Bowl full of goodness: This monsoon, follow simple and easy recipes to make innovative soups, broth and ramen

Mumbai is already experiencing the first of its monsoon The season brings with it a need to enjoy a bowl full of warm and comforting soup or even turn it into a meal with broth or ramen tooWhile coffee and tea are popular companions during this time of the year soups arent far as they go beyond the beverages to offer more in terms of flavourTraditionally a homemade vegetable or tomato soup is always popular in vegetarian varieties Chicken soup or even cheap Chinese varieties are a staple for most nonvegetarians However Mumbai and Indian chefs believe you can do so much more with the simplest of ingredients to not only make a soup but also a broth or even bowl of ramenWith the monsoon season here middaycom spoke to Indian chefs to share their favourite recipes with a touch of innovation for the monsoon They not only tell you how to convert a traditional spinach soup into something better but also share a recipe for a delicious mushroom broth African peanut chicken soup steaming char sui pork ramen but also a Bhutanese specialMulti Millet Spinach SoupWith the popularity of millets in India in the last year chef Varun Inamdar who has put together the Godrej Vikhroli Cucina Millets Cookbook says you can make a Multi Millet Spinach soup It not only makes the most of millets but also gives a twist to your classic spinach soup this monsoon He explains The soup is rich in nutrients and packed with the goodness of millets They warm you up but also provide a healthy nourishing meal The earthy flavours of millets combined with fresh vibrant spinach offer a delightful twist that goes beyond the regular tomato soup making them a perfect treatIngredientsMoong sprouted 12 cupFinger millets 1 tbspBarnyard millets 1 tbspKodo millets 1 tbspFoxtail millets 1 tbspBrown top millets 1 tbspJowar 1 tbspBajra 1 tbspOnions 12 cupSpinach leaves 12 cupGroundnut oil 1 tbspGodrej Jersey milk 14 cupBlack pepper powder 1 tbspCumin seeds 1 tbspSalt as requiredMethod1 Soak all the millets in hot water for at least 2 hours2 Pressure cook for 4 whistles with 2 cups of water or till all the millets are tender3 Blend lightly using a stick blender4 Add sprouted moong and spinach leaves and continue cooking for 5 minutes on medium flame5 In a pan heat groundnut oil Add cumin seeds and allow them to splutter Add onions and cook till they are translucent6 Pour in the multimillet mixture along with Godrej Jersey milk and stir in salt and pepper7 Adjust consistency and serve hotUmami Mushroom amp Wakame BrothWhile soups are a favourite during the monsoon a broth can do so much more Chef Rahul Punjabi at Nom Nom which has outlets in Bandra and Navi Mumbai says you can make an umami mushroom and wakame broth this season He explains This is a delicious soup that has oodles of umami coming from the Japanese ingredients as well as a well balanced sweetness achieved by slowly caramelising the vegetables It gets even better because this recipe is naturally vegan tooIngredientsJapanese sesame oil 1 tspVegetable oil 1 tspCarrots peeled and sliced 10 gmOnions peeled and sliced 10 gmCelery washed and sliced 10 gmGarlic peeled amp sliced 5 gmStar anise 1 noCooking Sake 20 gmHon Mirin 20 gmWater 1 litreDried shiitake mushrooms 10 gmDried Wakame Seaweed 10 gmShimeji mushrooms tops only 20 gmSalt to tasteMethod1 Heat up the water until just simmering but not boiling switch off the heat and add all the wakame and dried shiitake mushrooms into the water Cover with a lid and allow it to steep until later2 In a heavy bottomed pot add the veg oil and sesame oil bring up to medium heat Add in the carrots onions celery and star anise Cook the vegetables gently on a medium to low heat Take your time to gradually develop a deep and dark caramelisation on the vegetables 3 Cooking this on too high a heat will develop a more bitter and astringent taste so put some love into this step4 Once the vegetables are 90 per cent caramelised add in the garlic and cook until the raw flavour has gone Now the bottom of the pan should hopefully have some nice brown bits sticking to them this is the best part and contains all the flavour Add in your sake and hon mirin to deglaze all the flavourful bits off the bottom of the pan and into your broth5 Allow the sake and mirin to evaporate 90 per cent of the way until a sticky syrup is achieved now add in the steeped water wakame and shiitake mushrooms from earlier Bring it up to a simmer and as soon as it simmers switch the heat off Wakame has a very delicate flavour that cant withstand boiling temperatures6 Cover with a lid and let it steep for a further 1 hour Now your soup is ready to be strained Once strained add the shimeji mushroom tops and reduce it on a medium high heat until the broth has halved in quantity Season to your taste with salt and sugar only if really necessary7 Serve it in a large coffee mug and enjoy while curled up against a windowAfrican Spicy Peanut Chicken SoupIf you love your chicken soup but want to innovate with it then Veeraj Shenoy who is the chief operating officer acirceuroldquo FampB Imagicaaworld Entertainment Ltd run by the Malpani Group says you can make the African Spicy Peanut Chicken Soup It is on their menu at Zeze Bar amp Grill acirceuroldquo the AfroAmerican specialty restaurant at Imagicaa Theme Park He explains The combination of chicken peanuts and spices creates a hearty nourishing dish that provides comfort during rainy cooler weather The protein from the chicken and the healthy fats from the peanuts make it both filling and energising helping to ward off the chill that often accompanies the monsoonIngredients1 tablespoon vegetable oil1 large onion finely chopped3 cloves garlic minced1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced450 gm of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into bitesized pieces1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon ground coriander12 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste to your preferred level of spiciness12 cup creamy peanut butter6 cups chicken broth300 gm tomatoes12 cup tomato paste14 cup chopped cilantroSalt and pepper to tasteToppings chopped peanuts chopped cilantro sliced green onionsMethod1 Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat Add the chopped onion minced garlic and minced ginger SautAtildecopy until the onion is soft and translucent for about 5 minutes at the least2 Add the chicken pieces to the pot and cook until browned on all sides about 57 minutes3 Stir in the ground cumin ground coriander and cayenne pepper Cook for another minute until fragrant4 Add the peanut butter to the pot and stir until its melted and well combined with the other ingredients5 Pour in the chicken broth diced tomatoes with their juices and tomato paste Stir well to combineBring the soup to a simmer and let it cook for about 2025 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the flavours have melded together6 Mix in the chopped cilantro and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste7 Serve the soup hot garnished with chopped peanuts additional cilantro and sliced green onions if desiredChar Sue Pork RamenWhile soup and broth are enjoyable one cannot ignore the popularity of ramen over the years in Mumbai and India Its also why chef Manas sous chef at Taki Taki says you can make a delicious Char Siu Pork Ramen He explains Originating from Japan ramen is a hearty soup filled with noodles a flavourful broth and an array of toppings like sliced pork eggs seaweed and green onions The combination of umamirich flavours and the comforting warmth of the broth makes ramen an ideal monsoon mealrdquoIngredientsBraised Pork Belly 4 to 5 slicePork Stock 400 mlKikkoman Soy 30 gmHondashi 4 gmSugar 4 gmSalt to tasteBoiled Ramen Noodles 100 gmPok Choy 1 pcSoft boiled egg 1 pcFish cake Narutomaki 3 to 4 sliceSpring Onion 1 strip for garnishNori Sheet 14 pc for garnishMethod1Take a saucepan put pork stock and season with Kikkoman soy Hon dashi sugar salt2 Blanch the Pok choy and fish cake narutomaki3 Take a ramen bowl and put boiled ramen noodles stock on the bowl and arrange all the ingredients like blanch Pok choy fish cake narutomaki cooked pork belly soft boiled egg and garnish with spring onion nori sheetTingmo amp Ema DatshiIf youre looking for a delicious soup that isnt Indian but lets you experiment with flavours then chef Vedant Newatia at Atelier V in Indore says you can make the Tingmo and Ema Datshi a traditional Bhutanese steamed bun and cheese chilli soup that is also the national dish of Bhutan He explains It is a flavourful and spicy Bhutanese soup that is perfect for the monsoon as it has all the umami spiciness and comfort in every spoonIngredientsFor the breadAllpurpose flour 225 gmInstant dry yeast 3 gmFresh yeast 9 gmSalt 5 gmSugar 18 gmVegetable oil 18 gmIce cold water 125 mlFor the chilli cheese soupRed onion thinly sliced 1 noGarlic thinly sliced 56 clovesSpring onions white part chopped 1 noTomato diced 1 noRed chilli sliced 1 noSalt to tasteButter 1 tbspCheese processed or any other of choice 1 tbspWaterVegetable stock according to desired consistencyMethodFor the steamed buns1 Combine Ingredients In a large bowl mix water yeast salt sugar and oil Stir well to dissolve any large salt and sugar crystals and to hydrate the yeast Add the flour and mix to form a dough2 Knead dough Tip the dough out onto your table and knead for around 5 minutes Aim for a dough temperature of 2526 degrees Celsius 7779 degree Fahrenheit 3 Adjust proofing time based on the dough temperature4 First fermentation Cover and ferment the dough for 1 hour5 Fold dough After the first hour fold the dough6 Second fermentation Ferment for an additional hour7 Shape the dough Roll the dough out to a large rectangle8 Brush with vegetable oil9 Fold into three layers10 Cut into 4 equal pieces then cut each piece into 6 strips11 Stack three strips on top of each other grab both ends of the stack stretch it out twist it and tie it around your fingers Ensure the ends are tucked underneath the bun12 Final fermentation Place the buns on precut pieces of nonstick paper Cover and ferment for 1 acirceuroldquo 15 hours or until well puffed up During the final 15 minutes prepare a pot of boiling water and the steamer Place the buns in a preheated steamer13 Steam the Buns Steam the buns for 12 minutes Steam in batches if necessary keeping the remaining buns in the fridge to prevent overproofingFor the chilli soup1 Cook soup While the buns are steaming combine all the chilli soup ingredients except the cheese in a pot Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes2 Add cheese Turn off the heat and add the cheese allowing it to melt Stir everything together and the soup is ready to serve3 Serving Serve the steamed buns with the chilli soup on the side