The best thing about the monsoon season is, as I feel personally, having hot soups as they give warmth and prevent me from monsoon ailments, boosting the immunity. Use of some whole spices and aromatics add some medicinal property and above all, they take its flavours to another level
In fact, lentils or dals are integtal part of our cuisene and we use them in some or the other way. Our day to day menu does not complete without lentils.Generally I cook soups out of different seasonal veggies but making a soup with lentils is another experience. In that way I can use this staple in my diet. The best thing is that it does not require peeling or chopping as veggie soups do!!
I like to cook soup out of yellow or green moong dal.The green or whole moong dal is the healthiest one and often called storehouse of protein. If you are following a weight loss programme, this is for you!A tadka of roasted garlic in ghee makes it more relishable and aromatic.I prefer ghee for tadka as the ghee if taken in moderation is beneficial than refined cooking oils.It contains plenty of omega-3 fatty acids along with Vitamin A.
related recipes
Floating egg white on tomato soup
Black Chana Soup or chana shorba
On to the recipe
Course – Soups/Appetizers
Cuisine – Indian
Prep Time – 30 Min
Cook Time – 30 Min
Total Time – 60 Min
Yield – 5 Servings
Author – Bharti Dhawan
Ingredients
1 – Green moong or whole moong dal/lentil – 1 cup or 200 gms (soak for 30 minutes)
2 – Water – 5 cups or 1 lt.
3 – Cooking oil or ghee – 1 tbsp
4 – Chopped ginger – 1 inch piece
5 – Chopped tomatoes – 1/4 cups
6 – Salt – 2 tsp or to taste
7 – Black pepper corns – 2 tsp or to taste
8 – Bay leaves – 2 nos.
9 – Cloves – 2-4 nos.
10 – Cinnamon stick – 1 no(1 inch stick)
Ingredients For Tadka
1 – Ghee – 1 tbsp
2 – Chopped garlic – 1 tsp
3 – Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
4 – Heeng/asefotida powder(optional) – 1 tsp
Instructions
1 – Heat ghee or oil and add all the whole spices and chopped ginger and cook them for a while.Be careful and avoid burning
2 – Add turmeric powder and chopped tomatoes and cook for a while
3 – Add water, salt and soaked dal. Close the lid and pressure cook at low flame for 15 minutes or till 5-6 whistles
4 – When cooked, switch off the gas and let the pressure cooker cool down completely
5 – When cooled, blend cooked dal into purée. Strain this to get the fine puree.This puree has aromas of whole spices
6 – Transfer this puree to the pan and prepare for tadka
Instructions for tadka
1 – Heat 1 tsp ghee and add chopped garlic
2 – Now add heeng/aesfotida powder and let it brown
3 – Add cumin seeds and let it crackle
4 – Add red chilly powder and pour this tadka over ready dal soup
5 – Garnish moong dal soup with some moong sprouts and fresh coriander leaves
