• Turn Instant Pot to Sauté (Normal). Add butter and oil, then black cardamom seeds, peppercorns, cumin seeds; sauté until aromatic.
• Add onion & garlic. Sauté for 3–4 minutes until the onions turn soft and lightly golden.
• Stir in tomatoes, beetroot, carrot, kashmiri red chili powder, salt & sugar.
• Add water/broth (at least 1 cup so the pot can come to pressure), deglaze well, and cancel Sauté.
• Close the lid, set valve to Sealing, and you can either Pressure Cook on High for 5 minutes if you are in a rush or use the soup mode and set it to 15 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest.
• Open the lid, allow the ingredients to cool and blend everything to a smooth purée with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender).
• If you want a silky restaurant-style texture, strain the purée. Adjust thickness with more water/stock if needed (although I didn't need to), and turn Sauté on Low.
• Add sugar, ketchup, and black pepper. Let it simmer 2–3 minutes, tasting and balancing tang/sweet/salt.
• Turn off Sauté, then finish with cream and a small knob of butter; stir gently.
• Serve hot with lots of croutons.

For Indian Railway Tomato Soup

• Skip the addition of cream in the soup and make the roux instead
• Heat butter in a pan.
• Add maida and stir continuously for 1 minute until it turns slightly golden.
• Add crushed peppercorn.
• Slowly whisk the strained tomato puree into the roux and simmer on low heat for 5 mins.