Ingredients and method to make the Spinach Chickpea soup
3/4 cup chickpea ( soaked overnight with a pinch of soda and cooked in the pressure cooker until slightly soft)
3 cups packed cut spinach
4 medium potatoes peeled and cut into little pieces
1 onion cut into pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cube vegetarian vegetable bouillon or 1 tsp of concentrated vegetable paste (that can be used in place of bouillon)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder(optional)
2 tsp sesame seed powder ( dry roast the sesame and powder it when cool to powder resembling bread crumbs)
2 tsp peanut powder (dry roast the peanut and powder it when cool to powder resembling bread crumbs)
2 tsp corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
4 cups water
salt to taste
Heat olive oil in a large heavy pan,add the onions and saute until transparent
Add the ginger paste,garlic paste,cumin powder ,coriander powder and paprika and saute for a minute.
Add the potatoes and the salt and simmer for about ten minutes.Add the chickpeas and simmer for another ten minutes or until both potatoes and chickpeas are reasonably soft.
Add the spinach and simmer for five minutes
Separately add the cornstarch to 1/4 cup of water mix well,then add to that the powdered sesame,peanuts and chili powder.Add this to the soup.Simmer for a few minutes
Add the milk and serve hot.
This serves about 4-5 and takes about an hour to make including the prep work and the cooking time.Some crusty bread works well as an accompaniment with this soup
