Immunity-Boosting Soup: Monsoons are a common season for people with colds and coughs due to weakened immunity. If you’re looking to boost your immunity, consider including Odisha’s sweet and sour Ambila vegetable soup in your diet. The spices used in this soup are rich in antioxidants, which help protect the body from colds and coughs during the changing seasons.
Ingredients to make Odia Ambila Soup:
1.5 cups sweet potato, arvi, pumpkin and radish mixture, 2 tbsp tamarind pulp, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp fenugreek seeds and 1 tsp nigella seeds, 2 dried red chillies, 10-12 curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida, 1 tbsp jaggery, 1 tsp rice flour, 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste, 3 cups water
How to Make Ambila Soup
Step 1: To make Odia Ambila Soup, first place the chopped root vegetables (sweet potato, taro, pumpkin, and radish) in a pressure cooker. Add turmeric powder, salt, and 3 cups of water. Close the lid and cook on medium heat for 2 whistles, or until the vegetables are tender. Be careful not to overcook them.
Step 2: When the pressure in the cooker releases automatically, open it and cook on low flame. Now add tamarind pulp and jaggery and mix it. To prepare tamarind pulp, take lemon-sized tamarind in half a cup of tamarind water and mix the pulp well. Now, cook it on low flame for 3-4 minutes so that the rawness of tamarind goes away and it gets mixed with the sweetness of jaggery. If you want the soup a little thicker, then add rice water solution and cook for another minute. Now, transfer the hot gram ambala to a bowl and keep it aside till you prepare the tempering.
Step 3: Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, and nigella seeds and let the seeds crackle. Next, add the dried red chilies, asafoetida, and curry leaves. Stir-fry for about 10 seconds, until fragrant. Pour the hot tempering over the prepared ambala. Immediately cover the bowl with a lid to preserve the aroma. Let it steep for a few minutes before serving.