Hot and Sour soup

This is a classic Chinese soup known for its fast food delicacy. As the name goes the soup is quite spicy so if you cannot handle the chilies you may adjust the ingredients.
Sharing two variations of this soup..

Method 1:
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 tomatoes chopped
1 cup colored bell peppers (green , orange, etc)
350 grams of traditional tofu
½ tablespoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
½ cup dark soy sauce
salt as per taste
¼ cup cornstarch mixed with little water

Process: In a pot add half cup water with 1/4 quantity of chopped tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for sometime until tomatoes are soft. Add the chili flakes, red chili powder, black pepper powder and soy sauce. Add around 4-5 cups of water, salt as per taste. Let the seasoning come to a boil. By that time cut the traditional tofu in 1.5 inches strips with 0.5 centimeter thickness. Once the seasoning liquid comes to a boil add the corn starch paste, mix well and add the tofu. Again bring to a boil, add the remaining tomatoes, bell peppers and simmer for few minutes. Turn off the stove and serve hot.

Method 2:
Serves 4
Ingredients:
½ cup julienne sliced bamboo shoots or lotus roots
1 big tomato
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ cup julienne sliced carrots
½ cup julienne sliced purple cabbage
2 teaspoons salt
3-4 green chilies
1 teaspoons red chili powder
1-2 tablespoons of corn-starch
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Process: Blend tomatoes and chilies together with little water, pour them in a medium pot. To this blended paste add 4-5 cups of water, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, salt and red chili powder. Mix cornstarch with little water to form a smooth thick paste and add it to the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it boils reduce the heat and let it simmer. Add the carrots, bamboo shoots or lotus roots and cabbage. After 5 of minutes of cooking, turn off the stove. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Serve hot.

© 2021, Krsnatarian. All rights reserved.