Corn soup is popular in Dharamsala, served with slight variations at many of the cafés and restaurants that cater to travelers in this colorful mountain town that is the heart of the Tibet community in exile.

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, chopped

• 1 tablespoon butter (or use oil if preferred)

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1/2 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped

• 1 tomato, chopped

• 1 square (12 oz.) firm tofu

• 3 cobs fresh corn and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 
       or one 15-oz. can creamed corn and 1/2 cup frozen 
       (or canned) whole kernel corn, drained

• 4 cups water

• 1 green onion, chopped

Method

1. Sauté the onion in butter or oil in a soup pot until brown and soft.

2. Add the paprika, garlic, and ginger and cook briefly.

3. Add the tomato and the tofu, cut into small cubes, along with the water.

4. If using fresh corn, cut it from the cob and add it to the pot, along with the cornstarch mixed in a little extra water. If using canned and/or frozen corn, add them both now.

5. Bring to a boil, and simmer for a minute, stirring to prevent sticking.

6. Sprinkle chopped green onion on each serving.

This recipe is excerpted from "The Lhasa Moon Tibetan Cookbook", ©1999, by Tsering Wangmo and Zara Houshmand. The cookbook offers the Lhasa Moon Restaurant's most popular Tibetan dishes, with a unique mix of Asian influences and Tibetan regional ones -- cuisine which delights vegetarians and meat lovers alive. Reprinted with permission from the publisher, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, NY. http://snowlionpub.com.
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About The Authors

TSERING WANGMO, owner of Lhasa Moon (a Tibetan restaurant in San Francisco), is also a famous Tibetan actress, singer, and dancer. She is a founding member of Chakasam-pa Tibetan opera troupe in San Francisco.