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.

Potato Stir Fry

Good side dish to have with white rice, or Sri Lankan style yellow rice, or lemon rice.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

4 medium size potatoes boiled (pressure cook for 10 minutes, or boil water in a pan, add salt and potato let it boil for 30 minutes till potato is soft) – skin peeled and cut into cube sizes

1 sprig curry leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp curry powder

2 dried red chili chopped

1 large onion thinly sliced

1 tbsp minced garlic & ginger 

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan, sauté onion till it’s slightly brown. Add minced garlic and ginger, curry leaves, red chili, mustard seeds, fennel seeds sauté for 1 more minute.

Add potatoes, turmeric powder, curry powder mix them well. Add salt to taste. 

Turn off heat sprinkle with lemon juice.

Thai Yellow Curry with Red Rice

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

½ yellow pepper thinly sliced

1 celery thinly sliced

50g baby corn roughly chopped

1 leek halved and thinly sliced

50g sweet potato chopped

50g zucchini halved sliced

200ml pineapple juice

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp low fat plain yoghurt

Fresh coriander for garnishing

50g red rice washed

200 ml coconut milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Spice paste

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 lemon grass finely chopped

1 kaffir lime leaves torn

1 green chilli

1 onion chopped

1 tomato chopped

Method

To make the paste blend all spice paste ingredients into a smooth paste with 100 ml water.

Heat oil in a large pan sauté leeks and garlic ginger for 4 minutes, till leeks are wilted and changes colour.

Add spice paste, yoghurt and coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes, till spices are combined with milk and oil starts to separate. Add rice mix well till it’s coated with spice paste.

Add 300 ml of water, pineapple juice, and sweet potato, mix well, cover the pan and let it simmer in low heat for 30-40 minutes till rice is cooked.

When rice is cooked add vegetable i.e. yellow pepper, baby corn, celery and zucchini simmer for 5 more minutes till vegetable are tender.

Turn off heat, season with lime juice. Garnish soup with chopped coriander.

Red curry Tofu Soup

This delicious noodle soup has Burmese origins but is now more closely associated with Thailand. It is the Thai equivalent of the Malaysian dish laksa.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

100g tofu cut into cube sizes

2 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 red chilli chopped

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger

200 ml coconut cream

2 tbsp curry paste (use curry powder mixed with water)

1 tbsp chilli powder

200g noodles

1 tsp turmeric powder

Spring onion & coriander leaves for garnishing

Method 

Stir fry tofu adding soy sauce, until it's brown. In the same pan add red chilli, onion, garlic ginger paste and sauté for a minute or two. Set them aside.

Pour coconut cream, curry paste, chilli powder, turmeric, and stir until colour changes and it forms into a thick paste. Add soy sauce, 1 bowl of water, stir and bring to boil for 5-10 minutes.

Separately cook or microwave noodles and set aside.

When soup is boiling add cooked noodles and fried tofu mixture, salt to taste and stir well.

Turn off the heat serve soup in bowls, garnish with spring onion and coriander leaves.

Cabbage, Capsicum and Leeks Varai

This is a Sri Lankan stir fry dish, with grated coconut. Coconut is one of the main crops in Sri Lanka, hence most of the Sri Lankan curries will be made either with coconut cream or shredded coconut.

You can apply the same method of cooking to prepare similar “varai” dishes, with other vegetables or greens of your choice. Some of them are grated beetroot, carrots, snake gourd, boiled and grated ash plantain, pumpkin, ribbed gourd etc.,

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

100g Cabbage thinly sliced

1 long capsicum sliced diagonally

½ leek stick finely chopped

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 onion chopped

1 dry red chilli chopped

1 green chilli chopped

1 tsp of each mustard and fennel seeds

Pandan / Rampe leaves (Optional)

2 tbsp Grated coconut

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, green chilli, dry red chilli, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, pandan leaves (optional), and grated coconut for few minutes till coconut is slightly browned.

Then add chopped cabbage, capsicum, and leeks; stir fry for 4-5 minutes till vegetables are cooked.

Season with salt and chilli flakes. Serve with rice.

Split Pea and Pumpkin Soup

Yummy soup for a tasty vegetarian dinner

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

100g yellow split peas, washed

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp minced ginger and garlic

400g pumpkin chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

Chopped coriander for garnishing

2 tsp cumin powder

1 vegetable stock cube

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion and ginger garlic paste for a minute. Add yellow split peas, bowl of water, turmeric powder, curry powder, chilli powder, stock cube, tomatoes, pumpkin and bring to boil in low heat for about 30 min’s till split peas and pumpkin is soft.

Season the with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with coriander leaves.

Sri Lankan Lunch

Traditional Sri Lankan lunch is a colorful spread; main course is samba rice/red raw/ red parboiled rice, served with colourful curries, such as yellow curry – Dhal, Red curry – thick meat or vegetable gravy, green curry – leafy vegetable stir fry called mallum / keerai varai, and another stir fried vegetable curry. Lunch will be served with delicate wafers called papadums, and salty fried mor milagai (yoghurt chilis). This meal tastes good as it looks!

Above picture - Lemon rice, fried bringal curry, stir fried potato curry and cucumber tomato salad.

Red Parboiled Rice, served with Kangkung stir fry(green), cabbage potato curry(yellow), tofu and peppers stir fry, & potato gravy. Accompanied by crispy Pappadam and yoghurt chili (Mor milagai).

White rice served with Drumstick gravy(Brown), cabbage stir fry(yellow), fried egg plant, and Manathakkali keerai varai (Black Nightshade leaves stir fry). Of course meal is not complete without pappadam and yoghurt chili.