Chinese okra soup

Call it the resolution fever or just going with the flow with so many people getting into the diet mode at the beginning of the year, I am deciding to eat/drink more soup . So this is my first soup of the year.

U heard about this soup a long long time ago when I was shopping for Chinese Okra or as it is called in India Ridge gourd. In India most of the recipes with ridge gourd call for cooking it till most/all of the water is evaporated. It is super delicious because of the concentrated flavor, but if you ask me , a bad way to cook a vegetable which has high water content. 

Anyway I made this brothy soup and yum yum even my kids loves it

Ridge gourd soup

Chinese Okra Soup

Ingredients:

1. 1 okra peeled and washed. Cut into 1/8 inch thick semi circles
2. 1/2 tablespoon butter or olive oil
3. 1 big or 2 small garlic cloves grated
4. 2 tablespoons finely sliced onion
5. 2 cups chicken broth or water
6. Salt and pepper to taste
7. Cilantro for garnishing

In a pan heat the oil or butter and fry the onions till translucent. Add garlic and fry for a minute. Add ridge gourd or chinese okra and fry for about 10 minutes until they lose their raw color. Add the broth/ water salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy hot

NOTE: If you want enhanced flavor add a tablespoon of cooked chicken or lamb or shrimp finely chopped

Ulli Kaaram Beerakaaya (Turai Pyaz wali)

I might have mentioned this before but I am mentioning it again...Turai or Beerakaaya or Ridge Gourd is one of my favourite vegetables. But it has so much water content in it, that it actually makes sense to make it into a soup like some of the other Asian cuisines (Other than Indian Ofcourse) make it. But in India we usually simmer it till that point that its almost dry, nonetheless delicious

                The following recipe is from one of the vegetarian cook books I got from my mom. And this recipe is one of the most flavourful ridge gourd recipe I have ever tasted. Serve it with Roti or with Rice and Coriander Rasam

                

Ulli Kaaram Beerakaaya (Ridge gourd curry with onions and spices)

Ingredients:

1. 2 large ridge gourd (about 2 lbs) (the ridge gourd I got was super big...it was 2 feet long and weighed in at a whooping 2.12 lbs)
2. 1 medium onion sliced
3. 1 teaspoon chilly powder (or reduce to reduce the spicyness)
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 2 tablespoons oil
7. 1 large garlic pod or about 1/4 teaspoon grated gralic

Peel the ridge gourd (and save the peel to make amazing Chutney or Dal )

Give it a taste test (cut a small piece from the ends and chew it, if it is bitter cut about 1 inch piece and discard and repeat. Spit the chewed piece :D  )

Cut the ridge gourd into 2 inch pieces. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Squeeze as much water as possible.

In a pan heat the oil and add the onion and fry till tender. Add garlic and fry for a minute. Add all the spices and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the ridge gourd pieces cover and cook till it gets cooked. Simmer till the gravy thickens to your liking. Garnish with cilantro and serve with roti or rice

Chana Dal Aam and Aalu Turai

I went to the Indian stores the other day and got some vegetables. One of the vegetables I definitely get is Turai, Beera Kaaya, Chinese Okra or Ridge Gourd. There used to be a little Ranch type farmer's shop near the place I used to live when I came to the US of A. In those beginner's days I didn't have a licence and no friends. After 6 months I discovered this place and I loved to walkt to this place which used to be about 1 mile from home. This reminded me of the local vegetable markets back home in India. Oh! how I used to miss those shopping trips...even now so.
             Then, during one of my visits to this shop, I discovered that even orientals eat this vegetable. One day as I was picking up some Turai, a lady in front of me (was a Chinese lady) said "Oh! so, even Indian's eat this vegetable Huh! I love the soup we make with it" . Ofcourse we in India cook it till all the water evaporates.
              Anyway, I also got some raw mango or Kairi, Keri or green mango from the Indian store and I made Chana Dal (Split peas) Aam (mango) . And as I forgot to mention above, I made ridge gourd with potato and served these with plain hot rice

Aalu Turai (Ridge gourd with Potato curry)



Aalu Turai

 Ingredients:

1. 2 medium sized ridge gourd peeled, tasted and sliced into 1/2 cm pieces
2. 1 big or 2 medium potatos, peeled and cut into 1 or 11/2 inch cubes
3. 1/2 cup sliced onion
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, red chilly powder, cumin, mustard seeds, coriander powder
5. 2 tablespoons oil
6. 1 green chilly slit
7. Coriander for garnishing

Tasting the turai for bitterness is very important. Otherwise the bitterness will just ruin your curry. After you peel the ridge gourd, cut a small piece of it and chew it (yes raw piece) and if it is bitter cut about an inch and discard it. Repeat the process until you can eat it without getting a bitter taste. I know some people, who don't know how to do it or don't have the patience to do it. Believe me, this step will make your curry taste awesome

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the cumin and mustard seeds till they start to crackle. Add onions and fry till they become tender. Add green chillies and fry for a minute. Add all the powders and stir once. Add the rest of the ingredients, a little bit of water and cover and cook for either 20 minutes or for 2 whistles in the cooker. After the steam escapes, open the cooker and simmer till most of the water escapes or the curry reaches a consistency of your choise. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Chana Dal Aam (Mango with Yellow Split peas)

Chana Dal Aam

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup yellow split peas (Chana Dal) soaked in water for 20 minutes
2. 1 medium raw mango peeled and cut into pieces (If you like eating the flesh off the seed, leave some flesh on it and cook it also)
3. 1/2 teaspoon cumin, mustard seeds
4. Few curry leaves, red chillies broken
5. 1/2 cup sliced onions
6. 2 green chillies sliced
7. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
8. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
9. 2 tablespoons oil divided

In a pressure cooker heat one tablespoon oil and fry the onions till tender. Add sliced red chillies and dal and mango pieces and cook for 2 whistles with 2 cups of water and turmeric. After the steam escapes open the cooker. In a pan heat the oil and fry the mustard seeds and cumin for a couple of minutes. Add red chillies and curry leaves and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add this to the cooked mango dal and add salt and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, garnish with cilantro, cook for a couple of more minutes and enjoy



PS: The Turai with potato curry photo does not do justice to its taste. The photo is not very colorful mainly because I have no cilantro in it and also you can't see any cumin and mustard seeds :(  . But the curry is delicious