LITMIR.BIZ

      Spicy Vegetable Soup with Lemon Basil

      2 shallots, sliced

      1 teaspoon white peppercorns

      4 tablespoons dried prawns, soaked for 20 minutes

      2 tablespoons sliced lesser galangal

      2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste (belachan)

      1 teaspoon salt

      2 liters (8 cups) chicken stock or water

      115 g (1 cup) pumpkin meat, skinned and sliced

      1 young squash, such as sponge gourd, courgette (zucchini), or butternut, cut into chunks

      150 g (1 cup) sliced fresh black Chinese mushrooms

      8 ears baby corn (about 180 g/6 oz), halved

      300 g (4 cups) leafy vegetables, such as spinach, young pumpkin leaves or kale

      80 g (2 cups) fresh lemon basil leaves (substitute sweet basil)

      1 Using a pestle and mortar, pound the shallots, peppercorns, dried prawns, lesser galangal, dried shrimp paste and salt until fine.

      2 Place the stock or water in a stockpot, add the paste, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Add the pumpkin and cook until the pumpkin begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Then add the remaining vegetables and the basil leaves. When the soup boils again, remove from the heat and serve immediately.

      Serves 6 to 8

      Preparation time: 40 mins

      Cooking time: 10 mins

      Hot and Sour Prawn and Lemongrass Soup (Tom Yam Goong)

      1½ liters (6 cups) chicken stock or 2 to 3 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 1½ liters (6 cups) hot water

      500 g (1 lb) fresh prawns, peeled and deveined, tails intact, shells reserved

      2 stalks lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, bruised

      3 slices galangal root

      1 tablespoon crushed coriander roots

      3 kaffir lime leaves, torn into small pieces

      150 g (1½ cups) fresh or canned button mushrooms, thinly sliced to yield about 1 cup

      1 medium tomato, cut into wedges

      1 tablespoon Thai Chili Paste (nam prik pod) (page 59) or 1 tablespoon thinly sliced red finger-length chilies

      3 tablespoons fish sauce

      1 tablespoon tamarind pulp soaked in 2 tablespoons water, mashed and strained to obtain the juice

      3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime or lemon juice

      1 teaspoon salt

      1 spring onion, sliced

      Few sprigs coriander leaves, minced

      1 Boil the chicken stock and prawn shells in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the stock; discard the shells.

      2 Bring the clear stock, lemongrass, galangal, coriander roots and kaffir lime leaves to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes, then add the prawns, button mushrooms and tomato, and continue to simmer until the prawns turn pink and are just cooked, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook the prawns. Remove from the heat, stir in all the other ingredients and mix well, adjusting the seasonings by adding more fish sauce, tamarind or lime juice if desired.

      3 Serve hot in individual serving bowls.

      You may use sliced fish, squid and mussels in this very popular hot and sour soup. If tamarind is not available, increase the amount of lime or lemon juice to 5 tablespoons.

      Serves 4 to 6.

      Preparation time: 20 mins

      Cooking time: 20 mins

      Rice Soup with Fish (Khao Tom Pla)

      2 tablespoons oil

      3 cloves garlic, minced

      1½ liters (6 cups) chicken stock or 2 to 3 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 1½ liters (6 cups) hot water

      3 slices galangal root

      1 tablespoon minced Chinese pickled cabbage (tang chye) (optional)

      1 teaspoon salt

      ½ teaspoon ground white pepper

      300 g (3 cups) cooked rice

      500 g (1 lb) fresh fish fillets (red snapper, flounder or salmon), cut into bite-sized pieces

      1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

      2 tablespoons fish sauce

      2 spring onions, thinly sliced

      Few sprigs coriander leaves, minced

      1 portion Pickled Green Chilies (see below), to serve

      1 Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat and stir-fry the garlic until fragrant and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

      2 Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan or stockpot over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the galangal and Chinese pickled cabbage (tang chye), season with the salt and pepper, and simmer for about 7 minutes. Add the rice and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the fish pieces and simmer for about 5 minutes until cooked. Finally stir in the celery and fish sauce, and remove from the heat.

      3 Serve hot in individual serving bowls, garnished with Crispy Fried Garlic (see note), spring onion and coriander leaves, with the Pickled Green Chilies on the side.

      Crispy Fried Garlic or Crispy Fried Shallots are readily available in packets or jars in most supermarkets and Asian food stores. To make them at home, thinly slice several cloves of garlic or shallots as desired and stir-fry in hot oil over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

      Chinese pickled cabbage, also known as tang chye, consists of beige-brown bits of salted and seasoned cabbage leaves. These are sold in plastic or cellophane packs and are used as a flavoring, mainly for soups and noodle dishes.

      Serves 4 to 6

      Preparation time: 20 mins

      Cooking time: 25 mins

      Pickled Green Chilies

      3 to 4 green finger-length chilies, deseeded and sliced

      60 ml (¼ cup) vinegar

      1 teaspoon sugar

      Combine all the ingredients in a serving bowl and mix well.

      Makes

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