South Indian Lime Soup
After two weeks of over eating what is that you really crave? In my case it has to be soup. I cook a big pot of soup every time I am looking for comfort. Today my tummy is in desperate need of some soothing soup after the over load of rich, sugary, fatty foods I have been indulging in.
I am not very sure how I developed this intense love for soup. I am saying this because there is really no concept of soup in South Indian food. The only kind of soup I knew as I kid was a sweet tomato soup topped with croutons served in Indian Restaurants (which I HATE!) But there were plenty of soupy curries that was a staple in our food. We had ‘rasams’ and ‘saarus’ which were most of the time served over rice but couldn’t also be enjoyed hot like a soup.
WIth lots of fresh tangy lime juice
South Indian Saaru or Rasam makes a perfect soup. They can also double into a light yet hearty curry if served with rice. One such soups which is great by itself or over rice is ‘Nimbe Saaru’ lime soup. This fragrant soup with a light/clear broth with a simple tempering of fresh curry leaves and black mustard seeds is warmth in a bowl.
Jaggery for sweetness
Lime Soup has very clean, simple flavours with the perfect blend of sweet, sour and spicy. Ingredients are all very simple and fresh. Sweetness of the Jaggery balances the heat from the green chili and the tang from the lime. It’s also unbelievably easy to make, taking just over 5 minutes.
Green chili for some heat and a spring of curry leaves for magical aroma…
I am sending this beautiful bowl of sunshine to the blog hop #citruslove hosted by Richa of ‘Hobby and More’
Tangy lemony soup with a warmth of South Indian spices
Make a big mug of this lemony clear soup when you want the warmth of South Indian spices in your life.
Sunshine in a bowl!
[typography font="Cantarell" size="24" size_format="px" color="#b36f98"]Ingredients:[/typography]
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp crushed jaggery
- 1 fresh green chili split
- 1 juicy lime
Tempering
- ½ tsp oil
- ¼ tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 spring curry leaves.
Place 2 cups of water with salt, jaggery and I split green chili in a vessel and bring it to a boil. You can de-seed the chilies if you want to cut down the amount of spice in the recipe. Taste and adjust the salt and jaggery according to your taste. Turn off the heat and squeeze the lime juice. One juicy lime was perfect amount of tang for me, add more or less depending on how you like your soup.
For tempering, heat oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering add the curry leaves and turn off the heat. Fry for a few seconds and pour it over the soup.
16 comments :
Ananda Rajashekar January 19, 2012 6:40PM
winter is at its peak now, warm bowl in hand would be heaven, light soup and floating chilly i want to dive into it right away
gorgeous picture!
Shalini January 19, 2012 6:36PM
Looks beautiful and I’m sure it’s yummy. I a big south indian food lover. I’ll be making this tonight!!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com January 19, 2012 8:29AM
I love cleansing soups that are just as tasty and rejuvenating
Sofie Dittmann @thegermanfoodie January 16, 2012 2:54PM
I would have never considered this combo in a soup, but this sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing the #citruslove!
Nash at Plateful January 16, 2012 9:12AM
Definitely going to make this — so loving the sound of it citrusy spicy mix!
Radhika | Just Home Made January 16, 2012 5:24AM
Chin,
I could do with one such detox now. Freshness lime with jaggery and the mustard-curry leaf tempering sounds ideal..
Same pinch on the restaurant tomato soup btw!
sarah January 16, 2012 2:58AM
I’m a huge soup girl at heart and I love how light and refreshing this one sounds!
Linda January 13, 2012 12:49PM
What a beautiful soup! And I just imagine how light and delicious it must taste. I’m not familiar with jaggery, but now very intrigued to find out! Your photos are stunning!!
Richa@HobbyandMore January 12, 2012 9:35PM
that is a simple and gorgeous bowl of soup! more like a cleansing rehydrating refreshing hot drink. i hear you about the canned tomatoey super sweet things they call soup in most indian restaurants. citruslove back to you. picture perfect as always!
kankana January 12, 2012 7:38PM
That my friend would be a lovely detox drink and I am gonna make it!
btw LOL on the tomato in the restaurant and totally agree with you
Fred @ Savorique January 12, 2012 11:02AM
Your photos are gorgeous and illustrate well the freshness of the soup. I’m a soup fan so this is a keeper. And pretty original for an Indian dish indeed. Thanks for sharing.
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen January 12, 2012 8:08AM
Sounds like a perfect way to reset our stomachs after all that rich food of the past month.
@Mango_Queen January 12, 2012 12:13AM
I love this Lime Soup! So refreshing! Thanks for sharing the citrus-love recipe!
Heidi @ Food Doodles January 11, 2012 7:15PM
Wow, this looks so interesting! I usually love soups with a lot of ingredients in them, and some texture, but I love how pretty this broth looks, how simple and refreshing it sounds and the lime sounds delicious!
Brooke January 11, 2012 6:26PM
Oooooh… This looks interesting! Almost like warm, spicy lemonade… And I’ve actually got curry leaves and jaggery hanging out in my kitchen right now!! (Can you tell I’m totally excited?)
Jackie January 11, 2012 6:19PM
This looks like a great “Detox” after too much food! And the light on your photos is always so pretty