1,000 Indian Recipes (125 page)

1.
In a saucepan, cover and cook the spinach with the water until wilted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. With the spinach still in the food processor, add the green chile peppers, yogurt, milk, and salt, and process again until blended and smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl.

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cumin and mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the mint and fenugreek leaves and transfer the seasoned oil to the soup. Swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish, and serve.

Vegetable Soup with Yogurt and Coconut

Avial

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This specialty from southern India is studded with chunks of meltingly soft vegetables floating in a thick golden soup.
Avial
is generally made very spicy hot and is often served over cooked rice.

Look for fresh coconut in Indian, Asian, and Mexican markets, and some well-stocked supermarkets.

4 to 5 cups coarsely chopped fresh vegetables, such as eggplant, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, onions, cauliflower, pumpkin, kohlrabi

3 cups water

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 (4-inch) piece of fresh coconut, shelled, peeled, and coarsely chopped, or
¹
⁄
₂
cup canned coconut milk

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups plain yogurt (any kind)

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems + 2 tablespoons for garnish

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon fresh curry leaves

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1.
Place the vegetables, water, turmeric, and salt in a large nonstick saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

2.
In a food processor or a blender, process together the coconut (or coconut milk), chile peppers, and yogurt until smooth, and then mix it into the vegetable soup, along with the cilantro. Cover the pan and simmer about 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Transfer to a serving bowl.

3.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Add the curry leaves and asafoetida, stir a few seconds, then mix the spiced oil into the soup. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

Chilled Roasted Vegetable Soup

Bhuni Sabziyon ka Thanda Soop

Makes 4 to 6 servings

I love roasted vegetables, even those I wasn't used to in India. Here I mix them with nonfat yogurt and add Indian seasonings to make an unusual soup. My children love it with hamburgers and French fries, and I with
Stuffed Potato Paranthas
, and other
paranthas
(griddle-fried flatbreads).

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted and coarsely ground (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

3 large red bell peppers, stemmed, halved lengthwise, and seeded

4 small Chinese or Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise

2 large tomatoes, halved

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

5 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

¹
⁄
₂
cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

3 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.
Prepare the cumin seeds. Preheat the broiler. Place the bell pepper halves, eggplants, tomatoes, onion, ginger, and garlic on a baking tray and roast on the center rack of the oven broiler, turning occasionally until the peppers and tomatoes are charred and the onion, ginger, and garlic are golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pieces as they turn golden.

2.
Transfer everything to a blender, including accumulated juices. (Deglaze the baking tray with
¹
⁄
₂
cup water, taking care to dissolve the browned juices, then add to the blender also.) Add the cilantro and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large serving bowl.

3.
Mix in the yogurt, garnish with the roasted cumin and black pepper, refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours, and serve chilled.

Fish and Chicken Soups

Goan Shrimp Soup

Goa ka Jhinga Soop

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Shrimp and seafood abound in the southwestern coastal waters of Goa, so it's no wonder that the Goans eat them in a number of different ways. This shrimp soup makes a lovely starter course. To intensify the flavor, you can boil the shrimp shells in the water for half an hour, then strain and add the liquid to the soup.

1 pound medium (about 30) fresh or thawed frozen shrimp, shell on, rinsed

5 to 6 cups water

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large tomato, finely chopped

2 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, halved lengthwise

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Wash shrimp well and place them and the water, ground turmeric, and garlic in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the shrimp are pink and opaque, 5 to 7 minutes. Leaving the water in the pan, remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Let cool, then shell and devein each shrimp and set aside until the soup is ready.

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring, until golden. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the pan with the shrimp-cooking water, add the green chile peppers, and simmer about 5 minutes to blend flavors.

3.
Return shrimp to the pan, season with salt and black pepper, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

Spicy Shrimp Soup with Coconut Milk and Tomato

Jhinga, Nariyal Doodh, aur Tamatar ka Soop

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Shrimp, or prawns (the variety most often found in India), are very popular among Indians, especially along the coastal regions where there is also an abundance of coconut palms. Here is a delicious soup from the western state of Kerala that uses both shrimp and coconut. Serve it with steamed long-grain white rice and
Stuffed Lentil Wafer Rolls
.

1 pound large (about 20) fresh or thawed frozen shrimp, shell on, rinsed

5 to 6 cups water

2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, sliced diagonally or split in half lengthwise and seeded

1 tablespoon tamarind powder or 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup canned coconut milk

2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion greens, chives, or cilantro

1.
Place the shrimp, 5 cups water, garlic, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the soup with a slotted spoon, let them cool, then shell and devein them, leaving the tails intact on half (reserve the tailed shrimp for garnish).

2.
In a food processor or a blender, process the onion to make a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl. Process the tomato and cilantro to make a smooth purée and transfer to a separate bowl. Then add the shrimps without the tails to the work bowl and pulse a few times until they are minced. Mix the shrimp pieces into the soup.

3.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion paste, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the coriander and turmeric and stir another minute. Then mix in the puréed tomato and cilantro and the green chile peppers and cook, stirring, until most of the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.

4.
Transfer to the soup. Add the tamarind powder and coconut milk and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, mix in the reserved tails-on shrimp, garnish with your choice of greens, and serve.

Chicken Soup with Ginger and Coconut Milk