Re: hot and sour soup
Chicken stock cube in 1 litre of water. OPTIONAL - Add 1 teaspoon of garam masala (it makes it taste really nice).Boil.
When boiling add some chopped boneless chicken.
Add:
2 or 3 spoons of soy sauce.
1 or 2 spoons of vinegar.
2 -3 spoons of hot chilli sauce. (If u can't get, add some red chilli powder to your taste).
1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
IF U WANT TO BE A CHEAT AND GET THAT RESTAURANT TASTE, THEN ADD HALF A TEASPOON OR LESS OF AJNIMOTO / MSG / CHINASALT - BUT BE WARNED, IT'S NOT REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD FOR U.
Mix about half a cup of cornstarch/cornflour in 1 cup of water and when thoroughly mixed, pour it into the stock while stirring all the time (to stop lumps). This will thicken the soup. If it's too thick, add some more water. If it's not thick enough, add more cornflour mix.
Then add your chopped vegetables. These can be a selection like below.
Carrots.
Sweetcorn.
Cabbage.
Red / green peppers.
Onions.
Only cook the veg in the soup for a small time, until just cooked but still crunchy.
Taste the soup, if u think any seasoning needs adding or there's something missing, add more. E.g. if u feel it needs more soy sauce or vinegar, then add it.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander / dhaniya / cilantro when serving.
Also, finely slice green chillies and add to boiling vinegar with a spoon of salt. Use this as a garnish.
As I said before, don't be afraid to taste as u cook and add more stuff. This is not a solid recipe, it's just a basic recipe. Some people add a squeeze of tomato puree or some different spices. It's up to u.