Chicken Soup for the Soul - Not the Soul Book but a Soul Food

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One fine day, strolling through the streets of old Kolkata and having done our share of old heritage venue visits, it was already 3 p.m. by the time we were exhausted and famished. And in continuation with the mood of the day, K took me to a 75 year old heritage food joint 'Chitto Babur Dokan' in Decker's Lane. And I instantly fell in love with their Chicken Soup with bread. It's light and savory and is served with vegetables as carrot, potato, papaya and sprinkling of black pepper...etc.

From that day, I had the desire to make that soup myself and have tried with different vegetables like cabbages, cauliflower each time and it has turned out appetizing.

Sharing some clicks from that day of Chitto Babur Dokan (below)..

(Some scenes of the movie Kahani were also shot in front of Chitta Babur Dokan).

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**Chicken Soup Recipe**

-- Ingredients (for two)--

• 200 gms of Chicken (with bone)

• 1 big-sized potato

• 1 Carrot (as in the picture)

• 1/2" ginger finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove finely chopped

• 1 medium sized onion (cut into 8 pieces and layers separated)

• Turmeric powder (for the colour)

• 2 inch cinnamon

• 2 bay leaves

• Black pepper/pepper corn (4-5 pieces)

• Pepper powder

• Salt as per taste

• Olive oil (2 tsp)

• Butter

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1. Take the chicken pieces, unpeeled potato, uncut but scraped carrot (thoroughly washed) in a pressure cooker and add salt and water (500-550 ml approx.). Also add the cinnamon, bay leaf and pepper corn.

2. Cook the mix to 4-5 whistles.

3. Once done and the cooker has cooled off - the potato is peeled and cut in halves (4 big pieces); the carrot is cut into 4-6 pieces depending on its size.

4. Now heat oil in a wok and saute the onion, ginger and garlic until they are soft.

5. Add the contents of the pressure cooker, the potato pieces, the carrot pieces; add turmeric and salt (as per taste). Boil the mix for a while (3-5 mins), add pepper powder and butter (2 tsp) and mix.

6. And the soup is ready to be served.

We had it with bread at breakfast....

Bon Appetit!