Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients:

2tbsp. chili sauce or to taste

11/2tbsp. Corn flour / corn starch

1 tbsp Soya sauce

2 tbsp vinegar

2tbsp. Capsicum / green bell pepper (chopped)

2tbsp spring onions (chopped)

2 tbsp tomato sauce

2tbsp. carrots (chopped)

1/4th cup chopped cabbage

A small block of Paneer / organic tofu (thinly sliced), optional

1tsp. Black Pepper powder or to taste

1/2 tsp sugar

A pinch Ajinomoto

Salt to taste

4 cups water

Method:

Mix 4 cups of water, Chili sauce, Soya sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper powder and ajinomoto and bring to boil. Now add all the chopped vegetables except paneer . Cook for a minute on a medium heat. Dissolve corn starch in 1/2 cup water and add to the soup stirring  constantly till it becomes thick. Cook for a minute, add paneer slices. Serve hot. Hot and sour soup should be prepared just before consuming and should be served fresh, else it will lose the taste.

Sweet and Sour Beetroot

Ingredients:

Beetroot – 1 lb (1/2 kg), peeled and diced

Oil – 1 Tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – pinch

Curry Leaves – 1 sprig

Green Chilies – to taste, finely chopped

Salt – to taste

Tamarind Concentrate – 2 tsp or to taste

Water – 1 cup, heated

Jaggery – 1 to 2 Tbsp (to taste)

Method:

Heat Oil in a medium pan on medium heat. Add Mustard Seeds and allow them to pop. Add Asafoetida, Curry Leaves and Green Chilies. Stir. Add Beetroot and Salt and mix well. Mix Tamarind Concentrate with hot water to dissolve. Add Tamarind Water into the Beets. Mix well, cover and cook until tender. Sprinkle Jaggery and mix well. Serve hot with chapati or roti.