Indian Spiced Chilled Minted Pea Soup

• Chilled Minted Pea Soup, adapted from Daniel Patterson of Coi, San Francisco
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 cups shelled fresh or frozen green peas, plus extra for garnish
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Indian Spiced Oil for garnish (recipe follows)
• Indian Spiced Oil, not used in the original version at Coi
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 quarter sized slices fresh ginger root, slightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 2 Thai green or Serrano chilies, minced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the buttermilk to a simmer and add 4 cups of peas and a large pinch of salt. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring often so that the buttermilk does not boil over. The peas should not be fully cooked, just under al dente.
2. Transfer the peas and liquid immediately to a blender with the mint leaves and, starting on low speed, carefully blend (holding the lid on firmly with a dishcloth), working up to high speed for 60 seconds.
3. In order to preserve the vibrant color and flavor of the peas, the soup must be cooled immediately. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then rest the bowl inside a larger bowl full of ice water. Stir continuously until cool, tasting occasionally; you will notice that the soup becomes sweeter as it cools. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate until cold.
4. To serve, ladle soup into bowls, shot glasses or Moroccan tea glasses, as I used here. Use a squeeze bottle to swirl a stream of the herb-infused oil on the top, and garnish with fresh peas, a sprig of mint and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Heat a frying pan over medium flame. When warm, add in cumin seeds and lightly toast for a few seconds until aromatic, being careful not to burn them. Remove toasted seeds from pan.
6. Add olive oil to the pan, and heat over medium flame.
7. Add garlic, ginger, onion, chiles and cilantro, and saute for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.
8. Remove from heat, and allow the oil mixture to sit for at least an hour to allow flavors to infuse.
9. Strain infused oil. Add the toasted cumin seeds to the strained oil and transfer the oil and cumin mixture to a bottle with a squeeze tip. Use to garnish soup as above.

pea soup, buttermilk, green peas, mint, salt, freshly ground black pepper, oil, olive oil, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger root, onion, serrano chilies, cilantro

Taken from food52.com/recipes/18048-indian-spiced-chilled-minted-pea-soup (may not work)