Take a 3L pressure cooker. (Use bigger cooker if making larger quantity)

Heat oil in the cooker without the lid.

Add garlic to heated oil and sauté for 30 secs.

Add onions and 1/2tsp salt. Stir to combine. Lower the heat. Cook until onions sweat and become translucent. Do not brown or burn onions. Do not skip this step as mentioned in the post. This is the secret to bringing depth to the flavour.

Now add tomatoes to sautéed onions and stir. Increase the heat to medium flame. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes while constantly stirring so that tomato pieces get coated well with oil and onion mix and also toasts tomato slightly.

Now add water to tomatoes in the cooker. Stir well and cover the cooker with its lid.

If using an electric cooker then place the lid and set it to cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. If using a gas top pressure cooker, then place the lid with a whistle on the lid and pressure cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 whistles.

Let the cooker cool until all the steam is released.

Open the cooker and puree using a stick blender until smooth.

Sieve the tomato puree to remove any seeds, skin, or fibres.

Now make the roux (thickener for the soup). Heat oil in a large pot or cleaned dried cooker pot.

Add cornflour and stir. Whisk the mixture until smooth.

Allow it to bubble for at least 30 sec while constantly mixing.

For a blonde roux, allow it to cook a minute or so just until the mixture turns pale. Do not let it turn pink.

Add sieved tomato puree a ladle at a time while whisking it continuously until smooth after each addition.

When all the puree is added to the roux, keep stirring and cooking it for a further 5 to 10 minutes on low to medium flame until the soup boils.

Add cracked pepper and stir.

Taste and adjust salt to your taste.

Serve the soup warm in a bowl or cup. Garnish with crispy herbed croutons and small coriander leaves. Sprinkle Freshly cracked pepper.