Madras Curry Soup
The origins of this recipe lie in an old Anglo-Indian cookery book. It is very much a ‘Raj’ period soup, and has the old-fashioned taste of hotel soups that I associate with my holidays in distant Himalayan resorts as a child in British India. Serve hot or cold, with thin, crisp toast.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 450 g tomatoes coarsely chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into rounds
- 350 g potatoes, peeled and cut into rough dice
- 120 g peas, fresh, or frozen and defrosted
- 2¼ teaspoons salt or to taste
- 250 ml double cream
- 250ml vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon chives finely chopped fresh to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Put the oil in a pan and set over medium–high heat.
- When hot, add the onion.
- Sauté for 4–5 minutes or until the onion is golden.
- Add the curry powder and stir for 10 seconds.
- Now add the tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, peas, salt and 1 litre (1¾ pints) water.
- Bring to the boil.
- Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
- Blend the soup in batches in a blender, then strain it through a coarse sieve.
- Make sure you collect all the pulp under the sieve.
- Return the soup to the pan.
- Add the cream and stir.
- Now add the stock, adjusting the amount according to the thickness of soup you want.
- Stir to mix well.
- Reheat the soup, if you want it hot, or cover and refrigerate if you want it cold.
- Garnish with the chopped chives to serve.
