Indonesian Vegetable Sour Soup (sayur Asam)

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 teaspoon tamarind pod
• 200 ml warm water
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1 red chili pepper, seeded and sliced
• 3 tablespoons raw peanuts
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups low-fat chicken broth
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 chayote, peeled, seeded, and sliced thin
• 1/2 cup frozen green beans, ends trimmed
• 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels

Recipe

• 1 prepare tamarind by placing it in a small bowl with warm water. let soak for 15 minutes.
• 2 to make spice paste, combine shallot, garlic, ginger, red chili pepper, raw peanuts, shrimp paste, and salt in a large mortar and blend well with a pestle. use a food processor or blender if you don’t have a mortar and pestle.
• 3 transfer paste to a medium saucepan and add chicken or vegetable broth, salted peanuts, and brown sugar. stir to combine, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
• 4 meanwhile, use a strainer to separate the tamarind seeds from the juice. throw away the seeds and keep the juice.
• 5 add chayote, green beans, and corn to the soup, and cook over high heat for 5 minutes.
• 6 just before serving, add tamarind juice and stir. garnish with green chili pepper slices if desired.