Hot & Sour Tom Yum Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 coriander roots (scraped)
4 stalks lemongrass, white parts only
1 teaspoon asafoetida powder (yellow)
2 small fresh hot red chili peppers, chopped
4 kaffir lime leaves
4 large ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped coarsely
400 g tofu, firm pressed, cut into 2 . 5cm pieces
1 bunch sorrel, torn
2 small hot red chili peppers, extra, sliced diagonally
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup lime juice
2/3 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
4 liters water
1 cup carrot, sliced
1 cup cabbage, sliced
1 cup white radish, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Preparation

Combine 4 litres water; 1 cup carrots, sliced; 1 cup cabbage, sliced; 1/2 cup celery stalks, sliced; 1 cup white radish, sliced; and 1.5 tsp salt in a saucepan and boil for 1 hour, or until the liquid has reduced by half.
Strain, and set aside.
Pound the coriander roots, lemongrass, asafetida and chili to a rough paste using mortar and pestle. Alternatively, process in a blender with a few drops of water.
Boil the vegetable stock in a saucepan over full heat. Drop in the kaffir lime leaves, mushroom, and tomato and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
Add the spice paste, reduce the heat to a simmer, add the tofu and sorrel and cook for another 2 minutes.
Serve: Divide the extra chili, the soy sauce, lime juice and chopped coriander into large deep serving bowls and pour the boiling soup over. Serve with hot steamed rice.