Serves: 4
Total Calories: 255

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken (1 whole chicken), skinned
4 to 5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 cup Coconut Milk or store-bought
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, stemmed
6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
20 fresh curry leaves + 10 for final seasoning
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup plain yogurt (any kind), whisked until smooth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 dried red chili peppers, such as chile de arbol, with stems
2 teaspoons peeled minced fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground asafoetida

1. Rinse the chicken, then place it in a large saucepan. Add 4 cups water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the meat is very tender, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the coconut milk.

2. With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a bowl. When cool enough to handle, cut the breast meat into 1/2-inch pieces and reserve for the soup. (Use the remaining chicken for another recipe.) With a slotted spoon, remove any scum from the broth.

3. In a food processor or a blender, process together the cilantro, green chili pepper, ginger, 20 curry leaves, coriander, and cumin to make a smooth paste. Add the yogurt and process again until smooth. Stir the mixture into broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer about 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

4. Mix in the reserved chicken pieces and the coconut milk and simmer over medium-low heat about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and keep warm.

5. Heat the oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the red chili peppers, 10 curry leaves, and asafoetida, and add the seasoning to the soup. Swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Serve.

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: 255
Calories from Fat: 80

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