Mushroom & Prawns Soup

Life is slowly rolling back to normal with my hospital visits off the grid for good (hopefully). It is boiling in Hyderabad, and staying in the top floor of an apartment is a deadly deal that cannot be undone...and so life is HOT...HOT...HOT!!!! Thankfully, the last three days have been cooler at 39 degrees C - 41 degree C, and so i find myself craving for some nice homemade soup, and that's exactly what i made for lunch yesterday.

My ongoing TB treatment calls for high protein diet :). The best part about this soup is that it is power packed with the goodness of mushrooms, prawns, carrots and spinach. Prawns is rich in omega-3, it is low fat and all delicious. Shiitake mushroom also is not just a deliciously fancy fungus, it is believed that it has cancer fighting properties. Spinach and carrots, well what can i say, we all know the goodness of bright colored veggies, to have all of these in one meal...i say....yay!!!

If you reside in Hyderabad you can get dried shiitake mushroom at Q-mart. I love mushrooms!! Prawns btw is a new found love developed after marriage...this bowl of soup therefore is a marriage of my old and new loves :). This really is a stress free, no fuss kinda soup. This recipe makes generous serving for 3 people.

Ingredients:
For the Stock
1 ltr - Water
Thumb sized - Ginger, smashed
1/2 Cup - Stalks of Spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 Tsp - Garlic Salt
For the Seasoning
1 Tsp - Fish Sauce
1/2 Tbsp - Dark Soy Sauce
3-4 Tsp - Light Soy Sauce
1/2 Tbsp - Chili Flakes
Main Ingredients
Prawns - 200 gms
Shiitake Mushroom - 5-6
Carrot - Medium sized, diced/julienne
Spinach - 1/2 Cup

Method:
First make the stock by putting all the ingredient into a pot. Bring it into a rolling boil and let it be for a couple of minutes, don't cover it. Once it smells gingery and the spinach stalks are limp, take it off the stove, strain, put it back onto the pot and onto the stove.

The next step is to bring the stock into boil again, then add all the main ingredients and then season it. You can add or reduce the seasoning according to your liking. Let it boil till the carrot is tender, a couple of minutes. Add the spinach just a minute before you take it off the stove. Let cool, then serve....nice and warm and spicy. Enjoy!!!

Schezwan Prawns - My version

It's been a rough year right from the very first day. I've not been well and even underwent a small surgery..but by God's Grace my health is looking up and finally am able to make my first post for this year.

Today am sharing my take on Schezwan Prawns. Predictably my appetite took a hit due to my illness and so my hubby use to be at his wits end trying to make me eat just enough for me to take my meds. During this time there was this one thing that i absolutely craved, it was Prawns. I loved it in all sorts of way, especially in soups and schezwan sauce. Thankfully there happen to be one Chinese Restaurant that served the best schezwan prawns and pawn clear soup, just the way i love it.

Anyway, today's recipe is nothing like the prawns i had in the restaurant BUT it is a good enough dish to satiate by prawn cravings at home. I prefer to use Tiger Prawns as i love a good bite and it's easier to de-vein.

Ingredients:
250 gms - Tiger Prawns
4-5 Tbsp - Corn Flour
Oil for deep frying
5-6 - Dried Red Chillies, slit in half
Thumb Sized - Ginger, cut into matchsticks
4-5 - Garlic Pods, cut into matchsticks
Handful of cashew or roasted peanut for garnish

( for the sauce)
2-3 Tbsp - Dark Soy Sauce
2 Tsp - Light Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp - Chinese Rice Wine
1 Tsp - Fish Sauce
3 - 4 Tbsp -  Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 Tbsp - Roasted Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp - Red Wine ( Optional)

Method:
De-vein the prawns, rinse and tosh it in corn flour and keep aside
Heat oil.
Once the oil is hot, fry the prawn in two batches, as soon as it turns pink, flip cook for a minute, take it out and let drain in a kitchen towel. The prawns should be crispy outside but soft inside. Be careful not to totally deep-fry it.
Once the prawns are done, measure the sauce ingredients ( except the red wine) into a bowl, mix it up well and keep aside.
Remove the oil used for deep frying, wipe it clean with kitchen towel, measure about 3 tbsp of the oil and heat it up.
Once hot, stir fry the ginger, garlic and dried chillies till nicely roasted, now add the prawns and tosh it a couple of times to let the ingredients combine.
Pour the sauce and give it a quick stir till the prawns are well covered with the sauce. Let cook for just under a minute of two. Heat needs to be medium-high. Add the nuts, stir and turn off heat.
Now add the red wine, stir to thin the sauce and then serve it hot. If you prefer thick sauce, you can cancel the red wine. Also adding red wine adds depth in flavor as well as in the color.

PS: Didn't use red wine in this one, hence the light color.