Skip to main content

Recipe

A Bite To Eat With Alice: Masala pea soup

Prep time: 
10
Cook time: 
40
Skill level: 
Low
Serves: 
4
Masala Pea Soup with yoghurt, crispy curry leaves, and mustard seeds.

Masala pea soup, topped with yoghurt, crispy curry leaves and mustard seeds for a bold and aromatic finish. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Alice Zaslavsky is the host of A Bite To Eat with Alice, weeknights at 5pm on ABC TV and anytime on ABC iview. Alice is the resident culinary correspondent for ABC News Breakfast and ABC Radio, a food literacy advocate, bestselling cookbook author, and creator of Phenomenom, a free digital toolbox helping teachers slip more serves of veg into the curriculum.

Jump to Recipe

Brian Nankervis's love for food and flavour was sparked by Indian cuisine, so Alice is making this masala pea soup just for him. 

Ingredients for Masala Pea Soup, including garlic, ginger, onion, ghee, and spices, arranged on a wooden surface.

Fresh ingredients for masala pea soup, featuring garlic, ginger, onion, ghee, spices and curry leaves, essential for rich flavour. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Simmering Masala Pea Soup with coconut milk in a pink pot.

Masala pea soup after adding coconut milk, creating a rich and creamy base. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Packed with warming spices, sweet peas and a creamy coconut base, this vibrant soup is both comforting and full of bold flavours. The finishing touch of crispy curry leaves and mustard seeds fried in ghee adds texture and depth, making it a truly special dish. 

Masala Pea Soup simmering with peas and wilted spinach in a pink pot.

Peas and spinach added to the masala pea soup, bringing vibrant colour and freshness. (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Perfect for a cosy meal, this vegetarian and gluten-free soup is a celebration of the aromatic spices that first ignited Brian's passion for food.

Mustard seeds and curry leaves sizzling in hot ghee in a stainless steel pot.

Tempering mustard seeds and curry leaves in ghee to enhance the soup's flavour.   (ABC TV: Wesley Mitton)

Tips

  • No need for precise chopping: Since a food processor does the work, you don't have to be too careful with chopping the ingredients.
  • Peeling ginger: If using young ginger, you can leave the skin on. For older, woodier ginger, peel it with the edge of a teaspoon.
  • Coriander roots for extra flavour: If your bunch of coriander has roots, include them in the paste for a deeper, earthier flavour.
  • Add some heat: If you like a bit of spice, throw in some fresh or dried chili to amp up the kick.
  • Ghee substitute: If you can't find ghee, use a mix of half butter and half neutral oil for a similar richness.
  • Jammy consistency: When cooking the blitzed paste, aim for a thick, jammy texture to develop maximum flavour.

Here's the full list of recipes from Season 2 of A Bite To Eat With Alice.

This recipe appears in A Bite to Eat with Alice, a new nightly cooking show on ABC iview and weeknights at 5pm on ABC TV.

A Bite To Eat With Alice: Masala pea soup

Prep time: 
10
Cook time: 
40
Skill level: 
Low
Serves: 
4

Ingredients

For the soup

  • 1 brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped 
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled 
  • 5cm piece ginger, peeled 
  • 1 bunch coriander, soaked and washed well 
  • 4 tablespoons ghee  
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin 
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander 
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala 
  • ½ teaspoon mild chili powder 
  • 2 teaspoons salt 
  • ½ teaspoon sugar 
  • 400ml tin coconut cream 
  • 750ml vegetable stock 
  • 750g frozen baby peas 
  • 150g baby spinach leaves, washed and spun 
  • 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds 
  • 2 stems (about 24 leaves) curry leaves, washed and patted dry 
  • Natural yoghurt, to serve 

Method

  1. In a food processor, blitz the onion, garlic, ginger and coriander until well combined into a paste.
  2. In a heavy-based saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee over medium-high heat. Add the fragrant onion paste and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heavily fragrant, with no raw onion aroma lingering. Add all the ground spices, salt and sugar and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring often. 
  3. Add the coconut cream and bring to the boil, then add the stock, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the frozen peas and bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir through the spinach leaves to wilt, then switch off the heat and allow to cool slightly. 
  4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee in a small frypan over medium-high heat. Place a heat-proof sieve over a heat-proof bowl ready to go. Once the ghee is shimmering, add the mustard seeds to the pan along with a pinch of salt and cook until they start to pop. Then, add in the curry leaves, being cautious, as they will splatter — but the salt should help this. Remove from the heat and pour through the strainer, then transfer onto paper towel to drain and set aside. Reserve the infused ghee for garnish.  
  5. Place the yoghurt in a small bowl and whisk well to loosen, so it can be drizzled over the top of the soup.  
  6. Blend the soupy peas in a food processor or with a stick blender, leaving some of the peas and spinach slightly chunky. Serve into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of yoghurt, a spoonful of infused ghee, fried mustard seeds and crispy curry leaves. 
Back to top