One of my favorite soups is the "Tom Yum Goong" or Thai prawn soup. During our holiday in Thailand I had this soup almost everyday and loved it... Its available in most Thai restaurants in India, but the most authentic one you will find only in Thailand..... But do try this recipe...you sure will love it...its quite close in taste, aroma and flavor. Ingredients: Vegetable or Chicken Stock - 500 ml fresh lemongrass - 2 stalks - sliced in 2-inch pieces Lime leaves - 4 Fresh galangal or ginger - 1 inch sliced Red chillies - 2 - sliced Fsh sauce - 2 tablespoon ( Optional but good to have) Sugar - 1.5 tsp Mushrooms - 100 gms Large Shrimp - peeled with tails on - 300 gms Limes - 2 juiced Green onions 2 - sliced Fresh cilantro - 1 handful -chopped Method: Bring the stock to the boil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and chiles. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth. Uncover and add the fish sauce, sugar, and mushrooms. Simmer for 5 minutes. Toss in the shrimp and cook for about 8 minutes until they turn pink. Remove from the heat and add the lime juice, green onions, and cilantro. Taste for salt and spices; you should have an equal balance of spicy, salty, and sour. Don't forget to tell your guest's that the lemongrass and lime leaves are for flavor only and should be avoided when eating the soup.
Here's a mutton pulao recipe that I got from my friend...
Ingredients:
Mutton, preferably mutton with very little bones - 500 gms Ghee - 10-12 tbsp Onions - 2- sliced Green chillies - 3-4 chopped Ginger paste - 1 tsp Basmati rice - 2½ cup - washed and soaked for 30 minutes Curd - 1 cup Salt - 3 tsp Cashew nuts - 10-12 - fried, for garnishing
Coarsely powder & Tie spices in a muslin cloth together 4 tsp saunf, 2-3 star anise 4” dalchini (cinnamon), 2 moti illaichi (black cardamoms), 8 laung (cloves)
Grind together to a fine paste
1½ tbsp khus-khus ( Poppy seeds) - soaked in warm water for ½ hour 1½ tbsp saunf (fennel seeds), 1½ tsp jeera, 8-10 saboot kali mirch ( black peppercorns). 8 laung (cloves), 2” dalchini (cinnamon) 8-9 chhoti illaichi (green cardamoms) & 2 moti illaichi (black cardamoms)
Method:
Wash rice and preferably soak for 30 minutes. Put mutton, 1 tsp salt, muslin spice bag and 1 cup water in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook to give 4-5 whistles. Mutton should be tender. (The number of whistles will depend on the quality of mutton). Grind soaked khus khus with seeds of illaichi and all the other ingredients to a fine paste. Keep aside. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add sliced onion. Fry till brown. Add ginger paste and green chillies. Mix well. Add mutton pieces (without the stock). Fry for 5-6 minutes. Measure the mutton stock and add enough water to make it to 4½ cups. Add the freshly made khus khus paste to the mutton. Mix well. Add curd, rice and 3 tsp salt. Add the stock and water (4½ cups) mixed together. Boil. Cover and cook on low heat till rice is well cooked and the water dries up. Separate with a fork and serve hot decorated with fried cashew nuts.
Note : Instead of mutton, chicken or mixed vegetables can also be used.
Fresh tuna is a rich source of lean protein, omega-3 fatty acids and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. A diet with a high intake of these nutrients can benefit your health by enhancing the function of your organs and by possibly lowering your risk of chronic medical conditions. Here is a simple fish starter made using Tuna and a few ingredients that together make up the Moroccan taste....
Avocados are a creamy, buttery fruit grown in warm climates and often enjoyed in Mexican and South American cuisine. Last weekend we had been to Coorg, and my friend gave me some fresh Avocados grown in their own estate...In India its commonly known as "Butter fruit" Also known as an alligator pear or butter fruit, the versatile avocado is the only fruit that provides a substantial amount of monounsaturated fat (the healthy kind). Avocados are a naturally nutrient-dense food and contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. The avocado is a rather unique type of fruit. Most fruit consists primarily of carbohydrate, while avocado is high in healthy fats. These days, the avocado has become an incredibly popular food among health conscious individuals. It is often referred to as a "Super food"… which is not surprising given its health properties. I personally love Avocado milkshake but now I decided to try some new dishes with them. This dish is the first of them and incredibly delicious. This Salsa can be eaten by itself or served as a side dish with any grilled vegetable or sea food.
