Tadka Dal — Indian lentils soup

Why this soup is worth trying?

Ingredients

Instructions

It works wonders for my diabetes: it's low in carbs, high in proteins, lots of micronutrients, low in calories, and is very filling.

This dish is from my culinary journal.

• Red lentils, 1 cup
• Onion, 1 (small)
• Garlic, 2 small cloves
• Cumin seeds, 0.5 tsp
• Turmeric, 0.25 tsp
• Fennel seeds, 0.5 tsp
• Fresh ginger, 1 cm
• Chili powder/flakes, 0.5 tsp
• Canned tomatoes, 100-150g
• Butter (or ghee), 1 tbsp
• Vegetable oil, 1-2 tbsp
• Cilantro, 15g

1. Rinse the lentils and soak for 10 minutes.
2. Transfer them to a pot, add three cups of water, 0.5 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp turmeric. Cook the lentils over medium heat for 20-25 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, let's prepare the Tadka.

Tadka is a method of cooking spices in ghee. Ghee can be substituted with regular butter, and in this recipe, I've reduced the amount of saturated fats by replacing some of the butter with vegetable oil.

1. In a heated saucepan, add 1 tbsp of butter and a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add cumin seeds.
2. Finely chop the ginger and garlic and add them to the saucepan with the cumin.
3. Add the chopped onion to the saucepan and cook until golden.
4. Reduce the heat in the saucepan and add chili powder, tomatoes, and salt.
5. Once the lentils are cooked, divide them into two parts. Blend half of the portion in a blender and return it to the pot with the unblended half.
6. Add half of the sautéed spices to the soup and mix well.
7. Add water and salt to the soup if necessary. The texture should be like a slightly thin puree soup.
8. Cook the soup for a few more minutes.

When serving, sprinkle with cilantro and add a spoonful of the remaining tadka to each bowl.