Toor Dal Soup

This is another recipe adapted from Mysore Style Cooking by V Sandhya. Such an elegant and informative book that is essential for cooks wishing to learn more about South Indian cuisine. As I enjoy toor dal and soup, I decided to make Sandhya's Soup. She tells us that it is particularly good for babies and children as it is easy to digest. You may wish to omit the hot peppers. It is also easy to prepare and delicious. Adjust the amount of water to achieve your desired consistency. I opted for a thicker version.

Toor Dal Soup

1 cup of toor dal, well rinsed
1 teaspoon of ghee, butter or oil
2-3 hot green chilies
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons of tamarind paste
1 small tomato

For the tempering:

1 tablespoon of ghee or oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
a generous handful of curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon of asafetida

a handful of fresh coriander leaves

Wash the toor dal well in a strainer. Transfer to a medium pot along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the dal is tender - roughly 30 minutes. Puree the beans in a food processor or with an electric hand blender. Stir in the tomato, hot peppers, tamarind paste, cumin seeds, a pinch or two of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add a few more cups of water and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.

For the tempering, heat some ghee or oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and stir and fry until they turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Toss in the curry leaves and asafetida, stir for a few seconds and then transfer to the soup. Cover and let sit for another 10 minutes. Stir in the coriander leaves.

Serves 4.

More toor dal recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Toor Dal Palak
Toor Dal and Green Bean and Pea Poriyal
Roasted Toor Dal and Coconut Chutney
Tarka Dal

On the top of the reading stack: Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes From London's Ottolenghi

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