Around The World On Your Plate

Udon Soup Ingredients: Soup Base: 2 cups vegetable stock 2 teaspoon miso paste 1 teaspoon red chilli paste (Korean) 1 teaspoon tahini paste Others: 1 Packet udon noodles (cooked per packet instructions) 1/2 cup onion sliced 1/2 cup mushroom sliced 1/2 cup cabbage shredded 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced ginger 2 teaspoon oil Scallions to garnish Sesame oil to taste Salt to taste Method: Saute all vegetables in oil on medium heat.  Add vegetable stock along with red chilli paste, tahini paste, and cooked udon noodles.  Simmer on low until everything is cooked.  Just before serving, add in the miso paste and turn off.  Garnish with scallions and serve hot.

Ingredients: 3 cups of Dashi stock 2 tablespoon miso paste 1/2 cup chopped Spinach 1/4 cup cubed firm tofu Method: In a pot, simmer the stock along with spinach and tofu until just done.  Strain the miso using a mesh strainer into the soup and turn off the heat once you start to smell the rich flavour of the miso paste infused into the soup. Serve immediately. Note: Do not boil the soup after miso paste has been added. This soup can be made with a combination of veggies added to it, see below. Vegetable Combination: Spinach and tofu. Potato and onions. Mung beans. Cabbage and deep-fried tofu.

Vegan Dashi Ingredients: 3 cups water 1 small piece  of kombu seaweed Method: In a pot, put kombu and water and leave it for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, simmer on medium heat until it comes to a slow boil.  Turn off.  Remove kombu. The vegan Dashi stock is ready. Dashi with Bonito Flakes Ingredients: 3 cups water 1 small piece  of kombu seaweed 15 grams of dried bonito flakes Method: In a pot, put kombu and water and leave it for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, simmer on medium heat until it comes to a slow boil.  Turn off.  Remove kombu.  Add the bonito flakes to infuse the flavour only.  Do not turn on the heat. Strain using a fine mesh strainer and its ready. Note: Kombu is a type of edible kelp. If you prefer to make this without kombu, dashi stock powder is also available in supermarkets but it contains dried fish flakes and hence not vegan.

Orzo Pasta Soup Ingredients: 1/2 cup Orzo Pasta 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1/4 cup onion, chopped 1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped 1 cup spinach, chopped 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 2 cups water or vegetable stock 1/2 cup tomato puree Salt and pepper to taste Parsley to garnish Method: Heat oil and saute onion and garlic until translucent, next add the bell pepper and saute for a minute.  Add spinach and saute. Next add the tomato puree along with water or vegetable stock. Add salt and pepper along with red pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes.  Once the spinach is wilted, add in the orzo pasta and some more water as needed and cover and cook until completely done, about 8 minutes. Adjust seasoning if need be, garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Serves: 3-4 Ingredients: 1/3 cup masoor dal (split red lentil) 1-1/2 cup chopped spinach 2 tomatoes chopped 1/2 cup onion chopped 1 teaspoon crushed garlic 2 green chilies slit 2 tablespoons of oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon turmeric powder 1-2 teaspoon red chilli powder Cilantro to garnish Salt to taste Method: Cook masoor dal along with tomatoes, spinach, salt and adequate amount of water in a pressure cooker and set aside. In a pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds and let it crackle.  Next add garlic, green chilies, onion and saute until translucent.  Next add the cooked dal mixture and mix well. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder and mix well.  Adjust salt to taste.  Once dal comes to a boil, turn off the heat and garnish with cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice.

Total time:  20 minutes Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: 1-1/2 cup mix vegetables like carrots, bell pepper, sweet corn 4 cups vegetable stock 1/4 cup green peas 2 scallions chopped (whites and greens separated) 1 teaspoon ginger and garlic minced 2 tablespoon of sweet corn paste (optional) 1 tablespoon oil Salt and pepper to taste Method: Heat oil and saute scallions (green) along with ginger and garlic for a minute.  Next add in all the vegetables and saute for a minute.  Add 4 cups of vegetable stock or water and bring it to a boil. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. To thicken the soup you can either add some cornflour mixed with water or 2-3 tablespoons of sweet corn pureed to paste. Garnish with scallions (green) and serve hot.

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of oil 1 teaspoon of garlic minced 2 scallions chopped Handful of enoki mushrooms cleaned and washed (roots cut off) 1 cup cubed firm tofu 3 cups vegetable stock 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce Salt and pepper to taste A small portion of rice noodles (approximately 50 grams) Method: Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic for a minute. Next add the scallions (white) and saute well. Now add the enoki mushrooms that has been cleaned and washed. Pour in the vegetable broth and add tofu.  Next add soy sauce and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat, add the rice noodles. Garnish with scallions (green) and serve immediately.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup of rice dry roasted and ground  1 tablespoon mung dal 1-2 green chilies chopped 1 small onion chopped 2 medium tomatoes cubed 1/4 cup green peas (optional) 1 sprig of mint leaves chopped or whole as desired 1/2 cup of yogurt  1 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon red chili powder 2 cups water or stock  1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste Salt to taste 1 tablespoon oil Cilantro to garnish Method: Begin by dry roasting the rice.  Once it turns slightly golden in color, turn off the heat and transfer it to cool on a plate.  Once it has cooled completely, coarsely ground it to resemble broken wheat (dalia) or semolina if you want it a bit more fine in texture. In a separate pan, heat oil and saute onion and green chilies, once the onion turns translucent add in the ginger garlic paste and saute well. Next add the tomatoes and cook until tender, if you are using canned tomatoes or crushed tomatoes, make...

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of oil 1/2 onion sliced 1 clove of garlic crushed 2 carrots diced. 1 cup spinach (either fresh or thawed  spinach if frozen). 3 cups vegetable broth. salt and pepper to taste Method: Start by heating a tablespoon of oil and adding onion and garlic to it. Once the onion is translucent, add in the diced  carrots and saute. Now its time to add 1 cup of spinach.  If you are using fresh spinach, wash them and add it with an extra cup of water and if using frozen spinach, thaw it. Next add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree or one tomato cubed and s eason with some salt and pepper. Add in 3 cups of vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn it off and let it cool down and then puree it in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Serve hot. Enjoy.

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup chopped onion 2 cups green peas (fresh/frozen) 2 tablespoon of tomato puree 1-1/2 cup of vegetable broth Salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon of curry powder (optional) 1 teaspoon of cream (optional) Method: On medium heat, melt butter and add onion to it and saute. Once the onion is cooked through add in the green peas and saute well. Now add the tomato puree and mix well. Add 1-1/2 cup of vegetable broth and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring it to a boil on medium heat. In a blender, puree the soup until very smooth.  Return the soup to the pot and bring it to a simmer after adding 1 teaspoon of curry powder. Before serving, add a spoonful of cream. Enjoy!