Soup: Tarka dal
2 December 2020 11:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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gluten_freeTarka dal or lentil soup with fried spices is what I'm eating this week as a change from US-typical holiday leftovers. It's deliciously warm and comforting, and with a grain-based accompaniment makes a filling vegetarian (optionally vegan) meal, ready in about 45 minutes, mostly unattended. The recipe is very forgiving of substitutions and quantity adjustments, so consider these an approximate suggestion and feel free to adapt to your taste or what you have available.
Ingredients:
Red lentils (~2 cups for 4 generous servings; brown lentils or mix of brown lentils and yellow split peas also work)
Water + salt to taste, and/or veg or chicken broth (2-3 cups per cup of dry lentils used, depending how thick you like your soup)
Clarified butter/ghee, or light olive oil or other mild veg oil, or butter (1-3tbs)
Onion (yellow or white, to make ~1/4-1/2 cup chopped, or shallot)
Garlic (~1tsp-2tbs jarred or fresh minced or paste, not dry powder)
Ginger (ditto, or use jarred prepared garlic-ginger paste)
Whole cumin seeds (~1-3tsp, preferably mix of black (kala jeera) and brown(shah jeera))
Whole mustard seeds (~1-3tsp)
whole fenugreek seeds (~1/2-1tsp)
Garam Masala (~1-2tsp powdered) plus turmeric powder (1/2 as much); or curry powder
Optionally one or more of: generous handful fresh or frozen spinach; about a cup of coarsely chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned; fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped, up to 1/2 cup.
Directions
Measure out lentils and liquid separately. Peel and chop/mince any aromatics that aren't already prepared, and have them ready. In a pot large enough to comfortably contain the amount of lentil soup you're making, heat the oil or ghee and whole spices over low-medium heat until the spices are fragrant and starting to sizzle (the mustard seeds try to pop out of the pan). Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and fry them until gently caramelized; you may need to turn the heat down to prevent burning. Pour in a bit of liquid and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the any caramelized bits that are stuck on. Add the rest of liquid, the lentils and powdered spices and simmer until the lentils are completely reconstituted and starting to lose their integrity, 30-40 minutes. If using spinach or tomatoes, add them and cook for another 5-15 minutes. If using fresh cilantro, add it just before serving.
Equally brilliant as a fully liquid soup for sipping alongside GF naan or chapati, or as a thicker stew or curry over steamed rice (I like the thicker version with a sweet-sour chutney or pickle, like Major Grey's chutney or a home-made one--recipe to follow). Just as good reheated. Store in refrigerator up to 5 days, or in the freezer for months (the texture becomes a little less creamy after freezing, but it's still good.)
Ingredients:
Red lentils (~2 cups for 4 generous servings; brown lentils or mix of brown lentils and yellow split peas also work)
Water + salt to taste, and/or veg or chicken broth (2-3 cups per cup of dry lentils used, depending how thick you like your soup)
Clarified butter/ghee, or light olive oil or other mild veg oil, or butter (1-3tbs)
Onion (yellow or white, to make ~1/4-1/2 cup chopped, or shallot)
Garlic (~1tsp-2tbs jarred or fresh minced or paste, not dry powder)
Ginger (ditto, or use jarred prepared garlic-ginger paste)
Whole cumin seeds (~1-3tsp, preferably mix of black (kala jeera) and brown(shah jeera))
Whole mustard seeds (~1-3tsp)
whole fenugreek seeds (~1/2-1tsp)
Garam Masala (~1-2tsp powdered) plus turmeric powder (1/2 as much); or curry powder
Optionally one or more of: generous handful fresh or frozen spinach; about a cup of coarsely chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned; fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped, up to 1/2 cup.
Directions
Measure out lentils and liquid separately. Peel and chop/mince any aromatics that aren't already prepared, and have them ready. In a pot large enough to comfortably contain the amount of lentil soup you're making, heat the oil or ghee and whole spices over low-medium heat until the spices are fragrant and starting to sizzle (the mustard seeds try to pop out of the pan). Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and fry them until gently caramelized; you may need to turn the heat down to prevent burning. Pour in a bit of liquid and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the any caramelized bits that are stuck on. Add the rest of liquid, the lentils and powdered spices and simmer until the lentils are completely reconstituted and starting to lose their integrity, 30-40 minutes. If using spinach or tomatoes, add them and cook for another 5-15 minutes. If using fresh cilantro, add it just before serving.
Equally brilliant as a fully liquid soup for sipping alongside GF naan or chapati, or as a thicker stew or curry over steamed rice (I like the thicker version with a sweet-sour chutney or pickle, like Major Grey's chutney or a home-made one--recipe to follow). Just as good reheated. Store in refrigerator up to 5 days, or in the freezer for months (the texture becomes a little less creamy after freezing, but it's still good.)
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Date: 2020-12-02 05:23 pm (UTC)