French Onion Soup

This is perhaps the most famous of all onion soups. Non-alcoholic variation is tried to this western recipe replacing wine and brandy with curry powder to infuse spicy flavor. Yes it worked and was delicious.


Ingredients
Serves 2-3
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 large onions, sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 vegetable soup cube
2 tbsp curry powder
50g grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

For the roasted bread
2-3 slices of French bread
Garlic butter
50g cheese grated


Method


Heat butter and oil in a large pan; add onions, salt, sugar and vinegar. Sauté stirring occasionally for 10 minutes till onion turns to golden color. Add all purpose flour, thyme and curry powder, stir for few more minutes.


Add soup cube and one bowl of water, bring to boil. When soup starts simmering, season with salt and grated cheese. Mix well and turn off heat.


To make the toast, spread garlic butter to bread, sprinkle cheese, toast in oven for 5 minutes.


Ladle soup into bowls serve with toasted bread.

Okra (Lady’s Fingers) Curry

Okara (Lady’s Fingers) these hairy and sticky vegetable helps to relieve constipation and sticky substance in okra is used to treat gastric ulcer. It’s a good source of soluble fiber which helps in controlling the cholesterol level.


Serves 2-3
Ingredients


200g okra wash & slice diagonally
2 green chilies sliced diagonally
1 onion diced
Few curry leaves
Pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp curry powder
Salt to taste
200ml low fat milk / 100ml coconut cream
1 tomato roughly chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice


Method


Add all ingredients in a large wok, except lemon juice. Cover the lid and cook for 5 minutes till okra is soft.


Turn off heat, mix lemon juice and serve with rice.

Jamie Oliver’s Leeks and Chickpea Soup

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Serve’s 2

Ingredients

1 medium size leek stick chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic & ginger

100g boiled chickpeas

2 tsp corn flour mixed in cold water

1 vegetable soup cube

Parsley for garnishing

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, garlic, and ginger for a minute. Add chopped leeks, soup cube sauté till leeks are wilted turns to golden colour. Add one bowl of water and boil for about 5 minutes.

When the soup starts simmering, add corn flour mixture stir well. Add boiled chickpeas, salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle in soup bowls and garnish with parsley.

Carrot Sambol (Salad)

Carrot has high content of vitamins A, B and beta carotene which prevents night blindness. Best to take carrots in raw form as salads.


Ingredients
Serves 2-3


1 large carrot grated into thin strips
1 onion diced
Handful of curry leaves thinly sliced
1 of each fresh green and red chili finely sliced
2 tbsp low fat yoghurt (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste


Method


Mix all ingredients in a bowl, serve immediately with rice.

Spicy Lentil Dhal Soup

This chunky lentil soup makes a sustaining meal in a bowl.


Ingredients
Serving size 2 -3

3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
2 green chilies chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
100g red lentils washed
1tbsp cumin powder
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
100g diced tomatoes
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & black pepper to taste


For garnishing
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Fried onion
Thinly sliced green chilies


Method

Melt oil in a pan, sauté onion, chilies, ginger, garlic for 2 minutes. Stir in lentils and 2 cups of water, soup cube and bring to boil. Reduce heat, boil stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes until lentils are soft. 

Add tomatoes, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper to taste cook stirring. Turn off heat and mix lemon juice.

Serve soup in bowls and garnish with chopped coriander, green chilies and fried onion.

Kang Kung Belacan

Kang kung also known as water spinach, is rich in iron, and good to alleviate anemia.  Kang kung is also rich in calcium, vitamin A & C.


Blanched kang kung in rich spicy sauce, is a delicious way of eating greens with rice or noodles. Same cooking method can be applied to other leafy vegetables such as Chinese spinach (Amaranth), choy sum and pak choy.

Serves 2-3
Ingredients
500g Kang kung washed and roughly chopped
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
4 dry red chili thinly sliced
2 tsp corn flour mixed in 50ml cold water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion chopped


Method


To make the sauce, heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, garlic ginger for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, red chili and corn flour, mix well for a 2 second and turn off hurt. Sauce should be creamy. Set them aside.


Boil water in a sauce pan, when water is boiling add 1 tsp salt, kang kung, leave for 2 seconds. Drain them using colander and wash with cold water.


Mix blanched kang kung with sauce, serve immediately. 

Bean and Capsicum Stew

Ingredients
Serves 2-3


200g cannellini beans boiled
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
½ of each red, yellow and green capsicum thinly sliced
1 celery, chopped
200g can tomatoes roughly chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 vegetable soup cube
50g pitted black olives, roughly chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar


Method


Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, garlic ginger for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato puree, soup cube and sugar stir well for 2 more minutes.


Add capsicum, celery and one bowl of water, bring to boil for 5 minutes.


Once soup starts simmering stir cannellini beans, season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and add black olives.


Serve with crusty bread.

Sri Lankan Dinner

String hoppers served with Lentil gravy, soya meat curry, soy chicken curry and grated coconut sambol.

String hoppers or idiyappam(Tamil) or Puttu Mayam (in Malaysia) is served for breakfast or dinner with a thin fish or chicken curry, a lentil dish, and a spicy coconut sambol or fresh chutney. String hoppers are made from steamed rice flour made into dough with water and a little salt, and forced through a mould similar to those used for pasta to make the strings. They are cooked by steaming. This simple dish can be adapted to more interesting things such as String Hopper Biriyani, by adding scrambled eggs or vegetables.

Beans with Chili Stew

This flavorful beans with chili stew is made with rice, kidney beans, garlic, onions, red pepper, and chili powder. This is a wholesome meal to revive you after a long tiring day.


Serves 2-3
Ingredients


1 onion chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
½ red capsicum thinly sliced
100g kidney beans / black cowpea boiled
1 carrot diced
100g green beans cut into 2.5cm pieces
200g canned tomatoes mashed
50g rice washed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 soup cube
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp curry powder
1 vegetable soup cube
Chopped coriander leaves


Method
Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, garlic ginger for 2 minutes. Add tomato puree, tomatoes, soup cube, curry powder and chili powder, mix well to form a thick paste.


Add washed rice, stir till rice is discolored and coated with spices. Add 1 bowl of water, lower the heat and boil for 15 minutes till rice is cooked.


Add carrots and capsicum mix well cook for 5 more minutes.


Separately blanch French beans. Boil water, when water starts boiling add salt and beans, cook for 3 minutes, drain water, wash beans with cold water and set aside. By doing this you can retain and enrich colors of vegetables.


When rice and vegetables are cooked, add boiled kidney bean, salt, blanched French beans, chopped coriander, mix well and serve.

Country Vegetable Soup

Soup making is a good way to make the most of seasonal vegetables. It is also a great way of making healthy meals from the best selection of frozen food. Plain or frozen vegetables cook’s fast and taste terrific. Serve this classic mixed vegetable soup with crusty garlic bread and perhaps a wedge of cheese as a light meal.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 carrot diced

1 celery sliced

½ stick leek sliced

1 potato cut into small cubes

1 small parsnip, cut into small cubes

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger 

1 vegetable stock cube 

100ml milk / soy milk

1 tsp corn flour mixed in 2 tsp cold water

50g de-frozen green peas

Parsley for garnishing

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan sauté onion, leeks, minced garlic and ginger for 3-4 minutes. When onion and leeks are soft and changing to golden color, add potatoes, carrots, celery and parsnip stir well for 3 more minutes.

Add one bowl of water, soup cube, milk bring to boil for about 5 minutes. When soup starts simmering add corn flour mixture, salt and pepper to taste stir well until soup thickens a bit.

Turn off heat add green peas and parsley. Ladle the soup into bowls. 

Depending on your preference, serve this soup with roasted garlic bread and cheese.

Minestone Soup

This is a classic minestrone from the Lombardy region of Italy. Milanese cooks vary the recipe according to what is on hand, and you can do the same.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

100g boiled / canned cannellini beans

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger

200g chopped tomatoes 

1 vegetable soup cube

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt & pepper 

1 carrot chopped

1 celery stick chopped

100g macaroni pasta

2 tbsp flour dissolved in cold water

Chopped Parsley & parmesan cheese / soy cheese for garnishing 

Method

Heat oil in a large pan and sauté garlic, ginger, onion, soup cube and tomatoes for 2 minutes. Add macaroni pasta, carrot, celery and 1 bowl of water. Boil for 15-20 minutes till pasta is cooked. 

At this stage if you prefer a thick soup add flour mixture, stir well.

When the soup is boiling add cannellini beans and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chopped parsley. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with plenty of shredded parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese.

Tarka Dhal Red Lentil Soup

 This thick soup is based on classic Indian tarka dhal. Also spelt tadka, tarka is the term for the hot oil seasoning that is drizzled over and folded into a dish before serving. Dhal varies in thickness according to the particular recipe, cook's preference and type of meal. Served slightly thin, it makes a fabulous meal-in-a-bowl.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

50g red lentils, washed

50g yellow split peas

1 cube vegetable stock dissolved in bowl of water

1 tbsp minced ginger and garlic 

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 green chilies chopped

2 tbsp curry powder

Salt to taste

For tarka

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 dried red chilies chopped

1 tomato sliced

1 sprig curry leaves

Method

Wash red lentils and yellow split peas. In a large wok add vegetable stock, minced ginger and garlic, tomatoes, turmeric, curry powder and chopped green chilies. Bring to boil for 15-20 minutes, reduce heat when lentils are soft. 

Mash the lentils to a consistency of your preference; add 2 tbsp yoghurt or 100ml milk if the soup is too thick. 

To prepare the tarka, heat the oil in another pan and fry onion, mustard seeds, dry red chilies, curry leaves and sliced tomatoes for 2 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls, add tarka on top and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve piping hot.

Nigella Lawson's Pumpkin and Chickpeas Soup

Southeast Asian herbs like lime leaves and lemon grass infuse aromatic flavor to this creamy pumpkin soup, with chunky chickpeas. Mouth watering yummy soup to warm you up, in a cold winter weather and sooth your senses after a tiring day.

Ingredients
Serves 2-3
500g Japanese Pumpkin, chopped
200g boiled / canned chickpeas
200ml coconut milk
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 lime leaf, torn / grated lemon rind
1 lemon grass crushed
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
1 vegetable soup cube
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Spring onion chopped
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method
Heat oil in a large sauce pan, sauté onion, garlic ginger for 2 minutes. Add pumpkin, salt, sugar, lemon grass, lemon leaves, curry powder and soup cube. Stir well till pumpkin is coated with spices.

Add coconut cream, lower the heat, close the lid, let it simmer for 10 minutes till pumpkin is soft.

Add one bowl of water bring to boil for 5 more minutes. When soup starts simmering, add chickpeas and mix well.

Turn off heat, season with lemon juice, pepper and salt. Ladle soup into bowls garnish with coriander and chopped spring onion.

Split Pea and Bottle Gourd Soup

Channa dhal also known as bengal gram gives a fabulous nutty taste; best for spicy stew type dishes like this...

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

100g yellow split peas washed

1 cube vegetable stock
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 green chili chopped
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
6 curry leaves
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp turmeric powder
200g bottle gourd diced
1 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tomatoes chopped
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing


Method

Heat oil in a large pan, stir fry chopped onion, garlic, green chili, curry leaves, tomatoes, turmeric, chili and curry powder for 2 minutes.

Add one bowl of water, soup cube, tamarind paste, yellow split peas and boil for 15 minutes till split peas are tender.

Add bottle gourd and salt stir and cook for 5 more minutes.

When soup is simmering serve in bowls and garnish with coriander.

Vegetarian Chicken Curry

This is a meat substitute known as mock meat. It’s made with textured soya protein and mushroom stems.  Available in variety of forms like lamb chops, fish slices, beef and prawns. 100% vegetarian mock meat is popular among Buddhist Chinese during their vegetarian days. This can be found in Asian / Oriental stores.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

For Marinating

300g of mock chicken – you may use preferred mock meat

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp tomato puree

2 tbsp vegetable oil

For curry1 onion chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

1 tbsp tomato puree

2 tbsp plain yoghurt (optional)

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp garam masala

200 ml milk mixed with 100ml water (200ml coconut cream)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt to taste

Method

Marinate mock chicken by mixing them with soy sauce and tomato puree, set it aside for 1-2 hours.

Heat oil in a pan add marinated meet, stir fry till it’s skin is crispy and turns into golden color. Set them aside.

Heat oil in same pan add garlic ginger, onion, curry leaves, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds sauté for a minute. Add tomato puree, yoghurt, curry powder, chili powder stir well, till it forms a thick paste.

Add milk diluted in water, salt and bring to boil. When curry forms a thick gravy, add mock meat, turn off heat add garam masala.

Serve hot with steaming rice / roti / bread.

Chunky Plum Tomato & Cannellini Bean Soup

This is a rich and satisfying soup. Make it a delicious meal by serving with crusty French bread/ baguette/ ciabatta, flavored with garlic butter.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

400g ripe tomatoes / tin tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
1 vegetable stock cube
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp paprika / chili powder
1 tbsp corn flour mixed in cold water
200g can / boiled cannellini beans
Few coriander leaves chopped for garnishing
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large pan sauté onion and garlic, ginger for 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, chili powder, stock cube stir for 1 more minute. Add one bowl of water and bring to boil.

When soup is boiling add corn flour liquid, salt and pepper to taste.

When soup is simmering turn off heat add cannellini beans, serve in soup bowls and sprinkle chopped coriander.

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

500g pumpkin peeled, roughly chopped

2 tbsp Olive / vegetable oil

1 large onion chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp vegetarian tom yam paste (Thai ingredient can be found in Asian stores)

1 tbsp curry powder

Salt &  pepper to taste

1 bowl of vegetable stock, or 1 stock cube dissolved in 1 bowl of water

1 tsp sesame seeds and fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, and minced garlic and ginger for a minute. Add pumpkin, vegetable stock, turmeric, coriander and bring to boil for about 15 minutes till pumpkin is soft.

@ this stage if you prefer a creamy soup, let the soup cool and blend.

Otherwise in the same pan add tom yam paste, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste and stir well.

Ladle soup into  bowls, garnish with sesame seeds and coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

Noodles in Soup (Tang mein)

Among chinese, noodles in soup (Tang mein) are far more popular than fried noodles (chow mein). This soup is originally chicken soup, converted to vegetarian version using tofu.

Ingredients

Serves 2

100g firm tofu cut into cube size

50g shitake mushrooms sliced

100g kalian or choy sum chopped

2 spring onions chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger 

200g noodles

1 cube vegetable stock

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp tomatoes puree

10 spring onion thinly chopped

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add  tofu, mushroom and soy sauce, sauté for few minute’s till they are slightly brown. Set them aside

In the same pan add oil sauté ½ of spring onion, garlic ginger paste for a minute. Add tomato puree, vegetable stock and one bowl of water and bring to boil.

Separately boil water in a sauce pan, add noodles cook for 2 minutes. When noodles are cooked add chopped kalian/ choy sum. Drain water set aside.

When soup is simmering, add salt and pepper to taste.

In soup bowls serve noodles, kalian / choy sum, pour soup over noodles, add tofu and mushrooms, garnish with spring onion.