There aren’t many things I like about winter to be honest. I detest the piles of winter wear and extra bedclothes that clutter up the rooms and most of all, I dread how the cold weather reduces me to a wheezing and coughing wretch. (I have adult-onset asthma.) I am a tropical person, so give me heat and humidity ANY day. Having said that, one must count one’s blessings and I must admit that Pakistan’s winters have a lot to offer in terms of gastronomic pleasures. We get sweet kinoo (oranges) in winter. Soups and teas taste infinitely better when it is cold outside as well. I am also looking forward to my mother-in-law’s famous gorgeous pink tea!

Yesterday, the girls and I worked on lunch together. We made a soup whose recipe came from their sweet aunt, Lamiya, who is from Azerbaijan. It is a hit in our home because it is quite easy to make and is so chock full of goodness that it is a meal all on its own. It does involve a fair bit of ingredients and preparation but maybe that is why the girls love it so – we share a lot of laughs while cooking together.

Anyway, for those of you experiencing winter, I hope you like this recipe for the Azeri soup we made. It is good with any crusty bread but we like it with Tendir Choreyi. I don’t know what this dish is called in Azerbaijan… we just call it Lamiya’s Soup :)

Lamiya’s Soup

Onion, 1 large – chopped/diced fine
Garlic, about 3 cloves – minced
Capsicum, 1 large – cut into small ‘squares’
Tomatoes, about 8 – chopped, the more the merrier!
Carrots, 1 or 2 – diced finely
Potatoes, 1 or 2 – cubed

Coriander, a big bunch – chopped (it’s a big part of the soup, not just a garnish)
Spaghetti/Vermicelli – broken into small bits
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Chilli powder, 1-2 tsp
Turmeric powder, 1-2 tsp
Sugar – 1 tsp (optional)

For chicken stock:
Chicken bones and half a chicken
Chicken stock cubes – 1 or 2 (MSG free!)
Onion – 1, chopped coarsely
Garlic – 2, chopped coarsely
Pepper corns
Water to cover

1. Place chicken stock ingredients in a large pot. Bring to boil and then simmer over low heat for an hour or so. Remove chicken and shred/chop meat into small cubes. Set meat aside.

2. Saute onions and then garlic in a separate pot. Add chilli powder and turmeric powder and fry for a minute or so. Add tomatoes and cook till softened. Add capsicums and cook till tomatoes have broken down, adding water/stock to make sure mixture doesn’t stick to the pan. Add carrots and potatoes and stir.

3. Place a sieve/colander over the pot. Pour chicken stock through the sieve into the tomato mixture and discard bones/onion/garlic. Bring to a boil and add chopped chicken and noodles. When noodles are cooked through, add chopped coriander and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you don’t like the soup too sour, you can add a little sugar.

4. Serve piping hot with crusty bread or Tendir Choreyi.

I love all kinds of seafood but it is a bit of a rarity here in Islamabad. Most Islamabad folk will stick to chicken and red meat, thank you very much.

My mother-in-law will eat a little fish if I cook it but has to stop herself from wrinkling up her nose – she has yet to get used to the smell. (Much of the fish here is fresh-water fish so I think there is always that pungent smell that is so hard to get rid of?)

My father-in-law, who had once worked in Karachi (where most of the seafood comes from), loves fish. He promptly hands over all marine acquisitions to me since other members of the family won’t touch them with a ten-foot pole!

My sister-in-law has declared that she “does not eat fish” but she will eat my tuna sandwiches… But then, tuna isn’t really a fish, is it? It comes from a can!

Tuna Salad/Sandwich

Ingredients & Method

1. Drain a 425 g can of tuna.

2. Break up the tuna with a fork and combine with:

• 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs
• 3 chopped spring onions
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 1 chopped celery stick
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

3. Serve with lettuce leaves on bread rolls. I also like to include sliced cucumbers in the sandwich. Sliced tomatoes, steamed baby carrots and slices of crunchy Fuji apples on the side are my girls’ favourite!