Soup | Aapplemint

Harira (Moroccan Soup ) for Ramadan

All, Featured, Non-Vegetarian 6 Responses »

Aug 062011

It’s that time of year again. When the Masjids’ begin to fill and there is a Ramadan spirit in the air. Ladies are dawning their hijabs whilst the age old Qurans’ laying dormant on top of selves gathering dust, are lifted off the selves and people begin to recite the Quran for the next 30 days or so. It is the most holy time of the year for Muslims across the globe, and the atmosphere is literally buzzing with anticipation and the excitement of Ramadan. Muslims show their love to Allah, through personal sacrifice and self discipline. Its the ninth month of the Islamic year, and all Muslims fast for the entire month from dawn to dusk.

It was during Ramadan that the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). According to legend, he was sitting alone in the wilderness when suddenly the angel Gabriel came to him with a golden tablet in his hands. The angel told Muhammad to read what was written on the tablet. What was on this golden tablet is said to be the essence of the Koran, just as the Tablets of the Law that Moses received on Mt. Sinai were the basis of the bible’s Old Testament.

Ramadan, a month-long period of austerity that sees devout Muslims keep themselves away during the entire daytime, offering prayers and abstaining from almost every kind of enjoyment including drinking and abstaining from sex. For Muslims all over, it is a very special time – of introspection, meditation, self control, compassion, charitable activities, spirituality and of course, devotion to God. The fast provides many benefits and is full of wisdom. It purifies and strengthens your heart. It rids you of your baser tendencies like exuberance, arrogance, and stinginess. It reinforces good traits like fortitude, clemency, and generosity. You are supposed to be a better human being, be kind, don’t lie, cheat, steal, be more generous, and be a better person overall. It supports in your inner struggle to please Allah and attain nearness to Him. It shows how much Allah has blessed us. We are reminded of our brethren those who are less fortunate and are inspired to treat them well.

Having said all this, Ramadan is also a great month to enjoy all the delectable treats prepared for Iftar (breaking of fast). Be it home cooked meals – prepared with great care and love or slip smacking and tantalizing treats on the streets outside the mosque. Platters of fruits – fresh and dry, juices, hearty and nutritious soups, fried savoury snacks, curries, biryanis’, salaans’, rotis, tikka’s, kebabs, and desserts … the spread is unbelievable and never ending. Family and friends get together to eat, and spend time with each other. Every culture has its own specialties and localized dishes, and its wonderful to try what each one has to offer. One of my most favourite dish is Harira. Its very nutritious and wholesome; not to mention absolutely tasty. A one pot dish, which comprises of meat, pulses, veggies and rice, serves as a meal in itself. It’s the perfect thing to have after fasting the whole day. I came across this recipe in 2005, when I was in Ethiopia. One afternoon they showed it on BBC Food network and I’ve been making it ever since.

Harira is Morocco’s famous soup. It’s fragrantly seasoned with ginger, pepper, and cinnamon, and also boasts a robust quantity of fresh herbs: cilantro, parsley, celery and onion. Although made throughout the year, harira is best-loved by Moroccans during the month of Ramadan when it’s frequently served to break the fast at sunset. Some families also enjoy eating harira at suhoor, the meal taken in the early morning hours before a day’s fasting officially begins. Recipes vary greatly from one family to another. Some make the soup light in texture; others prefer a filling version with chick peas and rice or broken vermicelli. One Moroccan cook may favor more tomato; another more lentils; still another may add paprika. So there are no rules, feel free to change ingredients and proportions.

Wishing you all a blessed month of fasting.

“Ramadan Kareem”

Ingredients

100g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained

100g Masoor dal (Puy Lentils)

450g Boneless lamb, cut into 1 cm cubes

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp each ground ginger, saffron strands and paprika

50g butter

100g long grain rice

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

4 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

4 large ripe tomatoes , skinned, seeded and chopped

lemon quarters, to serve

Tip the chickpeas and lentils into a large saucepan or flameproof casserole. Add the lamb, onion, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, saffron strands and paprika, then pour in 1.5 litres/21?2 pints water. Season. Bring to the boil, skimming all the froth from the surface as the water begins to bubble, then stir in half the butter. Turn down the heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 11?2 -2 hours until the chickpeas are tender, adding a little more water from time to time as necessary. Towards the end of the cooking time, prepare the rice. Bring 850ml/ 11?2 pints water to the boil in a saucepan, shower in the rice, the rest of the butter and salt to taste. Cook until the rice is very tender. Drain, reserving 3tbsp of the liquid. To finish, put the reserved rice liquid in a small saucepan. Stir in the coriander, parsley (hold a little back for a garnish if you like) and tomatoes, then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add to the soup with the rice, and then taste for seasoning. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to thicken slightly. Serve hot, with a lemon quarter for each serving so guests can squeeze over lemon juice to taste.

Potato, Celery & Chicken Soup

All, Featured, Non-Vegetarian 25 Responses »

Jun 262010

Addiction. There are so many kinds. Some good for you some bad. Obsession. There are too many of those too. Few that could do you good and few that could make your life a living hell. Is there a difference between the two ?? … I think there is. One is a state of mind and the other a physical craving … or so I’d like to believe … Well not that any of that is connected to my Celery and Potato soup I was just thinking so I thought I’d think out a bit loud. Maybe get to hear what you have to say. What are your obsessions? What are you addicted to ? Are you in control of them ?

As for the soup … Its raining outside , its gloomy and cold … might be running a slight temperature too. Times like these call for a light n clear ‘Get Well Soon Chicken Soup’ … tried that, but the taste buds are numb too … Now its got to be something a bit hearty and comforting. And I think this one just did it for me. A rich bodied potato soup with a refreshing celery flavour + all the goodness and nourishment of a chicken soup. And the seasoned potato croutons are the perfect topping to the subtly flavoured soup.

Ingredients

Serves 2

1 medium sized red onion finely chopped

2 large potatoes peeled and chopped- fine dice ( 1 for the soup and 1 for the croutons)

2 large stalks of celery with the leaves

1/2 liter of a rich homemade chicken stock/or veg (with carrots, bay leaves, black peppercorns, celery stalks, spring onions …)

100 gms of the boiled chicken –shredded (opt out for veg versions)

A knob of butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt n Pepper to taste

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp Chicken Bullion powder (optional)

Start with making the chicken stock. Boil together the jointed/skinned chicken with the veggies for about ½ hr to 40 mins on slow fire. Once the stock is ready, strain it and de-bone some of the chicken for the soup. Take a heavy bottom saucepan. Pour in the olive oil and butter together. Sautee the onions till they turn soft and pink, add the potatoes and celery stalks and further fry till they are almost done. Add the shredded chicken and the stock. Let this boil well for about 5 mins and then blend it in the liquidizer to form a smooth consistency. Strain it and make sure you push the pulp well through the sieve. Bring back to a boil. Taste the soup and season it well. For the croutons, fine dice the potato and soak them in salted water for 5 mins. Deep fry till golden brown. Remove on a kitchen towel to soak up the excess oil and then toss them in some salt pepper and dried sage. When ready to serve, top the soup with these croutons and some of the celery leaves. Have it hot !

French Onion Soup

All, Non-Vegetarian, Vegetarian 24 Responses »

May 112009

There are few things more comforting than having a real French Onion Soup – slowly cooked, caramelized onions that turn mellow and sweet in a broth laced with white wine and Cognac. And to finish it off – crunchy baked croutons of crusty bread topped with melted Swiss cheese… hmm Heaven ! Onion soups have been popular at least as far back as Roman times. They were, throughout history, seen as food for the poor people, as onions were plentiful and easy to grow. The modern version of this soup originates in France in the 18^th century, made from croutons, beef broth, and caramelized onions. It is served in a ramekins traditionally with Gruyere melted on top. The trick to a great French onion soup is starting with good homemade stock. But the rich flavor of the base is not due just to the broth, but to the caramelized onions. Caramelization, in this case, is the procedure in which the onions are cooked slowly until the melting sugars approach burning temperature, becoming brown. This topped with a delicious cheesy crouton, baked to perfection, can just about satisfy anybody.

For The Soup – Serves 2

2 white onions
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsps salted butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup Chardonnay white wine
1 tbsp Cognac
2 cups Beef Stock/Chicken stock/Veg Stock
1 bay leaf
pinch of dried sage/thyme ( whatever you like more )
salt and pepper to taste

For the Cheese Crouton

French stick/ Baguette
Gruyere Cheese

Slice the onions, not too thin and not too thick as you need them to hold shape once they soften . In a heavy bottom saucepan, heat the oil and butter, and add all the onion and fry for about a minute. Then cover the saucepan and cook on very slow flame for about 20- 25 mins with stirring just once or twice in between. By now the onions would have softened and reduced in quantity. If they’re stuck at the bottom or look burnt dont worry, as soon as you start stirring them, the lovely dark colour will coat all the onions, giving it that rich brown colour. Add the flour and cook the onions for a further 2 mins. You could add a few tbsps of water if its too dry and cook it on medium fire now to get a rich dark colour. Pour in the white wine and let it burn off and now add the stock, bay leaf and thyme/sage. I prefer a rich homamade beef stock but a nice chicken stock works equally well. If vegetarian, ofcourse a lovely wholesome veggie stock would be ideal. Season with salt and let the soup simmer for about 10 mins. The soup is ready, now we need to work on the croutons. Select a baguette which fits to the rim of your ramekin. Works for better presentation But you can use anything yo have at hand, if you dont want to get too fancy. Cut them in slices and toast them in the oven till nice n crisp. Ladel the soup equally in the ramekins, filling it till the top. Place the cruoton over it and grate the cheese over it. Bake the ramekins in the oven till the cheese has melted all over and turned a beautiful golden brown. Serve and be ready to be prasied by anyone who has it

Avocados

All, Vegetarian 51 Responses »

Feb 032009

I asked for 1 and I got 7! Sent my driver to buy them for me and clearly told him, please buy me 1 avocado, he came back with 7 … “but madam, I thought you like some more” Well, honestly, a few extra avocados never hurt anyone right? They are extremely healthy and are rich in vitamin B, E and K. Approximately 75% of an avocado’s calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat.- which is a good thing. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas and they have the highest fiber content of any fruit – including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber. So how could I say no! Only thing was now I didn’t know what to do with so many! I am the only one in my family who likes them and hence the only one who’s going to eat them. 7 avocados for one little soul is a bit too many, but yet I knew I had to use ‘em all ? I ate 2 of them just like that – sliced them and sprinkled them with red chilli powder and squeezed some lime. The simplest of things are sometimes the best I believe. When they are like that they are still so moorish. What’s great about them is that they are so easy to eat. For example you could be in between working or playing about at party poker and want a snack. In just a few seconds you can have something delicious on your plate. What’s more is that they are pretty filling. But still that was just two. And I had 5 more to go. So I used 2 of them to make guacamole and another one for some chilled avocado soup and infused it with some fresh mint and lemongrass from my garden. Here’s how …

Chilled Avocado Soup with Mint, Cucumber and Lemongrass
•    I medium sized ripe avocado
•    1 large green cucumber
•    Handful of fresh mint leaves
•    3-4 stalks of lemongrass infused in 200 ml water and then chilled (alternately you can infuse it in some fresh homemade vegetable stock)
•    200 ml low fat yogurt
•    3-4 sprigs of spring onion
•    Salt to taste

Peel the cucumber then peel and stone the avocado. Roughly chop the cucumber and spring onions and put it in the food processor along with the avocado and all the other ingredients. Whizz it till smooth and if you find the soup a bit thick you can further thin it with some more of the lemongrass infused water (smash the lemongrass stalks and boil them in the water. Leave to cool and then chill. When ready to use, strain the water) or some more yogurt. Personally i like the soup a bit runny and not too thick. Pour into a jug and cover tightly and chill it well. To garnish, pour into soup bowl and add some chopped cucumber for that extra crunch and a finish of with a sprig of mint.

Guacamole
•    2 ripe avocados
•    1 small tomato or use ½ a tomato chopped
•    1 medium sized onion chopped
•    2 red scotch bonnet chillis chopped
•    Juice of 2 limes
•    Salt to taste
•    Handful of coriander chopped
Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Scoop out the flesh and lightly mash with a fork. Mix in the rest of the ingredients lightly and pile it out in a bowl. You Guacamole Dip is ready, serve with tortilla chips. Couldn’t be easier right?

A Healthier Option This time

All, Vegetarian 40 Responses »

Nov 032007

I was really trying NOT to make a sweet post this time. I’ve been eating far too much butter and sugar lately and the results are quite evident. 2 inches on my waistline and 4 kgs overweight ( U know, they should’ve put a warning … “Food blogging can be hazardous to health – Blog at you own risk !!!” Looks like I’m going to be off sweets for a while now … lets just see how long that lasts
If u guys remember i was supposed to be store cleaning n all as i was leaving. Well my trip got postponed by a few days but yes the cleaning still goes on. Looks like i will be able to use all my stocks after all . My red radishes too are ready just in time for me to start picking and consuming. I thought I’ll miss them all together , but i was fortunate enough to get the first harvest. I had planted them 40 days ago and according to the instructions they came out just in time. At least the first batch did. I still have a some in the soil n they have a few more days before they are ready. At the moment I’m trying to think as healthy as possible, so soups n salads for a while … atleast till my tummy tones down a bit.
Here are 2 wonderful dishes from my kitchen, easy, healthy and of course they use a lot of my remaining ingredients.

Red Raddish, Roasted Red Pepper, Butter Bean and Feta Cheese Salad

1 large red pepper roasted and cleaned and thinly sliced
100 gms feta cheese broken into pieces
handful of black olives
i can butter beans washed and drained
1 bag mixed salad leaves
couple of radishes thinly sliced

For the dressing keep it very simple

salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
juice of 1 whole lime

Now you don’t really need instructions for this. Just place it all together nicely, dress it with salt, pepper and lime juice, drizzle olive oil all over, toss it and dive in. The sweetness of the peppers, the creaminess of the beans, the sharp saltiness of the feta cheese and olives and the crunchy n refreshing salad leaves really makes this one hellva salad … good source of protein and filling too !

Asparagus and Pea soup with Basil Pesto and Pine nuts

1 packet Maggi asparagus soup ( yes i do keep them…just for emergencies)
2 handfuls frozen peas
1 clove garlic grated
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
300ml chicken stock
grated Parmesan for garnish
few toasted pine nuts for garnish
home made basil pesto
Lemon wedges to serve

To start the soup, u’ll need to heat in a saucepan 1 tbsp olive oil. Fry the garlic till fragrant, add the peas and stir well, cook for 2 mins and add the chicken stock and mix in the soup packet. Whisk till well combined and bring to a boil and simmer for 15 mins. With a hand blender, blend to a chunky consistency and add the seasonings. Turn off the heat, serve in a bowl and add a dollop of freshly homemade pesto, grate some Parmesan and squeeze some lime. The lemon really lifts the soup up and brings it a zingy freshness. Together with the pollenta, and some more pesto to go around, its difficult not to fall in love with this combination.

Char Grilled Pollenta

3 cups water
1 cup pollenta
60 gms unsalted butter
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt n freshly ground pepper

To make the pollenta, place the water in a large saucepan and bring to boil on high heat. Slowly add the pollenta whisking continuously, until well combined. Reduce the heat to slow and stir with wooden spoon for 2-3 mins until it comes away from the sides of the pan. Stir thru the butter and Parmesan. Spoon into a baking dish/tin, flatten out smoothly and chill in fridge for 30 mins till well set. Cut in squares and grill on hot griddle pan or around 4 mins or crispy.

Dal Roti

All, Vegetarian 26 Responses »

May 162007

Dal and Roti are among India’s oldest food items. They are the most basic vegetarian diet available. The closest equivalent in the West can only be Bread and Butter. They even occupy the same mental space as B & B. Earning one’s livelihood is often said as“Earning one’s Dal Roti”. There are like a 100 varieties of lentils and pulses, each of which can be cooked in many different ways. Each region, each household have their own tweaks n versions. In all, this humble lentil soup can probably be cooked in a thousand different ways and these variations are equally healthy, as lots of traditional spices like turmeric, cumin … are used along with the already protein rich lentils. A true Indian meal would not be complete without Dal !

This is a North Indian version Dal as far as i remember and my mums recipe ! She used to serve this with tandoori roti but i think i’ll just pass with the regular roti !

To start you’ll have to get these two lentils shown below. Don’t have the English names for them but are very easily available at all Indian stores or supermarkets which store Indian stuff … duh … the same thing ) .The one on the left is called Yellow Moong Dal and is smaller in size.The one to the right is called Tuwar Dal and is slightly larger in size…though both are just called yellow dal !

1/4 cup moong dal
1/4 cup tuwar dal
1 tbsp grated ginger /garlic
2 dried red chillis
1 onion chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
corriander to serve
lemon to serve
1 tbsp ghee ( clarified butter )
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1tsp cumin powder
1 tsp smoked paprika powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick

Start with soaking the lentils separately in warm water for two hrs.Then pressure cook the tuwar dal for about 2 whistles and then open the cooker and add the moong dal and let it cook further for 2 more whistles. Set aside.The reason we do this, is moong is softer that tuwar and if we cook them both together then we wont have the thick texture in the dal and it would be very smooth and runny .Thought there is nothing wrong with that, i just like the chunkier version.
Now in another pot start frying the ginger, garlic and onion in the olive oil till it is soft. Add in the tomatoes and cook it till it disintegrates and add in all the spices except the garam masala.Let this cook well for about 5 mins and then add the boiled lentils to this.Mix throughly and let it simmer on a slow gas for about 10-15 mins. Meanwhile prepare to temper the dal…or like we call it … the “Tadka”.Take a really small pot…the smallest u have in the kitchen and heat the ghee in it. Once its all hot add the dried red chillis and stir around till fragrant.Be carefull it might splutter, add the garam masala and instantly put it all into the dal.This really fills up the kitchen with a wonderful aroma.Usually my mum would use curry leaves as well but they are very difficult to find around here so i manage without it.But if u ca get your hands on some Indian ones…please go ahead and use it. Check for salt. Squeeze the lime, garnish with corriander, slice some raw onions and serve it with hot rotis…! this food touches the soul !

New Delhi Hotels

Popeye’s Dream Soup

All, Vegetarian 10 Responses »

Mar 152007

Another blog post in quick succession ! That’s cuz i made this yummy soup today and had to share it with you. As a kid i hated spinach and used to get grounded everytime i would not eat it ….. Later as i grew up and couldn’t afford getting grounded all the time i started eating it,the only way i would eat is this a a north Indian style called “Palak Paneer”, meaning spinach and cottage cheese.My mum makes the most amazing palak panner with naan.And now I’m ok with the idea of spinach in almost any style.But it happens so that D is allergic to spinach (though i think its a psychological thing) and i don’t end up making it real often because i really wouldn’t go through all the trouble just for me.Unless of course we are with his parents then we eat spinach at least once a week.Today however i wanted to have some soup so i bought myself some spinach.Here the measurements are for 1 person if its your entire meal.Or two small bowls for starters.

Ingredients

1 bunch of spinach washed and stems removed
1tsp of cumin seeds
1 inch ginger grated plus a few slivers for garnish
1 small onion chopped
finely chopped green chilli
1 tsp freshly roasted cumin powder
1tbsp olive oil
100 ml of single cream
salt and black pepper

In a pot heat the oil and put the cumin seeds.As soon as they start spluttering add the onion, ginger and green chilli.Fry this till the onion has softened and browned slightly.Cut the spinach and add it to the onion.Cover with lid and let it sweat.The spinach will reduce by more than half.
In about 5 mins remove from the stove and blend it in the blender making a smooth puree.Pass it thru the sieve and bring back to the stove. Add the salt and pepper.Bring to boil and add the cream.Plate up the soup.Garnish with the ginger sliver and cumin powder.Serve with some
crusty home made bread.

Want to see something funny…..well here it is…my studio setup in natural lighting….and my skirt as a backdrop.And an important piece of advice :- never plate up and garnish your food out of the studio.I made the mistake of garnishing my soup in the kitchen and then it took me 5 mins to walk slowly and come to my room so that i didn’t spoil my heart swirls and have soup all over the edges.

Ghanian Palm Nut Soup

All, Non-Vegetarian 5 Responses »

Feb 022007

This is actually the first time i saw what a palm nut looks like …My house maid was making some for her husband (Our guard) and i just happened to be there at the right time with my camera ofcourse.She was quite amused that i took pictures of her pounding the hell outta those nuts. And then later of the soup….she probably thinks i’m nuts or somethin with the look she gave me…”Why would anyone want to take pictures of food. Food is for eating !” was her argument.

So here she is pounding the palm nuts and that is one tough job as she was at it almost for 30mins.The nuts are surprisingly greasy.She kept adding water and crushing it which released the juices and she collected that in another pot,and kept repeating it till the nuts were absolutely squished out of their goodness.

I’ve kept a palm nut on the rim of that bowl for you to see, as that was the only one left for me to click.

Now this is just the palm nut pulp with water.It has quite a rich colour and has quite a lot of natural oil floating on top.What happened after this i did’nt really get to see but i was told that u have to add whole onions and tomatoes, ginger, garlic ,red pepe(the local super hot red chilli). The choice of meat is yours…anything goes…lamb,chicken…she used fish head.Boil it for a while and once the tomatoes and onions are soft ,get them out and puree them and add it back.Let it simmer on slow fire and Voila’…

The soup tasted wonderful….spicy, fishy, had a very rich texture…full of body and lovely flavours,just needed a squeese of lime and i thought some thyme would go well too. It was pretty heavy though. But hey , who doesnt love a free bowl of soup !