Invite your friends over this Sunday for a long, elaborate luncheon.Chef Manindra J Singh helps you put out the perfect spread

Mushroom And Beancurd Soup

Serves: Four
Time required: 15 minutes

15 g button mushrooms, sliced
20 g bean curd (tofu), cubed
a few drops cooking oil
10 g garlic
5 g green chillies, finely chopped
2 cups vegetable stock (see box)
salt to taste
sugar to taste
20 g corn flour
5 g coriander leaves, finely chopped

Heat some oil in a wok and add the garlic and green chillies and sauté for two minutes. Add the vegetable stock, mushrooms and bean curd, and bring to a boil. Check seasoning and remove the scum. Thicken the broth with the corn flour.
Garnish with the chopped coriander. Serve hot.
You can also add broccoli and baby corn if you want more vegetables in the soup.

Sour Chicken And Sweet Vegetables

Serves: Four
Time required: 15 minutes

200 g boneless chicken, diced
1 egg yolk
salt and sugar as required
25 g corn flour
oil to fry
1 cup chicken stock (See box)
50 g tomato ketchup
10 ml lime cordial
10 ml Chinese wine vinegar or plain vinegar
20 g tomatoes, diced
20 g carrots, diced
20 g cucumber, diced
20 g pineapple slices, diced
sugar to taste

Mix together the salt, sugar, egg yolk and corn flour and marinate the chicken pieces in it for 20 minutes. Heat some oil in a pan and deep-fry the marinated pieces. Set aside.
Heat the chicken stock in a wok, add the tomato ketchup, lime cordial, Chinese wine vinegar, a little sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil, remove the scum and add the fried chicken pieces, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber and pineapple.You can thicken the broth with a little corn flour, if required.

Toss well and serve hot.