Soups Recipes - Beef and Aubergine Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 dried New Mexico chilies

• 15ml/1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 75ml/5 tbsp kroeung

• 2-3 fresh red chilies

• 75ml/5 tbsp tamarind extract

• 15-30ml/1-2 tbsp fish sauce

• 30ml/2 tbsp palm sugar (jaggery)

• 12 Thai aubergines (eggplants), cut into bite size chunks

• 1 bunch watercress, trimmed and chopped

• 1 handful fresh curry leaves

• sea salt and ground black pepper

For the stock:

• 1 kg/2 1/4lb beef shanks or brisket

• 2 large onions, quartered

• 2-3 carrots, cut into chunks

• 90g/3 1/2oz fresh root ginger, sliced

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 4 star anise

• 5ml/1 tsp black peppercorns

• 30ml/2 tbsp soy sauce

• 45-60ml/3-4 tbsp fish sauce

Serves 6

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Method:

1. To make the stock. mix all the ingredients, apart from the soy sauce and fish sauce, in a large pan. Cover with 3 liters/5 pints/12 cups water and bring to the boil. Simmer; covered, for 2-3 hours.

2. Meanwhile, soak the New Mexico chilies in water for 30 minutes. Split them open, remove the seeds and scrape out the pulp.

3. Stir the sauces into the stock and simmer; uncovered, until it has reduced to about 2 liters/8 cups. Skim, strain into a bowl and set aside.

4. Tear the meat into thin strips and put half of it aside for the soup. Save the rest for another dish.

5. Heat the oil in a wok. Stir in the kroeung and chili pulp with the whole chilies. Stir until the mixture sizzles. Add the tamarind extract, fish sauce, sugar and reserved stock. Stir well and bring to the boil.

6. Add the reserved beef, aubergines and watercress. Continue cooking for 20 minutes. Dry-fry the curry leaves until they begin to crackle.

7. Season the soup, stir in half the curry leaves and serve in heated bowls, with the remaining leaves on top.