Buddhist Tamarind And Vegetable Soup Food

BUDDHIST TAMARIND AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Dissolve the tamarind in the water.
• Strain it through a fine sieve.
• Reserve the thick tamarind water.
• Discard the seeds and pulp.
• Boil the tamarind liquid with 5 cups of water in a large pot.
• Add okra, tomato wedges and pineapple.
• Boil vigorously for 3 minutes.
• Lower flame and add the leek, salt and sugar.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add the tofu cubes and soy sauce.
• Cook for 2 minutes.
• Check the seasoning.
• Serve in individual bowls garnished with drops of vegetable oil, shallots, bean sprouts, basil leaves, corriander and chillies.
• Enjoy!

BUDDHIST SOUR SOUP

Steps:

• For the soup, place the tofu blocks on a plate, place another plate on top, and weight with a jar or 14 to 28-ounce can. Let stand for 30 minutes. Water will be pressed out of the tofu as it stands; drain it off every 15 minutes or so. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside.
• Use your fingers to squeeze and press the tamarind to dissolve it completely and to squeeze the last of the pulp off any seeds and pith. Place a sieve over a small bowl and pour the tamarind water through. Discard any solids and set the liquid aside.
• If the okra is large, cut crosswise in 1/2 and cut off any tough tips, leaving the stems on.
• For the garnish, heat the oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until well-browned, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• To make the soup, place the tamarind liquid and the 5 cups water in a large nonreactive pot. Bring to a vigorous boil, then add the okra (if your okra is very fresh and tender, add it later, with the tomato wedges) and pineapple. Boil vigorously for 3 minutes, then add the bac ha, if using, the sugar, salt, and tomato wedges. Bring back to a boil, then add the tofu cubes and soy sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the balance of seasonings if you wish.

VEGETARIAN SINIGANG (FILIPINO TAMARIND OR SOUR SOUP)

Steps:

• Chop all vegetables. If you use chayote, just cut it in half from where the dip is. It's similar to a mango with the shape of the pit being flat, but the pit is soft unlike in a mango so there's no need to cut around it. Remove the pit/seed from the two halves. Dice, peeling is not necessary.
• A note about the tamarind soup mix: If you're vegetarian or sensitive to MSG check the ingredients on the packet. I think they all have MSG, and most have pork, fish or beef in them. I found tamarind broth cubes (listed as tamarind powder b/c Zaar doesn't recognize it) which have less of those things in them which is great, but the best is if you can find real tamarind. I have found both of these in Asian grocery stores in the US, though you can occasionally find them in the ethnic foods isle of a grocery store. If you're using tamarind remove the hard outer shell. The insides feel and sometimes smell like the insides of raisins or prunes. If the tamarind tastes sweet it's not going to give you the right flavor for the soup, but can still be close with kalamansi or lemon juice added. It should be a sour taste. Soak the tamarind pulp, seeds and all, in 1 cup of warm water. Mash this with a fork to remove most of the tamarind from the seeds. Fish out the seeds and the membranes and reserve the liquid to add after potatoes are cooked.
• Cook potatoes in water with a touch of salt for about 10 minutes, or until almost cooked through.
• Add remaining veggies and seasoning and cook 10-15 minutes more, or until veggies are cooked to desired consistency.
• Taste broth and adjust water and tamarind seasoning and salt to your liking. Keep in mind that if you're serving this with rice, as I always do, you probably want more intense flavors and a more stew like consistency.
• I typically double this recipe since it keeps well in the refrigerator and it gets eaten quite quickly even with just me and my husband. It is important to cook the potatoes before you cook the other veggies because the acid from the tomatoes and the tamarind mix prevent the potatoes from ever cooking through if you add them straight away. The quantities are still an approximation as I've never measured, so if you make this I'd love if you gave me feedback about your input on amounts of water, what seasoning you used etc.

PORK, VEGETABLE, AND TAMARIND STEW

Steps:

• Place bay leaves and peppercorns in center of cheesecloth and tie closed with kitchen twine; set sachet aside. Grind mushrooms in spice mill to a powder.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Cook onion, garlic, and chiles, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until partly broken down and very saucy, about 5 minutes. Add ribs, mushroom powder, reserved sachet, and 12 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Place tamarind pulp in a small medium-mesh sieve and partially submerge into simmering liquid (it will soften and start to dissolve as time goes by). Cook ribs, skimming foam from the surface, until very tender (meat should be practically falling off the bone for ribs and shred easily for pork shoulder), 2-2 1/2 hours. Season with salt and push tamarind pulp through sieve with a rubber spatula, tasting as you go, until desired level of sourness is reached. Discard any remaining tamarind.
• Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Cook bok choy, eggplant, radishes, beans, and okra, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. fish sauce and toss to coat. Divide vegetables, ribs, and broth among bowls; serve drizzled with more fish sauce, if desired.
• Do Ahead
• Ribs can be cooked 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

SHRIMP, CILANTRO AND TAMARIND SOUP

Steps:

• Place the shrimp and the water in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat until the shrimp turns pink, about 10 minutes for fresh shrimp and 15 minutes for frozen. Increase the heat to high, bring the liquid to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Separate the shrimp and the liquid, and reserve both.
• Wipe the saucepan dry with a clean paper towel. Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until it turns translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the tomato paste begins to deepen in color. Add the black pepper and tamarind paste, then stir in the reserved cooking liquid and mix until fully combined. Taste and season with salt.
• Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Remove from heat and fold in the reserved shrimp, cilantro and green chile. Serve hot.