spicy tomato coconut soup

This was my warming supper tonight. The weather has turned a lot colder the last few weeks and I've started craving the comforting warmth of bowls of home made soup with thick slices of bread and butter. I made this soup with ingredients I had in my cupboard as I haven't had chance to get to the shops for a few days. For a store cupboard recipe, I have to say, this is pretty classy and well worth making.

Ingredients

2 x 400g tins of tomatoes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 tsp red chili flakes (adjust according to how spicy you want it)
2 tsp panch phoran (a Bengali 5 spice mix, available in larger supermarkets)
3 cm chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves of garlic, grated or crushed
2 tsp garam masala
400ml can of half fat coconut milk

1. Place a large saucepan over a medium high heat, add the oil and heat for a few seconds.
2. Add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent and soft.
3. Add the  chilli flakes and allow the spices to sizzle for around 30 seconds, next add the panch phoran, ginger and garlic and cook out for a minute or so. 
4. Next add the tinned tomatoes and simmer the mixture over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
5. Stir through the garam masala and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes have thickened and taken on a rich, more orange colour.
6. Add a generous pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar then either using a stick blender or food processor blitz the soup for until you have removed the lumps. This stage is optional but I prefer a smooth tomato soup.
7. Return the blended tomatoes to the saucepan, add the coconut milk, stir thoroughly and heat through for a few minutes.
8. Serve with either rice or a thick chunk of bread. I ate mine with my homemade, savour pumpkin bread.