Sweetcorn chowder with crispy tortilla chips
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Fresh ingredients
1 bunch spring onions
1 bulb garlic
1 red chilli
1 bunch coriander
1 lime
Dry ingredients
1 vegetable stock cube (or 200ml fresh stock)
2 x 260g (drained weight) tins sweetcorn
1 small packet flatbread
Total cost Dh26
Method
Slice the spring onions into thin rounds, peel and finely chop two garlic cloves. De-seed and finely chop the red chilli. Make up 200ml hot stock. Drain the sweetcorn. Pick and chop the coriander leaves.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the sliced spring onion and sauté gently for three minutes, before adding the garlic and half the red chilli. Add three-fourths of the sweetcorn and warm through.
Tip the mixture into a blender and blitz to a rough paste, adding a splash or two of the hot stock if you think it is necessary. Return the mixture to the saucepan that you used earlier and gradually stir in the hot stock. Add all but two tablespoons of the remaining sweetcorn, bring the soup to the boil, then reduce the heat. Leave to simmer gently while you prepare the rest of the meal.
Slice the flatbreads into eighths. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the flatbread triangles and cook for three to four minutes, until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel to drain off the excess oil and season with salt, black pepper and a touch of chilli powder (optional, if you have it).
In a small bowl mix together the reserved sweetcorn, finely grated lime zest, a tablespoon of lime juice, the remaining chilli (optional) and the chopped coriander.
Taste to check the seasoning of the chowder, add a squeeze of lime juice and divide between two bowls. Place a spoonful of the sweetcorn mixture in the middle of each bowl and serve the flatbread chips on the side.
The 30 in 30 recipe works on the premise that you have some basic store staples - such as oil, vinegar, butter, salt and pepper - at your disposal