It was raining and was a cold night yesterday in Chennai. And I was having a bad cold and a sore throat.
I wanted to make something warm, soothing and healthy for myself. So, decided to make my usual spicy tomato soup. When I opened my fridge, I found only 3 tomatoes. Hardly enough for a family of four.
Then I saw one Chow chow( chayote) left in the fridge. Since it has a fleshy body and mild sweet taste, I thought that it will not be bad to add in the soup. Thank God, I was not wrong:) In the next half an hour, I was able to treat myself with a warm, soothing and a sumptuous soup. And the best part is that my family also loved it. Hope you all would like it too:)

Chow Chow or Chayotes (pronounced chahy-oh-tee) are a light green, pear shaped fruit with a single, large pit and edible flesh and skin. The flesh of the chayote is mild in flavor and has a texture somewhere between a potato and cucumber. It’s rich in vitamin C and Potassium.

Ingredients

Onions- 2
Tomatoes( medium size) – 3
Chow Chow- 1
Garlic- 6-7 pods
Rasam powder – 2 tsps
Salt to taste
Oil- 2 tsps
Butter- 1 tsp
Cinnamon- 1 inch stick
Bay leaf- 1

Method

Wash and chop onions, tomatoes and Chow chow. Peel the garlic pods.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
To the hot oil, add cinnamon and bay leaf. After few seconds, add garlic and onions. Sauté till the onions turn pink. Now add tomatoes and chow chow, salt to taste, rasam powder and mix well. Sauté for few mins and then add 3 cups of water.

When it starts boiling, close the pressure cooker and cook till it gives 3 whistles.

After the steam subsides, open the lid. Let it cool. Blend the soup to a smooth purée. Add more water if required. Check the seasonings.
Simmer on a low flame. Add a tsp of butter while simmering.

Let it simmer for few mins. Take off the gas, transfer to a soup bowl, add very little butter and serve hot with soup sticks or a toast or Papad:)