Sweet Corn Soup

Since the weather has made up it's mind to keep low, it is time to bring out the soup recipes. Simple, hearty , filling and brimming with healthy ingredients. 

Do I need to explain any more?!

A steaming hot bowl so capable of spreading warmth and making me feel so good deserves a mention on the blog.

My love for soup, when young, was limited strictly to Tomato Soup. Other soups did not exist. Indeed, many restaurants, at that time boasted only of Cream of Tomato soup and some with Clear Veg. Soup. 

Then came the Indo-Chinese restaurants and they took everything up one level and oh my! the variety of soups they offered! And the flavors! What an explosion in every slurpy spoonful! 

I will admit though, I do not make those soups, I still favor Tomato soup ( and the Marathi Tomato Saar) above all, but always order some spicy Indo-Chinese Soup when we eat out.

Perhaps the simplest (but flavorful)soup is the Sweet Corn Soup. What I like is how very simple it is to put together, once you have the ingredients on hand. For those watching their food or limiting their intake need not fear of indulging in this one! Full of vegetables and no oil, ya heard me! NO oil make this a winner! and for those sniffly days when the eyes and nose waters and the throat itches and tempers flare, take a comforting bowl and make it a meal. This is one of the soups I learned at a cookery class I took, long ago.

It is for one of the reasons stated above that this soup was made in the kitchen today.

My friend Sujata was on a holiday in Los Angeles and her poor little daughter caught a bug. The poor child has been under the weather the whole time and is just about recovering, with a heavy dosage of antibiotics. And ever since they got back, a couple of days ago, Sujata is feeling a bit down too, no wonder. I am hoping this soup will make them feel a bit better. I know it isn't medicine, but just having a warm comforting bow of soup can help just a bit.

You Need: 

1 Can Sweet Corn Cream Style (14.75 oz)

approx. 1 cup Mix Vegetables, I used :

2 medium Carrots

approx. 1/2 cup shredded Cabbage

8-10 French beans

1/2 Green Bell Pepper

(*)Veg. Stock

Salt to taste

approx. 1.5 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar

1 tsp. Black pepper powder ( Optional)

Spring onion / Scallions, chopped to garnish

2 tsps. Cornstarch, mixed with a little water to make a smooth paste.

Chop the mix vegetables, finely and steam them. Set aside.

In a sauce pan, empty the contents of the can.

Add the veg stock to the corn. (*) I filled the sweet corn can with stock and added it in and also the same quantity water. 

You can use just stock, omit the water.

Boil the corn and stock mix for about 3-4 mins.

Add the vegetables and salt and Vinegar, mix.

Add the cornstarch paste  and stir well to combine and let it boil.

Add pepper powder, if using before switching off the heat.

now you have 2 options, add the scallions (white and green) and leave until you serve or just before you ladle out the soup, put some scallions in the bowl and ladle soup on top and serve.

NOTES:

-I used Rachel Ray brand Veg. Stock (no particular preference, just picked it up  in the store), hence the deep brown color.

-You can make your own vegetable stock

- The use of black pepper powder is optional, but it does add a kick to the soup. That is particularly welcome, to me, in the cold weather.

-If you do not have a can of Sweet Corn, cream style, use regular sweet corn , take 1 cup of corn and pulse it in the mixie/ food processor and use.

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T & T - Baby Corn Manchurian

It's that time of the month!!! Oh, C'mon... You know what I mean! It's time to Try and Taste!!!
Zlamushka has a wonderful blog up for the test! Sia churns out awesome food and warm stories about food and life.

She LOOOOOOOOVES Indo-Chinese food! So do I!

I mean, what's not to love? It's hot, spicy, tangy, everything that the spice loving Indian wants. 'Real' Chinese Food on the other hand, for us ( who want food that tickles the tongue or I can even got to the extent of saying, food so HOT that it burns a hole right thru to your sole!) is a total let down. At least it was for me. Having sworn off that Chinese food, every time I make Indo-Chinese, I have a bite and say, "Hah! THIS is the real stuff, smack! smack!"
Monsoon and Indo-Chinese food have a special place in my heart!
It was POURING! Five soaked-to- the- skin kids were walking happily along the Queen's Necklace enjoying the thrill of the lashing rain and the waves that erupted over the ledge and sprayed us with foam! Only my youngest cousin was in the danger of being blown away, she was after all very young and thin. Her elder brother was of the opinion that it wouldn't be such a bad thing if that happened. We shushed him then but secretly admitting the truth in our criminal minds. The four of us were a gang, she was an extra and not up to our 'standard'. Poor Takli as we nicknamed her! She put up a lot from us, just to be a part of our notorious gang.
After our day out in the rain , the famished five would go home to hot showers, a quick change of clothes and head out to a nearby restaurant to dig into Chinese food.
We would storm into the restaurant and place our order. The waiters would look at us with a sceptical eye.. "these bedraggled kids".. they would think," 3 skinny girls ( OK, one was a medium build- yours truly) and 2 skinny-on-the-verge-of-puberty boys. HUH!"
But once the food arrived and they saw us tuck in, they eyes would have a reverential look and they would hurriedly whisper behind their trays, " look at them go".
Our order was fairly predictable, Hot-n-sour soup, Fried Rice, Manchurian, Hakka Noodles or Schezwan Rice and Noodles ( kick up that spice level to make our wet hair stand on the end)
Repeat the same thing till we were bursting at the seams.

Sia's recipe brought back these wonderful memories and a longing to eat some spicy Indo-Chinese food and after a quick look at the list of ingredients my mind was made up!

To go to Sia's recipe click on the link above (and take a peek at the other awesome Indo-chinese recipes as well) or refer below for ease of use.

Ingredients:

10-12 Baby Corns

3-4 tbsp Flour/maida

1 tbsp Cornflour

1 tsp Dry Red Chilli powder (Adjust acc to taste)

1 inch Ginger, chopped finely

3-4 flakes Garlic, chopped finely

3-4 spring onions, diced

1 small Green Capsicum/Bell pepper,diced

2-3 Green chillies, chopped (Adjust acc to taste)

3 tbsp Tomato Sauce/Ketchup

1 tbsp Soya Sauce

2 tbsp Coriander Leaves,finely chopped

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Method:
In a pan take little oil and fry chopped garlic, chillies and ginger.

To this add Capsicum and saute it for 1-2 minutes.

Add Spring Onions, Coriander leaves,tomato sauce and soya sauce(if you want it to be more spicier add chilli sauce)

Cut Baby Corns length wise and keep aside.

Make a little thick batter with maida, cornflour, chilli powder, salt with water.

Coat the baby corn with the batter and then deep fry at medium flame till they turns golden brown.

Drain them in paper towel to remove excess oil.

Add the fried baby corn with the sauce you have prepared and mix well.

Garnish them with chopped coriander leaves and greens of spring onion and serve hot.

Yummy! Nothing beats Indo-chinese food! NOTHING! Try it to believe it!

THANK YOU! Dear Sia, for this wonderful recipe!

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