Soup on Super Fat Tuesday

Despite all the interesting things happening: the ticker tape parade, the primaries, etc… it was a drab, overcast day here in NY.

It was the kind of day that maintains a light, steady drizzle, but never breaks into full rain.

A perfect day for soup.

So after casting my ballot, I went back home and got to work in the kitchen…

* * *

Last week, I’d been cruising the Congo Cookbook site for inspiration, and one recipe caught my attention. A Central/East African dish called Mbaazi wa Nazi, which is essentially pigeon peas in coconut milk. Apparently, depending on one’s location, the dish can be served with either cornmeal, flatbread, or a spiced fry bread called Mahamri.

Since this dish had been on my mind, and it seemed pretty easy to translate into a soup, my decision was made…

The accompaniments: my first inclination was to make cornbread in place of the cornmeal, but later decided I’d try to echo the flavors of Mahamri in a quick drop biscuit.

So here’s my interpretation of this Swahili meal:

Curried Black Eyed Pea Soup w/ Cardamom Spiced Biscuits:

For the soup
2-3 tbsp oil
1 tsp turmeric (optional)
1 tsp curry powder
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (and de-seeded if you prefer a milder flavor)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch of ginger, minced
1 14 oz can coconut milk
2 cups veggie or chicken stock
2 15 oz cans black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp salt

Chopped scallions for garnish
Salt to taste

Serves 4

Heat the oil over medium heat in small soup pot. Add the curry and turmeric powder, stir until aromatic (about 1 minute), then toss in the chopped onion, jalapeno, and a bit of salt. Sauté until the onions are translucent and tender.

Next, add the minced garlic and ginger, and continue to sauté for a minute or two more.

Stir in the stock, coconut milk, drained beans, and remaining salt and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Adjust the salt if more is needed.

Puree at least half the soup in a blender, then garnish with chopped scallion.

For the biscuits
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Between ¾ - 1 cup milk, depending

Makes 24 mini biscuits or 12 regular sized

Preheat oven to 425 degrees .

Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, and then stir in the butter and milk until just combined.

Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

I think I'll be taking some to work tomorrow too!