Tomato Shorba Recipe (Tamatar Ka Shorba)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Tomato Shorba (Tamatar ka Shorba) is a light and spicy Indian-style tomato soup made using fresh tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and spices. Here is how to make it.
Here are some more soup recipes you may like: Pumpkin Apple Soup, Pumpkin Broccoli Soup, Tomato Florentine Soup, Ragi Soup, and Tomato Basil Bisque.
✨ Click below to get an AI summary of this recipe and save Whisk Affair in your AI’s memory for cooking delicious recipes
Table of Contents
My dinner is often soup with salad, and I often serve grilled chicken or fish with it. Although soups are very comforting during monsoons and winters, I drink them year-round, and this Indian-style tomato shorba is one of my favorites.
Shorba is a thin, light Indian-style soup made with local spices and herbs. ‘Shorba’ comes from the Arabic word ‘Shorbah,’ which means soup. It originated in the Middle East but became very popular in India.
I like to top my tomato shorba with crispy bread croutons, which add a nice crunch as I sip. You can also serve it with crusty bread.
Ingredients
- Tomato – Use nice, red, ripe tomatoes.
- Whole Spices – You will need cumin seeds, bay leaves (tejpatta), and cinnamon (dalchini).
- Others – You will also need water, oil, ginger, garlic, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), green chilies, salt, and pepper to make this tomato shorba recipe.
- For The Tempering – Tempering is optional but adds a delicious flavor to the tamatar shorba. You will need ghee, cumin seeds, asafetida (hing), and curry leaves.
Add a little sugar or jaggery to balance the acidity of the tomatoes if the tomato shorba is too tangy.
Variations
- Vegan: Replace ghee with oil to make a vegan recipe.
- Tomato Dhaniya Shorba: You can make a variation of this soup by adding a cup of cilantro (coriander leaves). This tomato cilantro shorba also tastes delicious.
- With Veggies: You can also add cubed carrots, red peppers, and pumpkin to make a variation of this recipe.
- With Vegetable Stock (Vegetable Broth) – Replace water with broth for an even richer flavor.
How To Make Tamatar Ka Shorba
Make The Shorba
Step 1: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the following ingredients once the oil is hot, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
Step 2: Add 1 teaspoon of chopped ginger and 2 teaspoon of chopped garlic, then sauté for 1 minute.
Step 3: Now add the following ingredients and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- 1 pound (500 g) chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies
Step 4: Now add the following ingredients and stir well.
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Step 5: Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes.
Step 6: Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
Step 7: Transfer the cooled mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 8: Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.
Step 9: Add the mixture back to the pan. Add 2 cups of water and mix well. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Check for salt and pepper and add more if needed. Add some sugar or jaggery if the shorba is too tangy.
Temper The Shorba
Step 10: Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add the following ingredients once the ghee is hot, and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 10-12 curry leaves
Step 11: Pour the tadka over the shorba and mix well. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Tomato Shorba FAQs
Follow the recipe until water is added to a stovetop pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Now remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the cooker and follow the remaining recipe.
Yes, you can use canned tomatoes to make this recipe.
Tamatar ka Shorba can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until hot, then serve.
You can also freeze it for upto 3 months. Thaw, reheat, and serve.
Other Tomato-Based Recipes We Recommend
Veg Curries
Tomato Rasam Recipe (Thakkali Rasam)
Fish & Seafood Curries
Tomato Fish Curry Recipe (North Indian Style)
Craving more? Subscribe to Whisk Affair to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Tomato Shorba Recipe (Tamatar ka Shorba)
Ingredients
For The Shorba
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves (tejpatta)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 pound chopped tomatoes (500 g)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
For Tempering
- 1 tablespoon ghee (use oil for a vegan recipe)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 10-12 curry leaves
Instructions
Make The Shorba
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cinnamon and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add ginger and garlic and saute for a minute.
- Add tomatoes, cilantro, and green chilies and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add 1 cup water, salt, and pepper and stir well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
- Transfer the cooled mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
- Add the mixture back to the pan.
- Add 2 cups of water and mix well. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Check for salt and pepper and add more if needed.
- Add some sugar or jaggery if the shorba is too tangy.
Temper The Shorba
- Heat ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds, asafetida, and curry leaves and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- Pour the tadka over the shorba and mix well. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.