Showing posts with label asian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asian. Show all posts

Monday, January 26, 2026

We survived social media - back to blogs! South Asian inspired Carrot soup


I'm getting off social media because Facebook is dull and never shows me any of my friend's content. Like my friends, I'm unmotivated to make content as no one interacts with it. It is depressing to go there as the algorithm feels soulless. I don't use Instagram except to post photos and I prefer for it to be politics free.

But I do miss writing and documenting my cooking. So - back to the blog! 

It is wintertime in Kefalonia, Greece which means that it is raining a lot and grey outside. What better time for soup? I am also a diabetic now (since March 2025) so I'm learning to cook in a way to keep my blood sugar stable and I've lost 10kg. So I'll post some of my diabetic friendly modifications for cooking that I've developed. 

This weekend, I made a South Asian inspired carrot soup from the New York Times cooking app. it was lighter and less chunky than many other carrot soups and not as sweet. Really delicious! Here's my adaptation (and you can get the original recipe at the link).

  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2medium onions, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
  • 3 tablespoon chopped ginger
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon toasted and ground coriander
  • 1 chopped thai chili (from my garden)
  • Salt
  • 8 cups chicken broth 
  • 2 pounds young carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (can add parsnips too)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 12 curry leaves
  • Cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • Lime or lemon wedges
  1. Step 1

    Put a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons coconut oil. When oil is hot, add onions and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until onions are lightly browned. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander and chili and cook for one minute more, or just until fragrant. Season generously with salt.

  2. Step 2

    Add carrots and 8 cups chicken broth. Raise the heat and bring to a brisk simmer, then put on the lid and turn heat to low. Cook until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from stove and let cool slightly. Using a stick blender, puree the soup. Thin with water if necessary; the soup should not be too thick. 

  3. Step 3

    Heat remaining tablespoon of coconut oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Cook for one minute, or until spices are fragrant and beginning to pop. Pour the entire contents of the pan into the soup and stir to combine. Taste for salt and adjust.

  4. Step 4

     Ladle into bowl, give each bowl a squeeze of lime (or lemon) and garnish with cilantro leaves. 

 

 

 

  

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Malaysian Penang Food Adventure

My friend Jennifer and I spent a long weekend in Penang - an island off the coast of Malaysia. I have several Malaysian friends - all of whom assured me that the food in Malaysia is well worth the the trip. Since Air Asia flies there cheaply from Bangkok, off we went.

I tell you - if you are looking for a cheap and fun way to spend two days - go to Penang! They even produce a food map at the airport that you can pick up and just start trying everything they mention. You won't run out of options.

It turns out I don't love the Assam Laksa but i love curry Mee. And Hokkien Mee. Oh- so many delicious noodle dishes. And if you get bored, take a break with the food and go look at all the cool street art too!

From Wikipedia -
Penang cuisine is the cuisine of the multicultural society of Penang, Malaysia. Most of these cuisine are sold at road-side stalls, known as "hawker food". Penang has the reputation as being the "food paradise" in the region as it offers an diverse and exotic mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine, which reflects the multicultural mix of the city. It is popular among locals and tourists alike. Local Penangites mostly find these hawker fares cheaper and easier to eat out at any time of the day due to the ubiquitousness of the hawker stalls all around Penang. On February 22, 2013, Penang has ranked by CNN Travel as one of the top ten street food cities in Asia.