Thai style noodle soup
This Thai soup is done using Veg hakka noodles and toffu following a Sanjeev kapoor recipe. A perfect starter cum main course and very easy to make even when you don't have any chinese sauces. Although the original recipe calls for 1 tsp each of soy sauce, vinegar and chili sauce, I prefer using Ching's ready made mix for chinese as I don't have to keep 3 different bottles in the fridge and the Ching's mix has the perfect Indo Chinese taste that we usually prefer ;)
What you'll need :
1 ltr water 1 marble sized piece of galangal cut into 4-5 big pieces A bunch of Thai basil 2-3 Kaffir lime leaves A stem of lemon grass cut into long pieces 3 tbsp of cornflour 2 heaped tsp of Chings fried rice mix (or paneer chilli mix, replace this with 1 tsp each of soy sauce, vinegar and chili sauce for authenticity) 1/2 cup tofu cut into cubes 1 zuchini, bell pepper, few mushrooms cut into medium sized cubes 3-4 dried red chillies 4-5 sprigs of spring onion 1 tsp sesame seeds 2 cloves of garlic 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp brown sugar, salt as per taste
How to :
To make the Thai broth :
Boil a litre of water with galangal, 5-6 basil leaves, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass and some salt. Once the mixture has cooled strain and keep aside the flavoured water.
To make the soup :
Add cornflour to a cup of flavoured water and stir well. In a wok, heat oil and add one clove of finely shredded garlic, 2 slit red chillies and fry for 2 minutes. Add the vegetables, the white part of green onions and stir fry with some brown sugar. The vegetables should be crisp and not over cooked. Add the tofu cubes, the fried rice mix and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add cornflour to a cup of flavoured water and stir well. Add the mixture to the wok and bring it to a boil. Once the mixture thickens, add the green part of spring onions, some more Thai basil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Remove all the stalks of lemon grass and Thai basil from the gravy and serve hot.
To make the noodles :
Use 3/4 litre of the broth to cook the noodles. Once done, strain the noodles and set aside. Add a tsp of cooking oil and stir it with your hands so that the oil coats the noddles uniformly. This prevents them from sticking to each other. In a work, stir fry some vegetables, thai basil, finely chopped clove of garlic and add the noodles. Adjust the salt as per taste.
In a large soup bowl, place a pile of noodles and pour the broth on the sides. Enjoy as is or with some schezwan sauce.
