Spinach & Yellow Corn Soup

This recipe is based on my mom's vegetable soup. She always keeps one vegetable whole in the soup of other mashed vegetables. It adds texture as well as color contrast. Here, I used green spinach puree with whole yellow corn.

Spinach and Yellow Corn Soup
Ingredients
1 lb frozen spinach
1 1/2 cup frozen yellow corn
1 medium potato, boiled, peeled, roughly chopped
salt to taste
A generous pinch of Garam masala

Tempering
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 bay leaf
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled & roughly chopped
1 small onion, peeled & roughly chopped

Method
1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Add bay leaf. Sauté for 15 seconds.
3. Add garlic and onion. Sauté till it's golden.
4. Add frozen spinach. Continue stirring till all the icicles are thawed. Add 1/2 cup water.
5. Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Let it come to the room temperature. Grind in a mixer/blender, adding potato and removing bay leaf.
7. Pour the ground paste back in the saucepan. Add water to get the desired consistency.
8. Add salt and pinch of Garam masala.
9. Switch on the heat. Let it come to boil.
10. Add frozen yellow corn.
11. Simmer till corn is soft.
12. Serve hot soup garnished with freshly ground black pepper.

Note -
1. I do not thaw the frozen vegetables.
2. Needless to say, but this soup can also be made with fresh spinach & corn. If using fresh, pressure cook the vegetables.



Print Page

Chanya Saar Upkari

Saar Upkari is a typical broth like legume soup/curry from South Canara. For Masoor or black chana  sasam-karbevu fanna (mustard seeds & curry leaves tempering) is used and for, black eyed peas, noshni fanna (garlic tempering) is used.

Chanya Saar Upkari
Chickpeas Broth Curry
Ingredients
2 cups brown chickpeas sprouts
4-5 cups water
salt to taste

Tempering
2 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
2 sprigs curry leaves, torn
2 red chilies, halved

Garnish
1 tbsp. freshly scraped coconut

Method
1. Pressure cook chickpeas sprouts using adequate water.
2. Heat coconut oil in a pot.
3. Add spices and curry leaves. As they splutter, add cooked chickpeas along with cooking liquid and 4 cups water.
4. Bring to boil. Add salt to taste.
5. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add fresh coconut.
6. Serve as an accompaniment with meal.

Note -
1. This curry has watery consistency.
2. This is typically eaten with plain rice.


Print Page

Malaysian Laksa Soup

Malaysian Laksa

 

Since this soup has veggies, shrimp and even noodles (or angel hair pasta), it becomes a perfect one pot meal on a chilly wintery night.

 

Malaysian Laksa

Shrimp and Vegetables soup

Ingredients

1 cup shrimp

salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Grind to a fine paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 1/2" ginger, peeled & roughly chopped

3 tbsp. raw almonds

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp all spice powder

 

Tempering

1 tbsp. sesame oil

 

You will also need,

Salt to taste

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 1/2 cup thin rice noodles or angel hair pasta

3 cups frozen Stir Fry vegetables

1/2 cup reduced fat coconut milk

 

Garnish

Few drops of toasted sesame oil

Cilantro (optional)

Lime wedges

 

Method

1. Marinate shrimp with salt, turmeric powder and black pepper

2. Grind spices with almonds to a fine paste.

3. Heat sesame oil. Sauté the paste for about 4-5 minutes.

4. Add 4-5 cups water.

5. Add salt to taste, brown sugar and black pepper powder.

6. Cook angel hair pasta or thin rice noodles according to the package instructions.

7. Add marinated shrimp and veggies to the boiling stock.

8. Add cooked pasta/noodles to the pot. Add coconut milk.

9. As the soup is boiling, drizzle few drops of toasted sesame oil.

10. Garnish with cilantro if using.

11. Serve with lemon wedges on side.

 

Note -

1. Omit shrimp to make a perfectly vegetarian/vegan soup.

2. I use frozen stir fry vegetables, without thawing them first.

 

Print Page

Tofu-Leeks Soup

 

Every now and then, I get inspired by "French Women Don't Get Fat" book and I buy Leeks, and every single time, I make my own version of Leeks. ;-)

Tofu-Leeks Soup
Ingredients
2 Leeks, rinsed thoroughly, finely chopped
8 cups water
1/2 slab of tofu, diced
salt to taste
Crushed black pepper

Tempering
1 tsp Olive oil
2-3 drops of toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste


Method
1. Heat oil in a big saucepan.
2. Saute ginger-garlic paste for 2 minutes.
3. Add chopped leeks. Saute till they are wilted.

4. Add water and bring to boil.
5. Add salt and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add tofu chunks and let it boil for 5 minutes.
7. Serve hot soup, sprinkled with freshly crushed black pepper.

Note -
1. Rinse leeks thoroughly as it is full of dirt. I like to take apart each leaf and wash it.
2. Do not use any tough green part of the leeks.


Print Page

Katachi Aamti

When Puran Poli is made at home, can Katachi Aamti be far behind?

Katachi Aamti
Chana Daal Sweet Sour Spicy Broth
Ingredients
Kut - drained water set aside while making puraN
1/4 cup puran

Salt to taste
1 tbsp good quality Goda Masala
3/4 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
1 sprig curry leaves
1 bay leaf
2-3 green chilies, chopped or slit
2-3 kokum, rinsed
grated jaggery - if needed

Tempering
2 tsp oil
2 curry leaves sprigs, torn
3-4 cloves/lavang
1" piece of cinnamon/dalchini

Garnish
1 tbsp freshly scraped coconut

Method
1. Boil the broth with all the ingredients except tempering ingredients. Add jaggery only if needed.
2. As it brings to boil, switch the gas to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. Heat a small saucepan/foDNichi paLi for tempering. Add the ingredients for tempering.
4. As they sizzle, drizzle the oil over katachi aamti. Garnish with coconut. Switch the gas off. Cover with a lid.
5. Serve as an accompaniment with "PurNa-VarNacha Swayampak"!

Note -
1. This broth like soup is sweetish-sourish-spicy. Add jaggery only if needed.





Print Page

Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

Sweet Corn Soup is my all time favorite Indo-Chinese soup. I prefer mine to be a vegetarian soup but I do make Sweet Corn chicken Soup for my family.


Sweet Corn Chicken Soup
Ingredients
2 cans of sweet corn creamed style
1 cup water
1 cup white corn

2 tbsp green beans, 1 tbsp carrots, 1 tbsp red pepper - minced

salt

Whisk
1 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup water

Garnish
1 egg
Shredded rotisserie chicken 1 tbsp per serving

Suggested Accompaniment
Green Chilies in Vinegar

Method
1. Bring creamed style sweet corn, white corn, water and vegetables to boil.
2. Add salt to taste.
3. Whisk corn starch and water. Pour in the boiling soup to thicken it.
4. Whisk an egg in a bowl. Place a sieve/strainer over the boiling soup. Keep gas low. Pour the egg mixture through the strainer and keep stirring with other hand. This will form the "threads".
5. Serve soup in an individual bowls. Top each bowl with shredded rotisserie chicken.

Note -
1. If desired, use only white part of the egg.
2. Do not use egg and chicken, to make a completely vegetarian/vegan version.

Print Page