Ramadhan Recipe 1: Zespri Kiwifruit & Prawn Tom Yum Soup

First of all, we would like to wish all our Muslim readers "Selamat Berpuasa" in this holy Ramadhan month. In conjunction with this, I've sought the permission from Zespri Malaysia to publish this set of recipes that Rohani Jelani had developed for this year. I've helped her out during the testing and photo shoot for these recipes developed specially for breaking of fast.

With that in mind, these recipes can be done in a jiffy ensuring that meals can be prepared and cooked without spending too much time in the kitchen after a long day at work. It is also to ensure one can fully enjoy the Vitamin C & E and nutrients such as folate, potassium and etc in the Zespri Kiwifruits after a day of fasting. Do check out the healthy information and contents of Zespri Kiwifruits in their website: http://www.zespri.com.my/.

Before I post up the recipe here, many complained that the green kiwifruits that they buy were just too sour or they do not know how to choose green kiwifruits. Since I was involved with Zespri's campaign, we were taught how to identify a ripe kiwifruit. As we know, Zespri Kiwifruits are sold in plastic containers to prevent them from being squashed. All you need to do is, open up the container and use your eyes to judge that the fruits are all nice without any blemished or squashed sign. Try not to poke or squeeze them as you wouldn't like other people to do the same to your fruits that you would want to purchase.

Once you're back home, open the container and place one kiwifruit on your palm. While cradling it, using gentle pressure, press the kiwifruit with your fingers. If they're rock hard, means it's not ripe yet. For the green kiwifruits, this stage would be suitable for salads or cooking as they could be hard and sour. As for the Gold and Sungold (a new variety this year which is sweet with a slight tang), it's still not suitable for eating yet.

If the kiwifruit is slightly soft, you could eat them but if kept for another day or two, you'll be able to taste the sweetness even though if it's a green kiwifruit but if they're Gold or Sungold, go for it!

To ripen kiwifruits, all you need to do is place them together with apples or bananas in a cool dry place (or in the fridge) and they'll ripen hastily. You would be surprised that in our Malaysian weather, read hot and humid, when left with bananas and apples, the ripening process is not as quick we thought it would be! Yup, tried and tested in the kitchen :D

So now that you know how to pick a kiwifruit and how to ripen them, go grab a few packs of them and start with these recipes. Lots of promotional price in the supermarkets I can see as the season has just started!

To start off, the first in the series is this ever popular Zespri Kiwifruit & Prawn Tom Yum Soup. Forget about using instant tom yum paste as it's soo sooo easy and quick to prepare a fresh tom yum soup. What more when it's packed with an unexpected ingredient like Green Kiwifruits!

Click on the recipe card above to view a larger version on my flickr album

Have a blessed Ramadhan filled with lots of kiwifruits nutrition ;-)