Yes, I know it’s the fourth of July but really, it’s not the weather for firecrackers or barbeques or potato salad. So happy fourth of July if you’re that ways inclined but honestly, even though I’m writing this in the past (early deadlines for Sunday papers) and all the accurate weather forecast people only do a five-day forecast, I’m assuming the monsoon is still playing push-pull. Indecisive rain, beastly sunshine, mind-numbing humidity… and the sniffles have arrived. Thunder and lightning have

been replaced by bellowing coughs, buck-shot sneezes, runny noses and achy bones. If it was ever chicken soup weather, it is now: even if it is hot. Even if you feel absolutely fine!
The mummy brigade is buying ginger by the muddy ton for tea, in soup, in curries, in rice, in the bathwater. Well, not in the bathwater, but there’s an idea. Other aromatics help fight the flu or flu-like feelings: Citrus and chilies (vitamin C), basil (deals with headaches), onion (builds immunity). So here are a couple of home-grown recipes that I’ve spent a while working on, totally tweakable to suit your needs. The soupy rice is great for kids and adults who are recovering from coughs and colds and are grumpy. The lime-leaf burgers are just fun!
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Radish-carrot-apple salad
While you could eat your burgers with a little coriander and mint on the side, or rocket and basil dressed with toasted sesame seeds and a splash of soy sauce, if you’ve got the time, there’s a light, lovely spicy salad that goes very well with it.

Ingredients
Juice of 4 lemons
1 tbsp rice wine or mirin
3 tsp sugar (you can adjust this later to taste)
salt to taste
2 radishes, julienned or finely slivered with a peeler
2 carrots, similar
1 apple, similar

Method
Sprinkle the radish and carrot with a little salt and leave to stand for about 5 minutes. In the meanwhile, in a small saucepan warm the lemon juice and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. While it’s still warm, add the rice wine or mirin and taste for salt. Cool to room temperature.
Squeeze the radish and carrot, toss with the shredded apple, dress with the sweet lemon dressing and serve with the burgers. Garnish with a little mint or basil or coriander.

How green is my Soup?!
We’ve been making this soupy-rice (or noodles) for two/three years now, thanks to the gifts of a kafir lime tree (courtesy Tushita), a basil plant (courtesy Saul and Carmen), a bountiful lemongrass plant and a show-offy chili plant. On a trip to Singapore, we came across something called Thunder-Tea Rice which was really, really similar! Our version doesn’t use actual tea among other things, but it’s sunshine in a bowl if you’re feeling a little under the weather. (Note: If you’ve got extra liquid soup left, freeze it for a later date.)

Ingredients
Fragrant boiled rice:
2 cups brown rice (we now only use red Mangalore or Goa rice, washed well)
Boiled with about 4 tablespoons grated ginger, 8-10 sprigs of lemongrass, a vegetable (or beef) stock cube, 4 kafir lime leaves and salt to taste. Drain, discard the aromatics.

For the soup:
8-10 sprigs of lemongrass (bulb bruised)
1 cup chopped coriander (stalks included if possible)
8-10 kafir lime leaves
Zest of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons grated ginger (or galangal)
2 onions – chopped

4 spring onions – chopped (green bits included)
Stock or stock cube
2 de-seeded green chillies
2 litres of water (at least)

Optional add-ons:
Baby corn / French beans
Snow peas /Asparagus
Zucchini / Broccoli
Cubed chicken
Sprouts
Baby spinach
Shredded basil leaves
Fried cubes of tofu
Toasted peanuts

Method
Put all your soup ingredients to boil, then simmer for about 20 mins.
Now, the easy way: Put in your chicken and after that, put in the veggies.
Slightly more complicated but more fun to eat: Spoon out about 3 cups of the hot soup into another pot on the simmer. Put the chicken (if using) into the original pot to cook. In the new pot, start blanching your veggies, one set at a time using a slotted spoon to drain. When you’re done with all, empty the hot, veggie broth back into the main pot of soup!
Drain the soup into a teapot. Put the rice at the bottom of the bowls, add the vegetables and meat and garnishes and gently pour the soup over.

Lime-leaf mint and chilli burgers

I love these burgers on their own, with a salad (like the one mentioned) or as an accompaniment to the soup and rice.

Ingredients
Chicken mince - 500 gms
Bacon (optional) - 100 gms
1 big onion, chopped
4 tablespoons grated ginger
8 kafir lime leaves, shredded
1 cup of chopped coriander leaves and stalks
About 1 tsp of finely crushed lemongrass bulb
1 cup of chopped mint leaves
12 basil leaves
1 tsp salt
2 green chillies

Method
Just process all the ingredients together in a mixer or a hand-blender till every herb, stalk and leaf is blended fine. (If you’re not using bacon, then you may need to use ½ cup of breadcrumbs for the burgers to ‘hold’.) Stick your nose and take a sniff. The blending should have released lots of fragrant aromas. With a little skill, you will soon be able to detect if there’s enough salt in a mix just by smelling it. Until then, you can ‘test’ for salt by frying a tiny little burger in advance. Taste for salt and lemon.
Now, oil your palms and make patties that are about 1.5 cms thick and about 2 inches in diameter. Heat a non-stick pan and grease with sesame seed oil. When hot, fry the burgers on a medium flame until cooked through and golden on each side (about 6-8 minutes in all). Spritz some lemon on and serve with the radish salad.