Potato soup is so good, don’t you agree? A winter staple, especially with leeks. Yet I always smile inside when I think about making it, or read about it, or someone mentions it. Potato can be so gluey when overworked – a horrid gluggy mess as the starch is overworked. One has to be careful.

Yet there is no denying the perfect nature of a good potato soup. You know, I have mentioned before, that Indian Soups are rare but not unknown. Indeed they are seemingly becoming more common, due to the increased exposure to Western and other cuisines no doubt. Probably originally a response to British occupation, even Meekakshi Ammal mentions them. Madhur Jaffrey too.

This recipe is a riff on one of Ms Jaffrey’s. While I wince at the way she has tailored recipes to meet the availability of produce and the taste of the British, I have to admit that her dishes never disappoint. Not quite traditional Indian food, but close enough, and closer to British Indian, a cuisine in its own right.

Anyway, enjoy this soup – it is delicious.

Similar recipes include Tamatar Shorba, Indian Vegetable Soup with Cumin, Cream of Potato and Tomato Soup, Indian Pumpkin Soup, and South Indian Tomato and Potato Soup.

Browse all of our Indian Soups and all Potato recipes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Late Spring recipes.

Indian Potato and Tomato Soup

ingredients

1 Tblspn ghee

pinch asafoetida powder

0.25 tspn cumin seeds

2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 tomatoes, pureed

0.25 tspn turmeric powder

1 Indian Bay Leaf (teja Patta)

pinch Indian chilli powder (or to taste)

sea salt to taste

method

Heat the ghee in a large pot over medium heat and add the asafoetida and the cumin seeds. Stir once, then when the seeds begin to sizzle, add the potatoes, pureed tomatoes, turmeric powder, sea salt and chilli powder. Stir and saute for 2 minutes.

Add 1 litre water and the bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and mash the potatoes coarsely with a potato masher or the back of a slotted spoon. Alternatively just break up with a wooden spoon for a coarse soup. Thin with some water if needed.

Pour into small bowls and serve. Garnish with coriander if desired.

recipe notes and alternatives

Add a little sugar if your tomatoes are tart.

Leave the soup thick and serve with rice if desired. It is delicious this way too.