until smooth. Serve with a pinch of spice on top if desired.
Spicy lassi
Put 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the yogurt, salt, and chilies in a blender and process until smooth, adding a little more yogurt if necessary to keep the mixture turning. Pour through a fine sieve, pressing down gently with the back of a spoon. Discard any residue. Return the yogurt mixture to the blender, add the remaining yogurt, water, and ice cubes and process for a few seconds. Divide between 4 glasses. Garnish with a few slices of chili if desired.
Masala lassi
Put 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the yogurt, salt, cilantro and curry leaves, ginger, and onion in a blender and process until smooth, adding a little more yogurt if necessary to keep the mixture turning. Pour through a fine sieve, pressing down gently with the back of a spoon. Discard any residue. Return the yogurt mixture to the blender, add the remaining yogurt and ice cubes and process for a few seconds. Divide between 4 glasses, and sprinkle the top of each serving with a little cumin powder. Serve immediately.
Rose-flavored lassi with pistachios
Process yogurt, sugar, rose water, and ice cubes in a blender until smooth. Transfer to 4 chilled glasses and sprinkle the top of each with 1/2 teaspoon crushed pistachio.
Papaya lassi
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process at high speed until smooth. Pour into 4 glasses and serve immediately.
Note: To make homemade yogurt, slowly heat 4 cups (1 liter) milk until bubbles start to appear around the edge of the pan—do not let it boil. (For a rich yogurt use 1 cup cream to 3 cups milk, or add 2 heaped tablespoons full cream milk powder to 4 cups milk.) Turn off heat and let milk stand about 15 minutes until you can immerse a finger for just 10 seconds without it stinging. Put 1 tablespoon commercial natural yogurt into a jar. Add the warm milk, stirring constantly. Cover with a towel and keep in a warm place (such as an airing cupboard or warm oven) until the yogurt sets, about >4-6 hours. Use some of this batch as the starter to make your next lot of yogurt.
tropical noon
You've spent the morning exploring the local market, snorkeling over a reef, hiking up the side of a volcano, or simply lazing around the pool with a book. You've got a ravenous appetite but, with the warmth of the midday sun, you want something light. Browse through these recipes and you'll find plenty to inspire you. Soups range from a Chinese sweet corn and leek soup with crab and coriander dumplings, to carrot and lime leaf broth with shrimps and asparagus, or the unusual dish of seafood and spinach broth with glutinous cheese dumplings. Fresh, spicy salads make superb appetizers, or light lunches in themselves — try a salad of raw fish "cooked" in a lime, soy, and sesame dressing, or a heartier spicy, roasted, and herbed Balinese chicken salad. Vegetarian dishes abound with such offerings as tempura tofu with sweet and sour sesame garlic sauce, or fragrant vegetables in spicy laksa broth. Noodles are a great standby throughout Asia and, when it comes to fried noodles, the Thais are famed for their fried rice-flour noodles, stir-fried with loads of garlic, eggs, bean sprouts, and seasonings; our vegetarian version adds extra vegetables. Other noodle dishes include stir-fried noodles with bean sprouts and chives, Indonesian fried noodles with prawns, vegetables, and sweet soy sauce, and Jakarta-style noodles in chicken stock with delightful deep-fried chicken dumplings. And don't forget laksa, the ultimate noodle soup with spicy coconut milk. If you like fish, you can choose between Maldivian fish curry with fresh pineapple, pan-fried fish fillet with mango, steamed fish in lemongrass, or what about wok-fried clams with Chinese seasonings? You've earned a little self indulgence, so why not try one of the divine desserts? There's coconut, palm honey, and pandan ice cream, soy milk pannacotta with tropical fruits, and the ultimate in cheese cakes: passion fruit-topped refrigerator cheese cake.
Sweet corn and leek soup with crab and coriander dumplings
1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
8 oz (250 g) white portion of leek, thinly sliced
2 cups (250 g) fresh or defrosted sweet corn kernels
1 bay leaf
4 cups (1 liter) chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small tomato, cut in small cubes, to garnish
1 scallion (spring onion), finely chopped, to garnish
Bread sticks to garnish
Crab and coriander dumplings
1 cup (125 g) cooked crabmeat, picked over for any cartilage
1/2 cup (75 g) minced chicken
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
3 tablespoons heavy (thick) cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
Liberal sprinkling white pepper
16 fresh or defrosted won ton wrappers
2 teaspoons cornstarch
This elegant, creamy soup is made with leek, sweet corn, celery, and chicken stock, and is served with tiny dumplings of crabmeat mixed with chicken and perfumed with fresh and dried coriander. With its subtle yet satisfying flavors, it makes a perfect start to any meal.
1 Heat butter in a large saucepan, then stir-fry onion and garlic over low-moderate heat until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add celery, leek, and sweet corn and stir-fry until softened, about 4 minutes. Add bay leaf and stock and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer until the vegetables are soft, 20-25 minutes. Cool while preparing the dumplings.
2 To prepare the dumplings, combine crabmeat, chicken, garlic, fresh cilantro leaves, coriander powder, cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor, and pulse several times to mix well. Moisten the edges of a won ton wrapper with a finger dipped in water, then put 1 heaped teaspoon of the crabmeat mixture in the center. Lift up the sides and pinch together in the center to seal. Sprinkle a plate with cornstarch and put the filled dumpling on top. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. Set aside.
3 Blend or process the soup until smooth. Push through a fine strainer and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat soup slowly, then keep warm while cooking the dumplings.
4 Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the dumplings, a few at a time, and simmer gently until they rise to the surface and are cooked, about 3 minutes. Drain.
5 Divide the soup between four bowls, and add four dumplings to each serving. Garnish with tomato, scallion, and bread sticks. Serve hot.
Seafood and spinach soup
