanted to try this soup for quite sometime...love the bmatzo balls..they looks so fluffy and good...both the salad and soup looks so yum :)

Malar  – (April 23, 2010 at 2:54 PM)  

as usual decorations and photos kalakiteenga

San  – (April 23, 2010 at 3:41 PM)  

I would love to try this matzo ball soup since it's so different from anything I've ever had before. Looks scrumptious pavi.The amaranth salad is really captivating.

Saraswathy Balakrishnan  – (April 24, 2010 at 7:30 AM)  

Pavi as usual with ur wow presentation with a very delicious post:)romba nalla eruku:P

Malar Gandhi  – (April 24, 2010 at 8:15 AM)  

Matzo ball soup looks delicious, learned a lot thro' your post to today...Amaranth salad refreshing to me, very new kind of recipes...thanks for sharing:)

Padmajha  – (April 24, 2010 at 8:33 AM)  

I have seen amaranth seeds but have never used them..I am sure to buy them and will try out ur recipe..

SpicyTasty  – (April 24, 2010 at 7:37 PM)  

Hi pavithra,
This soup is very different. looks healthy and tasty too !!!

Anonymous –   – (April 25, 2010 at 1:46 AM)  

these are totally different i never heard about this food but looks good

Parita  – (April 25, 2010 at 6:13 AM)  

Interesting soup, never heard of Matzo balls before, love the salad, simple and delicious!

Nammaruchi.blogspt.com  – (April 25, 2010 at 2:04 PM)  

Hi,
Thanks for dropping by and for leaving lovely words...Your blog really rocks!!!,glad to know you...Nice info about amaranth,soup is yummy and very inviting...

Siddhi Shirsat  – (April 25, 2010 at 3:17 PM)  

wow nice soup pavitra...new 2 me...looks delicious n very nice n healthy salad 2

M D  – (April 26, 2010 at 12:34 AM)  

This is interesting to see Jewish food. Coming across something like this for the first time. Not sure what Matzo ball is. Looks good. Salad also looks healthy and amazing.

Aruna Manikandan  – (April 26, 2010 at 3:21 AM)  

Interesting and delicious soup dear
Matzo balls sounds new to me...
Thx. for sharing.

Cute clicks ;-)

My Kitchen Antics  – (April 26, 2010 at 8:05 AM)  

the salad looks divine..love the pics

Valarmathi Sanjeev  – (April 26, 2010 at 10:04 AM)  

Yummy soup, i liked the salad very much, looks healthy.

Unknown  – (April 26, 2010 at 10:17 PM)  

Wow,what wonderful information. I have heard of matzo ball soup but didn't really know what matzo meal was - not that it is available near to my area. Also have heard of amaranth through seed catalogues but didn't realise it's uses and potential.

Dewi  – (April 26, 2010 at 10:52 PM)  

Intrigue by your amaranth salad, but your soup really had me. Beautiful!

lissie  – (April 27, 2010 at 6:54 AM)  

that's a very delicious and healthy dinner, Pavithra! looks yummy..

Meena  – (May 1, 2010 at 4:09 PM)  

beautiful combo - soup n salad!!!

Unknown  – (April 19, 2011 at 10:30 AM)  

As soulful as I am, this looks like it will be a good fit in my kitchen.

Unknown  – (October 30, 2011 at 10:22 AM)  

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