Veg Khowsuey

 

This Burmese dish is a creamy soup made with coconut milk, which is combined with rice noodles and stir fried vegetables that is mildly spiced. It is served with several accompaniments like crispy fried onions, peanuts, red chilli paste, fried garlic, lemon etc. 

In fact, you can add any number of vegetables and garnishing of your choice. 

Here, I have made a simpler version of this soup without compromising on its taste and flavour. 

Ingredients:

Blanched mixed vegetables like beans, carrot, peas - 1 cup  

Thick coconut milk - 2 cups

Boiled rice noodles - 2 cups

Sugar - 2 tsp

Salt and oil - as required

For curry paste: 

Grind the following ingredients into fine paste

Chopped onion - 1 cup

Ginger - 1 inch

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garlic - few pods

Lemon grass - 2 inch stalk

Roasted peanuts - 2 tsp

For garnishing:

Shredded cheese - 1 cup

Spring onion - 1 cup

Pepper powder - 1 tsp

chilli flakes - 1 tsp

Method:

Heat a kadai or wok. Add little oil. Keep the flame low and add the curry paste. Stir cook for few seconds. Add the blanched vegetables. Stir well till it is coated with the paste. Add the coconut milk, salt and sugar. Check the consistency and add little water if required. Cook for few seconds. It should be creamy and thick.

To serve: 

Take half cup of noodles in a bowl. Pour one cup of the vegetable curry over it. Garnish with Cheese, spring onion, chilli flakes and pepper powder.

Note:

Vegetables like broccoli, zucchini and cauliflower besides mushroom can also be added 

Then, it can be garnished with peanuts, fried garlic, fried onions, lemon juice and different sauces. 

Cheese corn soup

Monsoon is in the air and this calls for some soup that is tasty and refreshing. Here is a soup made of corn and cheese, which is rich in fibre and calcium.

Ingredients:
Corn kernels -1cup
Green chillies -1
Coriander leaves - 2tsps
Grated cheese -1/4 cup
Garlic powder -2tsps
Milk -1/2 cup (optional)

Method:
Grind the corn kernels, green chillies and coriander leaves into a smooth paste. Combine the paste with garlic powder, half the cheese, salt and milk. Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Remove from flame and stir in the balance cheese. Serve hot with bread sticks or toast.

Note:
If you are avoiding milk add equal quantity of water before boiling the soup.

Crispy onion noodles soup

 

This is a sweet and sour creamy soup with flavours of fried onion and cheese besides the crunchiness of fried noodles. This is an all-time favourite in our house. In fact, kids would love it a lot.

Ingredients:
Tomato puree - 1/2 cup
Pumpkin -50gm
Onion -2
Chilli powder -1/2tsp
Garlic paste -1tsp
Rice noodles -3tsps
Grated cheddar cheese - 2tsps
Sugar -1tsp
Salt and oil -as required

Method:
Slice one onion and fry in little till it becomes brown. Deep fry the noodles in oil till it turns crispy. Keep it aside.
Cut the other onion and pumpkin into small pieces. Boil in one cup of water. Cool and puree it in a blender. Mix it with tomato puree, garlic paste and chilli powder. Add salt and sugar. Add little water and bring it to pouring consistency. Simmer for few seconds. Garnish with fried onion, fried noodles and grated cheese.

Carrot tomato soup

Soups can be creamy or clear. In both cases, vegetables  are boiled - crushed and strained.
In some soups some tiny bits of vegetables are also added to give it some bites. In the first place, why should we strain the crushed vegetables, which is a big process in itself? Secondly, why not by pass the process of adding cream or corn flour for thickening it.
For me, soup making involves pureeing the vegetables and boiling it. This way the fibre content of the vegetables is retained. The taste is also not compromised.
Here is a simple soup that kids would also relish.

Ingredients:
Tomato -1
Carrot -2
Garlic - few pods
Green chilly -1
Oats - 1tsp
Pepper powder -1/2tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Puree the tomato, carrot, garlic and green chilly to a smooth paste. Add oats, salt and water in 1:1 ratio. Bring it to a boil. Garnish with pepper powder.