Yellow Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin- 1/4 kg
• Onion- medium (roughly chopped)
• Garlic- 2-3 (roughly chopped) (optional)
• Water- 1/2 cup
• Salt- 1/2 tsp or so
• Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
• Milk- 1 1/2 tbsp or less
• Turmeric- 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Fresh Cream- 1 tsp or Homemade Malai- 1 tbsp (optional)
• Toasted bread cubes or Rusk pieces- optional (I used flavored rusk slices because those were handy)

Method:

1. Peel the hard skin of the pumpkin and roughly chop into one-inch pieces. 
2. Wash the pieces and add 1/2 cup water to a pan. 
3. Add the pumpkin, onion and garlic pieces, cover with a lid and cook until tender. (Appx. 10-12mins cooking on medium heat)
4. Let the pieces cool down to room temperature. 
5. Keep the water aside and grind the pieces into a thick pulp by adding milk.
6. Now add the pulp back to the water. 
7. Add salt, pepper powder and cook again on simmer for 5 minutes. 
8. The soup will boil and thicken up a bit. 
9. Add a bit of turmeric powder if the soup is pale in color. 
10. Turn off the heat and after 1 minute add fresh cream or malai. 
11. Mix well. 
12. Do not add cream when the heat is on.
13. Take into a serving bowl and serve hot with toasted bread cubes or flavored rusk slices.

Note:

• Add one clove and a quarter inch of cinnamon while boiling the pieces. 
• take care not to grind the spices. The flavor will be overpowering. 
• The thick soup is perfect for winter evenings.