Date:01/06/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mag/2003/06/01/stories/2003060100360700.htm

Soups and starters

BIPIN MISTRY

PEOPLE no longer like plain insipid soups, preferring instead spicy offerings with an unusual combination of ingredients. Let international cuisine like Mexican, Korean, Italian inspire you into creating your own recipes.

Colourful stuffed packets

Three types of colourful packets, stuffed with the same corn filling.

Ingredients:

For the corn filling:

Butter 1 tbsp
Finely chopped onions 2 tbsps
Crushed garlic 1 tsp
Finely chopped capsicum 1/4 cup
Boiled and crushed corn 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Oil for deep frying.
For the green dough:
Flour 1/2 cup
Cooked spinach paste 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp

For the red dough:
Flour 1/2 cup
Red beetroot juice 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp
For the yellow dough:
Flour 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder a big pinch
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp

Method:

To prepare the corn filling, melt the butter and sauté the onions and garlic until fragrant. Add the capsicum and sauté for a minute. Add the corn and other ingredients. Mix well and remove from heat.

Prepare the three types of dough by mixing the ingredients with water. Knead well and make eight balls each. Roll a ball into a puri, and cut into a square. Add the filling and fold into a triangle by sealing the sides. Stick two opposite lower corners and make into a neat packet. Deep fry till light brown and crisp. Serve with soup.

* * *

Wheat tortilla soup

A Mexican spicy soup with tortillas floating in it.

Ingredients

Round wheat thin rotis five inches 3 pieces
Cubed tomatoes 2 cups
Cubed onions 1/2 cup
Garlic 6 cloves
Hot red dry chillies large 2
Olive oil 1/2 cup
Vegetable stock 5 cups
Salt to taste
Grated cheese 6 tbsps

Method:

Cut each roti into 1/2 inch wide and 21/2 inches long strips. They are called tortillas.

Make a puree out of the tomatoes, onion and garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the chillies. Quickly fry and remove on paper. Make a powder. In the same oil, fry the tortillas until crisp and remove. In the remaining oil, add the vegetable puree and cook. After 10 minutes add the vegetable stock and half of the chilli powder and salt. Cook for another 10 minutes.

At the time of serving add the tortillas in the soup. Mix and take out the soup in the bowl with a few tortillas in each bowl. Sprinkle chilli powder and cheese to serve.

* * *

Japanese vegetable miso soup

A clear vegetable soup with bean paste flavour.

Ingredients:

Oil 1 tsp
Sesame oil 1 tsp
Thinly sliced radish (daikon) 1 cup
Thinly sliced carrot 1/2 cup
Thinly sliced potatoes 1/4 cup
Vegetable stock 6 cups
Salt to taste
Miso paste (readymade) 2 tbsps
Light soya sauce 11/2 tbsps
A few pieces of tofu

Sliced white part of young leek

or spring onion 1/4 cup

Method:

Heat the oil and add the radish, carrot and potato. Saute for three minutes. Add warm vegetable stock and salt to taste. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Blend the miso paste in a little stock and add to the soup. Mix the tofu pieces. Continue to simmer. Mix the soya sauce. Before serving, add sliced leek or spring onions.

* * *

Green beans in the noodle baskets
A Japanese style dainty snack.

Ingredients:

For the beans:
French beans 24
Salad oil 1 tbsp
Grated ginger 1/2 tsp
Dash of soya sauce
Salt to taste
Toasted sesame seeds 1 tbsp
For the noodle baskets:
Boiled noodles 1 cup
Oil for greens

Method:

String the beans and add to boiling salt water. When crisp, drain and add cold water. Drain, pat dry and chop into small pieces.

Heat the oil, and add the beans, ginger, soya sauce and salt to taste. Mix and remove from heat.

For the baskets, take 12 small metal pastry cups. Grease with oil, and line them with noodles. Bake at 20°C for 25 minutes or until crisp and it leaves the side of the cups. Take out the baskets and cool.

Before serving, fill the noodle baskets with the beans and sprinkle the sesame on it.

JYOTI NIKUNJ PAREKH