A friend of mine asked me for a gazpacho recipe and was looking for something a little different than the traditional.  She wanted it to be fresh and healthy but with a more robust flavor.  At first I considered making a white gazpacho, which is a delicious combination of almonds, grapes, garlic and bread.   But summer shorts are upon us, and carb-minimization is in full effect.

I, then, thought about this East African stew I grew up eating.  It’s called chana bateta and is made with chickpeas and potatoes in a thin, tart broth.  That broth, in turn, got me to thinking about a popular South Indian soup called rasam as they share a very similar flavor profile. Rasam is a thin, peppery, tart soup that is often served to warm up winter nights or to help remedy a cold.

While at Devi, I often saw it used in various ways.  My time there and the spices and ingredients at that restaurant will never cease to inspire me.  I truly enjoyed working with Chef Mathur, who was innovative in his own right (thus helping to earn the restaurant a Michelin star in both 2007 and 2008).

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