Tom Yum Soup

So I got this super easy and delicious recipe that you can make anytime and it really turns out fabulous

Ingredients:
1 bunch Lemon grass leaves and root
4 - 5 Lime Leaves
1/2 Packet Mushrooms
2 Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
500 ml Chicken stock
100gr chicken breast chopped OR if you have prawns, nothing like it!
2 bird eye Chillies (my veggie dude gives me these free if I ask him for 1 or 2)
1 tbsp fish sauce
Some lemon Juice
Small handful of Coriander

Method
keep the chicken stock to boil with lime leaves, lemon grass and the bird eye chillies and tomato cubes (depending on how spicy you want to make your soup you can put the chillies accordingly)
let it boil out a bit and add the mushrooms and chicken and let it simmer for a bit
switch off the heat and add finally the fish sauce, lemon juice and salt according to taste
top with coriander and you're like totally done!!

Have fun with Thai cuisine

Ok so for the Vegetarian version of this soup all you have to do is take vegetable stock cube that is also available at your local store, leave out the chicken and add any fun veggies that you wish to add noodles you can and it's a nice addition and there is your vegetarian Soup!

Of Thai Curries and more...

Ok I know it's been a really long time since I've actually written anything but I'm thrilled to be back and I hope that I can henceforth be more regular on the writing front.

So I was at home the other day and wanted to make something that was easy to do, really intense in flavours and that would be ready quick and I thought, what can be better than a really great Thai Curry?

So you need to buy some ingredients that you don't use everyday for the Thai curry but it's so worth it and with the left over lime leaves, lemon grass, fish sauce you can re - use to make a lovely tom yom Soup and Raw Papaya Salad as well

Thai Curry
Ingredients
Green Thai Curry Paste - 3 tbsp
400 Gm Chicken
500 ml Coconut Milk
1 tbsp Fish Sauce
4 Kaffir Lime Leaves (now available at any of your local veggie stores)
1 Lemon Grass Root
1/2 Inch Piece ginger cut into large rounds
4 - 5 Baby Aubergines cut into four pieces from the bottom without cutting it off completely from the top
Salt
Fish Sauce
Sugar
Basil Leaves


Method:
Ok thai Curry is as simple as 1, 2 , 3 so here goes
take some oil and fry the Thai Curry paste. The Thai Curry paste tends to spit all over and splutter so beware
Add the Chicken on high heat and quickly saute in this paste
once the chicken becomes white from the outside add the Coconut milk and stir
Reduce the heat and add the ginger, lemon grass, lime leaves and brinjal and leave till the chicken is cooked

That's it you're absolutely done!

First season with fish sauce as it is salty so don't put in the salt first.
then add salt and sugar to taste and top with Basil leaves just before serving otherwise the basil leaves will wilt if they are in for too long in the hot gravy.

it is optional to take out the ginger, lime leaves and lemon grass before serving as these are there only for the flavour.

Another good tip is when you're cooking the rice for this particular dish you can add lemongrass to that as well so that the rice has this lovely aromatic flavour to it. This tip I've gotten from my mother in law who always makes the rice this way and it turns out pretty good!

More recipes - tom yum soup, pesto pasta and moussaka coming up!

Ok I'm editing this post following a special request from my friend Vaidehi who has requested vegetarian versions for the Thai Recipes

For the Vegetarian Version, you will get a special Vegetarian Thai Green Curry Parte which is available at almost any supermarket - Natures Basket here (Probably Tesco's in London)

and Take Oil, roast the Thai Curry paste and add Baby corn, Mushrooms, Bamboo Shoots (you can get this in a can as well) and saute all of it instead of the chicken.

Then when you add the coconut milk, add the Aubergines soon after.

If you want to add a nice touch to this you can add Pak Choi but you have to put this at the very very end and give it a quick stir otherwise they just become limp and dead.

Please do NOT add the fish sauce (of course) but instead you can add Salt and some Lime (if you can't find lime you can get lemon) juice with a touch of Sugar to finish off the dish

It's really that simple! and I hope to hear from all of you once you've made the dish!