Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

SWEET CORN CHICKEN SOUP

This recipe originates from exotic oriental China and is now found right from every humble street side Chinese stall to high class star rated restaurants.

SHREDDED CHICKEN :

In Oven : Place Chicken breast in a greased baking sheet . Cover it with an aluminium foil and cook it at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Slice a piece of chicken right in the center to check the doneness.If you notice any pinkness, cook it for another 10 minutes.If not chicken is done.Use a fork to shred the chicken and use it for any recipe.

In microwave : Place the chicken breast in a microwave proof container and add about 1/2 inch water. Cover with a microwave proof lid and cook it for 15 minutes. Turn chicken once half done.Save the chicken stock for later use. Use a fork to shred chicken.

Ingredients :

2 cups chicken stock , 1 cup shredded chicken , salt to taste , 1/2 tspn grated ginger , lemon zest , 1/4th tspn crushed black pepper , 1/2 inch green chilly finely chopped , 1 tspn butter , 1 tbspn corn starch , 3 tbspn steamed corn .

Soy sauce and White vinegar to serve on the side.

Procedure :

Make shredded chicken in the microwave as described above so that you can derive chicken stock.Add butter in a saucepan. Let it bubble a little bit and then add ,Chicken stock , salt to taste , corn starch , steamed corn , lemon zest , lemon juice ,grated ginger , and let it come to a boil . Ensure the consistency of the soup is per your liking. Add shredded chicken and serve hot. Serve soy sauce and vinegar to the side.

SolKadhi (सोलकढी)

SOLKADHI (सोलकढी)

The main ingredient "Kokum" , has medicinal use as a digestive tonic .The outer cover of the fruit is dried in the Sun to get Aamsul or Kokam/Kokum. It is used as a slightly sour spice in recipes from Maharashtra , that yields peculiar taste and dark red colour. It is a preferred substitute for tamarind in curries and other dishes from Konkan.

Ingredients :

8-10 Kokum / Aamsul , Salt to taste , 1/2 tspn sugar ,

2 green chillies chopped , 1/4 tspn cumin , 2 tbspn oil ,

2 pinches asafoetida , Finely chopped cilantro (coriander) ,

2 cups coconut milk.

Procedure :

Soak the kokum in 1/2 cup hot water for about 15-20 mins so that it gives away the color and flavor to the water. You may heat the soaked kokum in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes for quick results. Remove the kokum from the water. You may strain the extract to remove the bits and pieces left behind. Mix this extract in coconut milk. Add salt to taste , sugar and chopped cilantro. You may also add water at this point to get a soup like consistency.

Heat oil in a pan , add cumin . After the cumin starts spluttering , add asafoetida (hing) and chopped green chillies . Mix this tadka with the kokum + coconut milk mixture and heat it on medium low heat till it gets lukewarm. It can be served at room temperature too. Unlike other soups , Solkadhi is to be served lukewarm or at room temperature . You may serve it before meals , with meals and due to its digestive properties it helps reduce the food hangover after heavy meals. Enjoy !!!!

Tomato Shorba.

TOMATO SHORBA

Shorba is the Indian name for soup and is a North Indian dish. It can be made using ingredients like chicken , spinach , Dal (Lentils) etc.It can be served with Papad before or after appetizers.

Ingredients :

4 diced Tomatoes , 1/4th Cup diced onion , 1/2 inch green chilly ,

Salt to taste , 1/2 tspn sugar , Water , Butter , 1 tbspn butter , 2 tspn lemon juice.

Cilantro to garnish

Procedure :

Cook diced tomatoes , onions and green chilly in a pressure cooker or microwave. Blend well in a mixer. Heat butter in a pan add cumin . Let it splutter. Add the blended tomato + Onion mixture and water enough to eliminate the sour taste of the tomato. Add sugar and salt to taste. Let boil for about 5 minutes. Ad about 2 tspn lemon juice. Turn of the heat. Shorba is ready to serve. Garnish with cilantro.

Note : You add water enough to eliminate the sour taste of tomato and then add lemon juice so that you get the refreshing sour taste of the lemon. This helps you to get the color of tomato and refreshing aroma from the lemon.

Lemon Rasam./ Dal Soup

Lemon Rasam / Dal Soup

( You must be thinking "Whats so special about this ordinary looking Dal?"The flavors of fresh ingredients in this recipe are extraordinary and refreshing. If served with Rice its "Lemon Rasam" whereas , due to its souplike consistancy it can be named and served as "Dal Soup" too.)

Ingredients :

1 Cup cooked Toor Dal , 2 cups water , 1/4 tspn Cumin ,

Salt to taste , 2 tbspn fresh lime juice ,

1/4 tspn pepper powder , 1/2 tspn finely chopped ginger ,

2 tbspn ghee.

Procedure :

Blend Cooked Toor Dal in a Blender. This helps to remove all traces of Dal and looks like paste. Add water per measurement , salt to taste , ginger. Do not blend the dal after adding ginger so that you can enjoy the flavor of ginger. Heat pure Ghee in pan and add cumin till it splutters and then add the dal. Let boil for approximately 10 mins. Make sure that the consistancy of the Dal is souplike. After 10 mins add pepper powder and lemon juice and cover the pa with a lid. Turn off the flame. Let it stay covered for a minute or two. The soup / Rasam is ready to serve .

Variation : No variations recommended for this dish as its flavor make it special. Do not substitute Ghee with oil or exclude pepper, ginger or lemon.