Prawn Tom Yum Soup |
International Soups – A Glimpse |
As the month of the year comes to a close, we’re shining the spotlight on winter’s warmest food, known by many names, and claimed by nearly every nation and cuisine: soup.
Primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot, that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth..
The word restaurant meaning “(something restoring”) was first used in France in the 16th century, to refer to a highly concentrated, inexpensive soup, sold by street vendors, that was advertised as an antidote to physical exhaustion.
Lets not delve deep into classification of soup viz: thick or thin or how it gets thickened etc.
The soups originated from different Countries be it Cold or Hot are showcasing their soups with pride. Some times soups are a whole meal of its own. Medical experts suggest soups in their regular diet.
TOM YUM SOUP – Its as smooth as silk
Tom yum or tom yam is a type of hot and sour Thai soup, usually cooked with shrimp. Tom yum has its origin in Thailand. The words “tom yam” are derived from two Thai words. Tom refers to the boiling process, while yum means ‘mixed’.
Ingredients
- Seafood Stock: 750 ml
- Lemongrass: 4 stalks of
- Galangal (chinese ginger) with stalk: 1 Piece
- Chilies chopped and roasted: 6 nos
- Garlic Chopped: 8 flakes
- Shrimp: 300 gms
- Mushrooms: 100gms
- Tomatoes: 2 nos
- White onions (medium sized): 2 nos
- Soya mild: 1 tsp
- Sugar: 1 tsp
- Lime juice: 5 nos
- Handful of cilantro
Method
- Make seafood stock with the trimmings of prawn and other sea food
- Clean wash and rinse Prawns and allow to dry.
- Now keep ready stalks of lemongrass, and first tear off the outermost leaf .. Then, use a mallet to lightly pound the lemongrass to release the flavors. Then just slice it diagonally into 1 inch strips or so.
- Clean and chop the ginger, and chop it nicely. Coarsely break lime leaves – just tear them – which helps to release their flavor. Peel about 5 cloves of garlic.
- Keep Thai chilies fine sliced, and slightly roast them in little oil with out burning Add lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, garlic and chilies into the water. Cover and allow to boil.
- Add shrimp & boil the soup with all the herbs in it for about 10 minutes, and toss in the shrimp and turn the fire to low. Then add canned Mushrooms.
- Take two tomatoes and two small white onions and chop, sauté in oil for 1 minutete, add to the soup Boil the tom yum for about 2 – 3 minutes removing the scum occasionally,
- Next, add about 1 tablespoons of soya first, and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Boil your tom yum for another minute or so and then lower the heat.
- Add lime juice until your tom yum is perfectly sour and salty.
Finally chop up a handful of fresh cilantro, add it in the soup, and give your tom yum a final stir. The lime juice and cilantro taste gives vibrant flavor.
Recipes Credits
SuperChef Nandakumar
Chef Nandakumar Menon or ‘Chef Nandu as he is known evolved into the Super Chef series. He was at the CASINO HOTEL in Kochi and later at the remarkable COCONUT LAGOON in Kumarakom. Both iconic Hotels and restaurants of repute for the quality and consistency of food offered at their restaurants. Coconut Lagoon where Chef Nandu headed the kitchen moulded him to cater to international clientele from all over the world coming in to experience the magic of the backwaters of Kerala and Kerala itself as a unique destination.
From his early Catering Technology days at Adayar, Chennai and training at the famed TAJ MAHAL INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, Mumbai, Chef Nandu was back again at the Welcome Group’s ADAYAR PARK INN, Chennai.
Later he headed the setting up of the various F&B outlets of the ABAD PLAZA group, Kochi as its Corporate Chef.
And then with the Quilon Beach hotels, Chef Nandu created a redefined art of culinary expertise. His clientele were Doctors, Cashew businessmen and of course celebrities from the tinsel world, the cloyed connoisseurs had a different feel with his nouvelle cuisine.
He still loves to cook and share his valuable experience of the world of food with The Daily Brunch and its readers in our series on SUPER CHEFS.
Cheers!
See more from SuperChef Nandakumar
Chef Nandakumar Menon or ‘Chef Nandu as he is known evolved into the Super Chef series. He was at the CASINO HOTEL in Kochi and later at the remarkable COCONUT LAGOON in Kumarakom. Both iconic Hotels and restaurants of repute for the quality and consistency of food offered at their restaurants. Coconut Lagoon where Chef Nandu headed the kitchen moulded him to cater to international clientele from all over the world coming in to experience the magic of the backwaters of Kerala and Kerala itself as a unique destination.
From his early Catering Technology days at Adayar, Chennai and training at the famed TAJ MAHAL INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, Mumbai, Chef Nandu was back again at the Welcome Group’s ADAYAR PARK INN, Chennai.
Later he headed the setting up of the various F&B outlets of the ABAD PLAZA group, Kochi as its Corporate Chef.
And then with the Quilon Beach hotels, Chef Nandu created a redefined art of culinary expertise. His clientele were Doctors, Cashew businessmen and of course celebrities from the tinsel world, the cloyed connoisseurs had a different feel with his nouvelle cuisine.
He still loves to cook and share his valuable experience of the world of food with The Daily Brunch and its readers in our series on SUPER CHEFS.
Cheers!