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Indian

Jain Tamatar Tulsi Shorba

Tamatar tulsi shorba simmers tomato with fresh basil, made Jain-style without onion or garlic.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 7 September 2026Updated

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Jain Tamatar Tulsi Shorba

30 mintotal

Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Half an hour, plus cooling time before blending. The straining step is what takes the patience and what makes the shorba.

Method

  1. Roughly chop the tomatoes. In a pan, boil them with a portion of the water and half of the basil (Tulsi) leaves until they turn completely soft and mushy.

  2. Let the mixture cool down. Blend it into a very smooth puree using a mixer grinder.

  3. Pass the puree through a fine sieve to remove seeds and skins, pressing well to extract maximum juice.

  4. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil on low flame. Add the roasted cumin powder and gently toast for 10 seconds.

    10 sec

  5. Pour the strained tomato-basil puree into the pan. Add the remaining water to adjust the consistency.

  6. Add the salt, sugar, and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer the soup for 5-7 minutes.

    5–7 min

  7. Tear the remaining basil leaves by hand and stir them in right before turning off the heat.

How to tell it's done

A vibrant red, velvety smooth, and deeply herbaceous soup without the heavy thickness of cornstarch.

Getting it right

Tip

Tearing basil leaves instead of chopping them prevents them from turning black and bruising, keeping their essential oils intact.

What to serve it with

Serve warm with crispy croutons or alongside a Jain cheese sandwich.

Common mistakes

The shorba is grainy or tastes of seed.
Push it through a fine sieve and press hard, as the steps direct. Tomato seeds and skin are bitter and blending alone does not remove them — this is a clear soup and the sieve is not optional.
The basil tastes cooked and dull.
Tear the last leaves in by hand off the heat. Basil boiled with the tomato darkens and loses its scent; half goes in early for depth and half at the end for perfume.

Substitutions

  • Holy basil (tulsi) is the traditional leaf and is more peppery than sweet basil; either works, and the recipe is written for whichever you have. Tinned tomatoes work out of season and often taste better than pale fresh ones. A spoonful of cream or coconut milk can be stirred in at the end for a softer soup, though the classic version is clear.

Storing and reheating

Keeps three days in the fridge and freezes for two months. Add fresh torn basil each time it is reheated — the leaves stirred in at the end do not survive storage.