Indian

Bengali tomato soup with nimki

Name: Opel Kahn's Bengali tomato soup recipe
Yield: 6
Cuisine: /indian
Ingredients: 100ml vegetable oil; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1kg ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp coriander; 150g plain flour; 40.00 ml fine semolina; 1/4 tsp cumin seeds; 40.00 ml ghee, melted; 60ml water; Vegetable oil, to deep-fry

Rate now

Jump to recipe

by delicious. team

delicious. team

Jul 18, 2024

You've had tomato soup, but you may not have tasted Opel Kahn's Bengali tomato soup with ground turmeric, cumin and coriander adding a fragrant twist. Here, the chef swaps crusty bread for nimki - a crunchy and crispy Bengali fried bread which you can dip into the soup and soak up all of those vibrant flavours. This is your next soup to add to your repertoire.

This recipe is by Opel Kahn.

Recipe note: The nimki should still be warm from frying when you serve, but you can also warm them in the oven at 160°C/140°C fan-forced, if necessary

100ml vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1kg ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander

Nimki

1 cup (150g) plain flour
2 tbs fine semolina
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbs ghee, melted
1/4 cup (60ml) warm water
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry

Method

1.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes until light golden. Add tomato and spices. Stir until well combined. Cook for 10-15 minutes until softened and starting to break down.
2.

Add 4 cups (1L) water and season well with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes until slightly thickened and tomatoes have broken down.
3.

For the nimki, mix the dry ingredients and 3/4 tsp fifine salt in a large bowl. Add the ghee and mix until a crumbly texture. Gradually add water and knead until a firm dough. Cover and stand for at least 10 minutes. Divide dough into 4 portions. Roll out each portion until 3mm thick and cut into small circles and rectangles.
4.

Fill a medium saucepan two-thirds full with oil and heat over medium heat until 160°C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 3 minutes when the oil is hot enough). In 3 batches, deep-fry nimki pieces for 6 minutes until golden brown and lightly puffed. Drain on paper towel (see note).
5.

Check seasoning and serve soup with nimki alongside.