In The Kitchen with SSSEWWT
April 4, 2017
Swami always said that one must feel as light after a meal as you did before you sat down to eat it! This simple rule, if followed, ensures that we do not over eat. It thus helps us maintain a balance in our eating habits and consequently enjoy good health. Keeping the cold winter months in mind, we bring you a unique Hot and Sour Mushroom Soup and other recipes inspired by Thai cuisine. The soup, typically flavoured with lemon grass, Thai ginger, fresh green and dry red chillies and coriander, is light and very refreshing. The next course is a spicy hot, red, vegetable curry served with plain steamed rice. For dessert, there is Mixed Fruits and Cherries with Sticky Rice and Coconut milk. This dessert is typically served with ripe Mangoes. However, we found that it was just as delicious with mixed fruit and cherries too.
You will notice that the first two recipes do not contain the ubiquitous Fish Sauce or Shrimp Paste – a must in most Thai recipes. I have substituted those ingredients with light and dark Soya sauce, with equally good results. It shows that it is possible to go purely vegetarian even while retaining the main essentials of a particular cuisine!
Do try them out and send us your feedback. We also welcome unique vegetarian recipes (from different parts of the world), from our readers. You may submit these via email in MS Word format to mothersathyasai@ewwt.org.in Recipes should be written to serve 4-6 people and accompanied with photographs.
Hot and Sour Mushroom Soup
(Serves – 4)
- 200 gms button mushrooms
- 1 stalk lemon grass
- 1/2 inch piece of Galangal(Thai Ginger)
- 4 fresh green chillies
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 tbsp light Soya Sauce
- 1 tsp dark Soya sauce
- Salt to taste
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 dry red chillies
- 1 tbsp chopped, fresh coriander leaves
For the Spice paste
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 dry red chillies soaked in warm water
- 1/2 tsp pepper corns
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander stems
- 2” piece of lemon grass stalk
For the vegetable stock
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cauliflower
- 2 tbsp oil
- 5 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
Method
Prepare the vegetable stock first. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan and sauté the cabbage and cauliflower for a few minutes. Now add the water and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Do not overcook the cabbage. Strain and set aside. Combine all the ingredients for the spice paste and pound them in a mortar or blend (in a blender) until smooth. Slice the mushrooms, Galangal, green chillies and lemon grass. Halve the dry red chillies and shred the lime leaves. Heat oil in another saucepan and add the spice paste first. Sauté for a few seconds and then add the mushrooms. Stir fry for a minute (taking care not to burn the spice paste) and immediately add the vegetable stock. Add the lemon grass, ginger, green chillies, lime leaves and the Soya sauces. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Finally add the lime juice and check for seasoning. Add salt to taste. Transfer to soup bowls, garnish with the dry red chillies and coriander leaves and serve immediately.
Thai Vegetable Curry (Spicy Red Sauce)
(Serves – 4)
- 1 small broccoli
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 red capsicum
- 1/2 yellow capsicum
- 1 small green capsicum
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts (from a can)
- 1/2 cup bamboo shoots (from a can)
- 1/2 zucchini
- 8 -10 green beans
- 100 gms button mushrooms
- 2 tbsp light Soya sauce
- 1 tsp dark Soya sauce
- 3 cups thick coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- 1/3 cup oil
- A few fresh basil or coriander leaves
For the spice paste
- 3 shallots or 2 small onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8-10 dry red chillies soaked in warm water
- 1/2 tsp whole black pepper
- 1” piece Galangal(Thai Ginger)
- 1/2" piece normal ginger
- 1 1/2” piece of lemon grass stalk
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander stems
- 1/2 tsp chopped kaffir lime peel
- 2 tsp coriander seeds powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder
Method
Chop the onions and galangal, combine with the rest of the ingredients for the spice paste and pound in a mortar (or blend in a blender) until smooth. Slice the water chestnuts and Bamboo shoots. Peel and slice the carrots, cut the green beans into 1” lengths, and all the other vegetables into bite sized pieces. Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the paste for 2-3 mins. Then add the carrots, Beans, Broccoli, Zucchini, water chestnuts, mushrooms and bamboo shoots , one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Give the coconut milk a quick stir and pour it in. Stir well and add bring to a boil. Add the soya sauces and salt to taste. Cook for a further 3-5 mins till the vegetables are cooked but retain their colour and are firm. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with basil or coriander leaves and serve immediately with plain steamed rice (Jasmine rice, if available).
Note
You may add fried or plain Tofu or Paneer cubes to the vegetable curry for a more protein rich version.
Sticky Rice and Mixed Fruit Pudding
(Serves – 4)
- 1 1/4 cups glutinous rice
- Water to soak rice
- 1 Can thick coconut milk (400 ml)
- 5 -6 tbsps powdered jaggery or sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 1 cup mixed fruit (fresh or canned)
- 1 cup drained and stoned cherries (canned)
Method
Add 3-4 cups water and soak the rice for 8-10 hours or overnight. Take a steamer and fill water in the bottom and cover the steamer section with a muslin cloth. Drain the rice and evenly spread it on the cloth. Fold the corners of the cloth over and cover with the lid. Now place the steamer on the stove and steam the rice on medium heat. After about 15 minutes, stir the rice so that the top portion is now at the bottom. Cover and further steam the rice for another 15 minutes. The rice should be translucent, sticky and chewy when done. Take it off the fire and cool. Combine the coconut milk with the jaggery and salt and stir well till the jaggery dissolves. Chill the coconut milk till required. To serve, scoop a little rice into individual serving bowls, top with the mixed fruit and cherries and pour a little coconut milk over it.
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