As warm weather arrives, I crave dishes that are both comforting and light. Today, I’m sharing a treasured family recipe that’s pure magic: Vegetable Chowder Sabji Doodh Shorba. Imagine a delicate, creamy chowder infused with the aromatic warmth of fresh curry leaves and Gujarati spices. It’s a unique and elegant way to celebrate the best of summer’s tender vegetables, a true fusion of comfort and freshness.
Ingredients
• List
• Aromatic Bundle: 6–8 curry leaves or 3 sprigs mint, 6 peppercorns, 0.5-inch / 1.5 cm cinnamon stick, 1 tsp / 5 ml coriander seeds.
• Base: 2.5 cups / 600 ml water or vegetable stock and 2 tbsp / 30 ml ghee or unsalted butter.
• Vegetables: 1 lb / 455g baby new potatoes, halved, 0.5 lb / 230g very young carrots, 0.5 lb / 230g small zucchini, julienned, and 4 oz / 115g young green beans, cut.
• Legumes & Greens: 1.5 cups fresh shelled peas or 10 oz / 285g frozen baby peas, and 2 oz / 60g fresh spinach.
• Thickener & Cream: 2 tbsp / 16g cornstarch or all-purpose flour and 2 cups / 480 ml light cream.
• Seasoning: 1 tsp / 6g salt, or to taste.
Instructions
1. Cooking
2. Create the bouquet garni: Wrap the curry leaves (or mint), peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and coriander seeds in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it securely with kitchen twine.
3. In a 5-quart / 5-liter pan, combine the water or stock, ghee or butter, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
4. Add the halved baby potatoes, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the carrots, julienned zucchini, and cut green beans. Replace the lid and continue to simmer for another 8 minutes.
6. If using fresh peas, add them now and simmer for an additional 4 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender-crisp.
7. Prepare the spinach by stacking the leaves, rolling them into a tight cylinder, and slicing thinly into chiffonade strips.
8. In a separate bowl, create a smooth slurry by whisking the cornstarch or flour into the light cream until no lumps remain.
9. Remove and discard the bouquet garni from the pot. Stir in the spinach chiffonade and the frozen peas (if using).
10. While stirring constantly, gradually pour the cream slurry into the pot. Continue to cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes until the shorba has thickened slightly.
11. Stir in the salt just before serving to preserve the bright flavors. Serve hot and enjoy!
Nutritional Information
• (Per Serving)
• Calories: 215 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 18g
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 14g
Pro Tips
• for the Perfect Shorba
• Use the freshest, youngest vegetables you can find. If using larger vegetables, cut them into small, uniform pieces to ensure they cook evenly and maintain a delicate texture.
• To prevent the cream from curdling, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Alternatively, whisk a ladle of the hot broth into your cream-cornstarch slurry before slowly pouring it into the pot.
• Ensure your cheesecloth sachet is tied tightly to infuse the broth with flavor without leaving behind any whole spices.
• Add the delicate spinach and frozen peas at the very end of cooking. This keeps the spinach vibrant green and the peas plump and sweet.
