This was the soupy curry that caught our fancy when I prepared it earlier in July. The mother was visiting us and she was only wanting to have light soups the island styles having a bit of noodles or rice in them as part of her carb intake. Just like our mother, chicken in soups is very welcome to me and I prefer doing it at home because I give them a vinegar bath for quite sometime, cook for a little longer period as per our taste bud. So, I thought let me try similar kinds at home using different combinations of ingredients. Yes, the rest in the family liked it and would not mind having such kinds often when served with something like garlic tempered rice. If they get to have good amount of chicken and prawns in one dish, they would tolerate the vegetables. I think what made it seem too favourable to us are the use of lemon grass, khaffir lime leaves and lemon juice in good amount.
I do not know back from India why I have not done a non vegetarian soup with chicken, prawn, broccoli, mushrooms, watercress like this CHICKEN PRAWN VEGETABLE SOUP for a single day but I must now. Yesterday was the day for my blood sugar check and it reached a staggering height. I really do not wish to be my husband's burden, he is already overburdened with too much of responsibilities.... he is no "Mithunda".... you know na that guy bought a lorry for one relative, and set some other business for the other. Off course, I had to poke my flat nose and give a strong message as and whenever required that my husband is not a billionaire and I am no social worker neither we have a money plant. History cannot repeat and I cannot put my son's future at stake. Mr.T was not born to furnish the entire family branch, excuse me! Nope, I have no regrets speaking harsh, I do not start my day at Starbucks and end at Nando's neither the husband gifts me gold now and then depriving others.The guy is travelling and had sent me the picture below last Monday morning because I get too tensed when he drives to the neighbouring state, he has to provide me details at every stop. Nope, he is not a regular Facebook-er but a black tea aficionado, never with milk and sugar.
I think I have to tell all not to send any kind of sweets at this home, it comes for the men but I cannot resist myself having them. I got the punishment yesterday at the doctor's chamber. Let me prepare the family sweets my own way. Out from the chamber, the demoralised me had to have a pork & egg fried rice with some vegetables. Broccoli is not something we enjoy but we eat it as an accompaniment. Thereafter, late afternoon I had "samo rice and mushur dal porridge," at night we had the best meal... mumma made chicken with bell pepper ..... our boy is having fencing lessons everyday and the babai is not there to drive him back late night. My question is.... "when will you study after all these?"
Yes, I am having everything with millets but I have read that it is not good for people with hypothyroidism. You see, I have everything at a food court or food chain / joint.... the man cannot say I deprive others and have my own pleasure and luxury.... people can always have a different notion.
I actually have a series of fish and meat recipes in the kitty to share. I am so unwilling to share a prawn I so want you to prepare, all my earlier fish photos are in a package of five or two I am so unwilling to share at the moment.... never knew five can have such a broader, wide perspective.... amazing thinking ability people possess, look at me! Its always a pleasure to end the day looking at the son's and his father's face who happens to be my ultimate security. For the son or his parents, a soya sauce chilli chicken or a non vegetarian soup CHICKEN PRAWN VEGETABLE SOUP any time of the day is welcome. If only he cared about mumma and think what gives her a high.
What gives me ultimate pleasure? Well, I keep telling the son, if you have inherited the father's brain matter, do not waste it, do not get me average results.... your mother always has kept your interest, your well being at forth.... remember that. Who listens? The friends' daughters and sons have scored 95%-98% in almost all subjects. I am like "amar jiboney kichu chaina, amar number chai, academic records chai"..... I am my mother's daughter after all who became a diabetic when the brother refused to pursue further education after leaving college.... I am also my maternal grandmother's girl.... whose sons, specially the eldest and the youngest of the three are business magnets, quite known in the Nadia circuit.... even few years back she used to say "ora ayam-e pash korlo na, bank e dhuklona, amar dukkho"..... She is 90 up, she must be happy knowing that her youngest grandson is doing PhD in mathematics who does not want his father's huge property.... need to ask him if he can kindly transfer it to my account.... bad joke... lets cook and eat.
BONELESS CHICKEN STRIP : 250-300GM
DE SHELLED PRAWN : 200-250GM
MUSHROOM : ANY VARIETY
CHOPPED WATER CRESS : A BUNCH
BROCCOLI FLORET : 1MEDIUM TEA CUP
SLICED ONION : 1SMALL TEA CUP
CRUSHED GINGER & GARLIC : 1TBSP
CHOPPED LEMON GRASS : 1TSP
KAFFIR LIME LEAF : 6-7
LEMON JUICE : 4-5TBSP [I REMEMBER I USED GONDHORAJ]
CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1TSP
VINEGAR : 2TBSP
SOYA SAUCE : 1TBSP
TABASCO : 1-2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 2TBSP
PROCEDURE :
Wash and drain all the ingredients well. Marinate the chicken strips and dressed prawns with vinegar and very little amount of salt for an hour. Drain the marinade thereafter. Add the broccoli, chicken and prawn, half of the lime leaves to a vessel with boiling water. Add some salt.
You can see we have got everything ready, crushed ginger garlic to sliced onion. We would add the washed watercress and mushrooms in the last lap of the cooking.
After the chicken, prawn and broccoli has boiled for 5-7 minutes, strain and reserve the stock.
Separating the crushed and cooked garlic-ginger and lime leaves was a tedious job, did I need to?
Heat the oil in a wok and add the lemon grass pieces. Stir and add the sliced onion. Stir until they turn translucent.
Add the freshly made stock. Bring to a boil.
When it has boiled for 3-4 minutes, add the cooked chicken, prawn and broccoli. Add all of the lemon juice and crushed black pepper.
Add the mushrooms and watercress and cook for 2 minutes.
Then add the rest of the lime leaves and tabasco, adjust the salt if required.
You can have it as a soup or enjoy it with plain rice or garlic tempered rice.
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