Hot soups

[Monica Bhide]

Any new soups of the Indian kind that have made their way to your table that are hot and spicy?

I love the traditional tomato saar -- tomato soup with coconut milk tempered with minced green chilies, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

So share

[Pan]

Rasam, but I don't make it myself; I get it from Madras Cafe.

Nice spinach soup from there, too, but not as spicy.

[Episure]

My unpatented Drumstick and Coriander soup.

Ingredients:

Drumsticks aka Moringa Oleifera

lots of chopped coriander leaves

chopped green chillies

sliced ginger

basil leaves

lime juice

shallots

salt

[M65]

My unpatented Drumstick and Coriander soup.

Ingredients:

Drumsticks aka Moringa Oleifera

lots of chopped coriander leaves

chopped green chillies

sliced ginger

basil leaves

lime juice

shallots

salt

←

What stock if any do you use Episure or do you just boil and simmer the ingredients in water.

[Peppertrail]

Shallots and tamarind soup

Lots of chopped shallots and chopped green chilies (according to taste) sauteed until shallots are lightly browned. Cook in tamarind water seasoned with turmeric and salt. And for seasoning mustard seeds, red chili pepper and curry leaves pan fried in a little oil. Serve with deep fried pappdams.

[susruta]

Shallots and tamarind soup

Lots of chopped shallots and chopped green chilies (according to taste) sauteed until shallots are lightly browned. Cook in tamarind water seasoned with turmeric and salt. And for seasoning mustard seeds, red chili pepper and curry leaves pan fried in a little oil. Serve with deep fried pappdams.

←

[susruta]

IS soup actually part of a traditional Indian meal? Apart from Maharashtra, I don't think soup is taken as a first course, as it is in western cuisine. I don't count sambar, dals, etc. as soups.

[Episure]

What stock if any do you use Episure or do you just boil and simmer the ingredients in water.

Now that you ask, I use Drumsticks because they have a nice stock like flavour, very 'Umami'. So just boil and simmer the drumsticks, drain and remove the flesh and add back to the stock. Then add the other ingredients, bring to a simmer and serve. If the chillis are hot then you may want to add them whole in the beginning and then discard.

[Episure]

IS soup actually part of a traditional Indian meal? Apart from Maharashtra, I don't think soup is taken as a first course, as it is in western cuisine. I don't count sambar, dals, etc. as soups.

←

Susruta, you are right but I come across many people ordering a tomato soup in restaurants. I think we have adopted the tomato soup alongwith a vegetable au gratin and russian salad. In the south you will often come across a tomato soup as the first course as part of a premium thali. Of course it's jazzed up with red chilli powder and some cream. A dessert of fruit sald/ custard/cream is also served as an option to a gulab jamun or mithai in the same thali.

[LindaK]

I have fond memories of a soup served by some friends on a cold winter evening last year, the Indian Curried Lamb Soup from James Peterson's Splendid Soups.

I have no idea if its roots are authentic but it was truly delicious--light but substantial, the layers of spices complex and heady but not overly spicy. It made a lot of people very happy.

[susruta]

Episure, that is very interesting. My late Bengali father in law (who would be in his 90s were he alive) used to love tomato soup and would have it as the first course even of an Indian meal, The preferred variety in their household was Heinz, which became the model of tomato soups. Among Westernized Bengalis, this may have come from restaurants like Firpo's in Calcutta which served soup as a first course.

[M65]

What stock if any do you use Episure or do you just boil and simmer the ingredients in water.

Now that you ask, I use Drumsticks because they have a nice stock like flavour, very 'Umami'. So just boil and simmer the drumsticks, drain and remove the flesh and add back to the stock. Then add the other ingredients, bring to a simmer and serve. If the chillis are hot then you may want to add them whole in the beginning and then discard.

←

Thanks a lot, will have to try it this week, also need to get around to make your saag (poached spinach method) too.

[Episure]

I have fond memories of a soup served by some friends on a cold winter evening last year, the Indian Curried Lamb Soup from James Peterson's Splendid Soups.

I have no idea if its roots are authentic but it was truly delicious--light but substantial, the layers of spices complex and heady but not overly spicy.  It made a lot of people very happy.

←

Hi Linda K,

Do you remember the entire dinner? If it wasnt entirely Indian I'd like to know your thoughts on the crossover element.

[redfox]

IS soup actually part of a traditional Indian meal? Apart from Maharashtra, I don't think soup is taken as a first course, as it is in western cuisine. I don't count sambar, dals, etc. as soups.

←

What about rasam?

[gingerly]

Shallots and tamarind soup

Lots of chopped shallots and chopped green chilies (according to taste) sauteed until shallots are lightly browned. Cook in tamarind water seasoned with turmeric and salt. And for seasoning mustard seeds, red chili pepper and curry leaves pan fried in a little oil. Serve with deep fried pappdams.

←

bought some really nice shallots so decided to give this deceptively simple sounding recipe a go.it's quite superb!i didn't have any suitable papads so dished it up with toasted rice bread spread with sour cream and sprinkled with curry leaf chutney powder.french onion a la Ammini?!

[FaustianBargain]

I LOVE Cumin Rasam! It has black pepper and crushed cumin with tamarind water as the 'stock'. The only nice thing about flu season is cumin rasam.

And oh..Cumin Rasam with a slight twist...Garlic Rasam. Garlic, green chillies, curry leaves and tamarind water.

[Peppertrail]

bought some really nice shallots so decided to give this deceptively simple sounding recipe a go.it's quite superb!i didn't have any suitable papads so dished it up with toasted rice bread spread with sour cream and sprinkled with curry leaf chutney powder.french onion a la Ammini?!

←

Gingerly:

Glad you enjoyed it. But the French won't appreciate the name change

[Geetha]

IS soup actually part of a traditional Indian meal? Apart from Maharashtra, I don't think soup is taken as a first course, as it is in western cuisine. I don't count sambar, dals, etc. as soups.

←

I know what you mean soup should be able to stand alone byitself as an appetizer or may be a meal(some soups are called meal-by-itself)

I don't mind what they are called as long as they are soups

I do realize there is a difference when it comes to gravy as be sometimes refer to the curry-liquid half of curry, that it has more of stronger flavour more pungent/sour taste and sometimes more spice added to it than soups, so that it needs anaccompaniment of rice/bread/chappati/paratha's etc .

what are your opinions?