1,000 Indian Recipes (124 page)

Yogurt Soups

Fragrant Yogurt Soup

Dahi ka Soop

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The fragrance of ginger, asafoetida, and fresh curry leaves enhances this thick, creamy soup, transforming it into a delicious mouthful. Serve it as a starter course with whole-wheat crackers, or as a curry with rice, or with slices of sourdough bread and a spicy potato salad such as the
Red Potato Chaat Salad
.

3 tablespoons long grain white rice

1 tablespoon dried yellow urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

1 tablespoon dried split yellow mung beans (dhulli mung dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 cups plain yogurt (any kind), whisked until smooth

1
¹
⁄
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cups water

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

3 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 large clove fresh garlic, peeled

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⁄
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teaspoon ground turmeric

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⁄
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teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

6 to 8 fresh curry leaves

¹
⁄
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teaspoon ground asafoetida

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
In a small nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, dry-roast together the rice, both the dals, and the cumin seeds, stirring and shaking the skillet until the mixture is fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a spice or a coffee grinder and grind to make it as fine as possible.

2.
In a blender or food processor, blend together the yogurt, water, green chile peppers, ginger, and garlic until smooth. Mix in the turmeric, salt, and the ground rice-dal mixture, and blend again until as smooth as possible.

3.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides.

4.
Add the asafoetida and the yogurt mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro, and serve.

Creamy Almond–Poppy Seed Soup

Badaam aur Khas-khas ka Soop

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Being rich in vitamins and minerals, almonds are believed to rejuvenate and energize the brain cells, and are often called brain food in India. Mineral-rich poppy seeds are also considered very powerful, and both of these are routinely used, separately or together—in drinks, such as
Hot Milk with Pistachios and Poppy Seeds
and in curries like
Chicken in Fried Masala Curry
, so why not in a soup?

¹
⁄
₂
cup
Almond and Poppy Seed Paste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (1-inch) stick cinnamon

6 whole cloves

3 black cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin

2 bay leaves

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 cup water

2 cups lowfat milk

¹
⁄
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cup
dry-roasted almonds
(or store-bought)

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1.
Prepare the nut-seed paste. Then heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods, and bay leaves, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the onion and continue to cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Add the almond and poppy seed paste, black pepper, and garam masala, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.

2.
Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the milk and simmer, stirring, until the soup is thick, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile roast the almonds.

3.
Let cool, remove the bay leaves, then mix in the yogurt and salt. Transfer to a serving bowl, refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before serving. Garnish with the roasted almonds and serve.

Yogurt Soup with Flame-Roasted Eggplant

Bhunae Baigan aur Dahi ka Soop

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The smoky, sweet flavor of roasted eggplant dramatically dresses up plain yogurt in this simple soup. All you need is a bit of toasted cumin to give it some more pizzazz. This almost fat-free chunky soup is delicious served with grilled chicken and fish. Try some chilled, as a salad dressing over a bowl of baby greens. Use thin eggplants in this recipe if you can—their flavor, when roasted, is more pronounced.

1 pound small thin eggplants

3 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
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cup lowfat milk

¹
⁄
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teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1.
Roast and mash the eggplants as described in
Roasting and Grilling Vegetables
. Then, place the roasted eggplant pulp in a blender or a food processor, add the yogurt, milk, and salt, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl.

2.
Place the cumin seeds in a small nonstick skillet and dry-roast, stirring over medium heat until fragrant and a few shades darker, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then grind coarsely with the back of a large spoon. Mix into the yogurt.

3.
Similarly, place the sesame seeds in the skillet and dry-roast them until golden, about 1 minute. Sprinkle them over the soup as a garnish. Serve hot, or refrigerate at least 2 hours and serve chilled.

Puréed Mushroom Soup with Yogurt

Khumbi Soop

Makes 4 to 6 servings

An unusual Indian twist to mushroom soup, this creamy chilled concoction, which requires little cooking, goes well with hot buttered bread.

1 teaspoon dry-roasted and coarsely ground cumin seeds (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

¹
⁄
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teaspoon
dry-roasted and coarsely ground black peppercorns

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 to 4 medium leeks, white parts only, rinsed and finely chopped

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 pound white or brown mushrooms, quartered

1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 cup lowfat milk

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 to 4 scallions, green parts only, minced

1.
Prepare the cumin seeds and peppercorns. Then heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the leeks and green chile peppers, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 7 minutes. (The mushrooms will first release their juices and then dry out.) Let cool, transfer to a food processor or a blender, and process until smooth.

2.
Place the yogurt in a large serving bowl and mix in the milk, mushrooms, lemon juice, the prepared cumin and black pepper, and the salt. Store, covered, in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. Garnish with scallion greens and serve.

Spinach Yogurt Soup

Palak aur Dahi ka Soop

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Here is a nearly effortless spinach soup to make, once you wash the spinach. With much more yogurt, this is also creamier and more tart than
Puréed Spinach Soup
.

1 small (8- to 10-ounce) bunch fresh spinach, trimmed, washed, and coarsely chopped

¹
⁄
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cup water

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

3 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
₂
cup milk (any kind)

¹
⁄
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teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon peanut oil

¹
⁄
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teaspoon cumin seeds

¹
⁄
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teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon dried mint leaves

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teaspoon dried ground fenugreek leaves