Serves: 4
Total Calories: 704

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 to 3 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 to 3 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 to 5 small tomatoes (about 1 pound), coarsely chopped
2 medium chayote squash, peeled or unpeeled, coarsely chopped
4 small russet potatoes (or any potatoes), peeled or unpeeled, quartered
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thigh
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
5 to 6 cups water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion, green parts only

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the ginger, cumin seeds, bay leaves, black pepper, and green chile peppers. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute.

2. Add the onion, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, chicken, salt, and water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the chicken is opaque and fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

3. Remove the bay leaves. Mash some of the potatoes and squash pieces against the inside of the pot to thicken the soup. Add the lemon juice and garam masala and cook another few minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, mix in the cilantro and scallion greens, and serve.

VARIATION: Substitute turnips, rutabagas, carrots, or any other firm squash for the chayote.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 704
Calories from Fat: 205

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Soups
Cabbage Soup with Vegetables
Carrot-Ginger Soup
Cashew Corn Soup in Chicken Broth
Chicken Soup with Chayote Squash
Chicken Soup with Cream-Style Corn and Green Chili Peppers
Chicken Soup with Ginger and Coconut Milk
Chickpea Soup with Chicken Broth
Chilled Chickpea Soup
Chilled Potato Soup
Chilled Roasted Vegetable Soup
Chunky South Indian Tomato Soup
Classic South Indian Ginger Soup
Creamy Almond-Poppy Seed Soup
Creamy Tomato Soup
Curried Green Pea Soup
Fast Black Bean Soup, Indian Style
Fragrant Yogurt Soup
Goan Caldo-Verde Soup with Cauliflower
Goan Shrimp Soup
Mulligatawny Soup
Mysore Coconut Soup
Puréed Mushroom Soup with Yogurt
Puréed Pumpkin Soup
Puréed Spinach Soup
Quick Black Chickpea Soup with Cumin Seeds
Quick Lentil, Barley and Vegetable Soup
Quick Puréed Root Vegetable Soup
Quick Sindhi Split Pigeon Pea Soup with Tamarind
South Indian Buttermilk Soup
South Indian Lemon Soup with Mung Beans
South Indian Tamarind Soup
Spicy Chicken Broth
Spicy Lamb Broth
Spicy Shrimp with Coconut Milk and Tomato
Spicy South Indian Vegetable Soup with Tamarind
Spinach Yogurt Soup
Tomato Soup with Fresh Curry Leaves
Tomato Soup with Sautéed Vegetables
Tomato Soup with Yellow Mung Beans
Traditional South Indian Split Pigeon Pea Soup
Vegetable Soup with Yogurt and Coconut
Vegetarian Broth
Yellow Mung Beans and Spinach Soup with Sizzling Cumin Oil
Yogurt Soup with Flame-Roasted Eggplant