Eliza Acton's Vegetable Mulligatawny

Preparation : Melt butter in saucepan; add onions and cook until golden-brown. Add zucchini and the tomatoes. Season well, then let the vegetables cook (covered) over a low heat until soft - about 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, add boiling water to rice, bring to boil on stove, reduce heat to barest simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Puree vegetables (the easiest way to do this is to mix them with the stock and use a blender - they may be pushed through a sieve if you dont have a blender - I use my Bamix). Pour the vegetable puree back into the pan and stir in the Worcestershire sauce and curry powder. Reheat gently, cook for about 5 minutes more, then serve with croutons sprinkled in each bowl.