Simple Vegetable Soup

This is a simple vegetable soup with thin Japanese Somen noodles.  Simply toasted, leftover ciabatta became croutons. Boiled egg slices from breakfast added to this lunch bowl. Dried red chilli flakes and fresh coriander sprigs garnished this dish. This goes to Deb's Souper Sundays.

Ingredients

1 Cup of finely chopped carrots
1 Cup of green peas [ thaw the frozen peas ]
1 1/2 cups of corn
1/2 cup of finely chopped red onions
2 mild long green chillies, diced [ use according to preference]
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp of sliced ginger
1 tsp of butter

Garnish:
Sprigs of fresh coriander
Boiled Egg slices [optional]
Dried red chilli flakes
Half of a bundle of  thin Japanese Somen noodles. Cook according to instructions and add to individual bowls.

Method

Heat butter,
Saute garlic  and onions for  a few minutes
Add the vegetables and the green chillies
Season with salt
Add 5 Cups of water
Bring to a gentle boil
Simmer for around 35 minutes
Cook the japanese noodles and add to the soup.

Plantain and Azuki Beans Soup: another version of Olan!

This is another version of Olan served in Southern Malabar, made with Plantains and Red Azuki Beans. This dish is part of the traditional Kerala feast repertoire.The traditional Olan recipe does not use any onions, garlic or cummin. North Kerala/ Malabar Sadya dishes, do not use any onions or garlic.  This hearty, meatless soup works for winter and reminds one of many dishes from South America and the Carribbean. This goes to Deb's Souper Sundays.

Plantain  and Azuki Beans Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Red Azuki beans, soaked for 5 hours or more
2 Cups of cubed raw plantain, with skin

1/2 Cup finely chopped onions

2-3 finger hot green chillies, slit [ or more according to taste]

2 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed

1/2 tsp cummin seeds

1 1/2- 2 tbsps coconut Oil

Salt

1/2 Cup of thick coconut milk
1/2 cup of thin coconut milk or plain water

Method

Step One: Cooking Azuki Beans

Soak the azuki beans in about 3 cups of water for about 5 hours/ overnight

Cook with 1/4 tsp of turmeric, and salt 
or

Pressure cook  on medium high,
After one whistle, turn the heat down, cook for 10-15 minutes and turn off the heat.
Step Two: Cooking Raw Plantain
The green skin is kept on in this recipe
Cut the raw plantain into cubes,
Soak in plenty of water with 1/4 tsp of turmeric and 1/2 tsp of salt
for 20 minutes
Rinse a couple of times and drain.
Cook the plantain cubes with salt and 2 slit green chillies with 3 cups of water.
Reserve the water for the broth/soup
Important: Make sure that the plantian in cooked well;  almost but not quite to the point of mushiness. Plantain tends to harden as the dish sits/ it gets cold.
Step Three
Once the plantains are cooked,
Heat  2 tbsps of coconut oil
Temper 1/2 tsp of cummin seeds
Add 2 cloves of garlic, saute until soft,
Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions and saute until soft
Add the cooked azuki beans  alongwith the slit green chillies,
Add the cooked plantains and reserved water
Bring to a simmer, 
Add  the thin coconut milk at this stage or enough water for the soup, 
Simmer for another 5-6 minutes, 
Step Four
Add the thick coconut milk and immediately take off the heat.
Optional: Serve with another drizzle of thick coconut milk over individual servings.

Moong Dal Soup

Moong Dal is a childhood comfort food, had with fresh rotis or rice. A North-Indian staple, this simple dal with the flavour of ginger, garlic and cummin, becomes a South Indian traditional with the addition of coconut paste and additional spices. This is a traditional accompaniment to a favourite breakfast dish, the Puttu.

I have used these flavours in today's Soup: taking a light touch of garlic with cummin and adding thin coconut milk. It can be served with crispy toasts or to complete the sub-continent's flavour, I have served it with Garlic Naan. This goes to Deb's Souper Sunday's.

Moong Dal Soup with Coconut Milk

Serves 4

 Ingredients

1 1/2 Cup  of cooked  green moong beans, [ 1/2 Cup of moon beans soaked overnight in 3 cups of water]

1/2 Cup finely chopped white onions

1/2 tsp cummin seeds

1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

1 pod of  green cardamom

1 small piece of Indian cinnamon, 1 inch long, about 1/4th inch wide!!!;-)

1 'petal' of star anise

2  cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped coarsely

1/4 Cup  of chopped tomato

2-3 finger hot green chillies, slit [ or according to taste]

Salt

2 tsps of Ghee/clarified butter

For Garnish

Crispy fried onion slices

2 tablespoons, finely chopped fresh coriander

Dollop of fresh whipped cream

Dollop of butter :-D

1 tsp of clarified butter/ ghee for individual bowls! :-D

Method

Cook the moong beans  with  turmeric, salt, the sliver of cinnamon, one cardamom and a tiny 'petal' of star anise.

Heat the pot and add 2 tsps of clarified butter/ghee

Temper cummin seeds,

Immediately add the chopped garlic and turn the heat to medium

Saute until soft

Add the slit green chillies and saute for a couple of minutes

Add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

Add  the tomatoes and saute for 3 -4 minutes

Add the cooked moong beans  and 2 1/2 Cups of water

Bring to a gentle simmer.

Cook for about 8 minutes

Add 1/2 Cup of thin coconut milk.

[Easy step: Mix 1 tbsp of coconut powder in 1/2 cup of hot water and add. Alternately you can omit this step and add just water]

Simmer for another 5 minutes,

Check for salt  and seasoning,

Add garnish and serve.

Garnished here with finely chopped coriander and 1/2 tsp of  butter.

Snow and Soup: Chicken, Lemon Grass, Basil and Coconut Milk

This Chicken Soup came out surprisingly well...
The flavours meld together well and come through in this soup, perfect for snowed in days!

Ingredients
1 Bone-in Chicken thigh piece; organic natural chicken used in this recipe
2 inch long piece of fresh lemon grass
4-5 Basil leaves
1 inch piece of ginger coarsely grated
1 tsp of balck peppercorns coarsely crushed
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped white onions
1/2 Cup finely chopped fresh fennel..white bulb parts and the green celery-like parts too!
1 tbsp of vegetable oil/ 1 tbsp of butter
2 tbsps fennel greens
Salt
Method
Heat the oil and saute the onions, fennel until soft,
Add the crushed lemon grass stalks/pieces,
Add the black pepper corns, white pepper powder  and the chopped chicken thigh along with the bone too. [ this is to add flavour to the soup]
Add salt and turn the heat  to high and cook, for 2-3 minutes,
Add 2 cups of Vegetable stock or warm water and bring to a boil,
Seal with foil and turn the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes,
Add the coarsely grated ginger and cook for another 15-30 minutes  until done.
Add the freshly torn basil leaves,
Optional: Add 3 tbps of coconut milk  and mix well,
Take off the heat and granish with fennel fronds.