Yes, please, always Indian cuisine. An Indian meal tonight? Yes. Indian lentil soup with your quick weekday takeout order? Of course, that’s the case. Nearby, you’ll find a restaurant that serves Indian cuisine for lunch, and its tacky banner boasts a selection of 21 different dishes. YEAH!
Anyone else out there who enjoys Indian cuisine knows that it’s not cheap. Lamb vindaloo may cost as much as $15-$20, so it’s not the most budget-friendly dish to obsess over and crave on a regular basis.
Now we may discuss the topic of today’s post: the lowly (and cheap) lentil. Particularly as it is used in Dal Shorva, an Indian lentil soup. Dal shorva that is done well, in my opinion, is slightly thick, bright yellow with plenty of turmerics, intensely spiced with cumin, garam masala, mustard seeds, chile, and coriander, and extremely incredibly garlicky.
Is there a better, more affordable way to quench your need for Indian food than this? Especially when paired with some warm, garlicky naan. Not likely, in my opinion. This is a pretty good approximation of some absolutely awesome lentil soup I had at an Indian restaurant in New York City, and I arrived at it after searching the internet for a recipe.
Spicy, garlicky, warm, and comforting, this Indian Lentil Soup is a must-try. It has a lot of flavors, and I even came out with a simple approach to improve the taste of store-bought naan.
Foodies with a penchant for Indian cuisine— Put this together. Soup. You may satisfy your Indian food cravings without splurging on lavish lunch buffets and fragrant curries.
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE SOUP:
- 8 cloves of minced garlic
- 3 curry leaves
- 2 finely chopped jalapenos
- 5-6 cups of water
- 4 cups of chicken stock
- 3 cups of petite yellow or red lentils
- 1 cup of diced onion
- ½ cup of tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 teaspoons of minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of ground fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon of garam masala
- ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds
- ¾ teaspoon of cumin
- ½ teaspoon of chili powder
FOR THE NAAN:
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro
- Store-bought naan
- Softened butter
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Lentils should be washed well (there may be a few small clods of dirt or particles) and then drained. A large pot, lentils, water, chicken stock, and curry leaves. Prepare to wait 20 minutes while the water boils.
- During that time, chop the onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos. Get out a mortar and pestle and finely ground the coriander and mustard seeds.
- After the 20 minutes are up, melt the oil and butter together in a pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in some ground mustard and coriander. Cook on low heat for a minute. Then, put the ginger into the pan and let it slowly cook.
- Throw in some onions, and simmer them down until they turn translucent. Add the garlic, jalapenos, and the remainder of the spices when the onions have become translucent.
- Stirring constantly, sauté the mixture for a few minutes. Then, stir in the pureed tomatoes. Wait 1-2 minutes and check again.
- Sprinkle a little salt over the onion mixture and add it all to the soup. Give it a good stir and keep it on the stove for another 10 to 20 minutes. Additional salt to taste, and naan on the side!
- Take one pre-made naan, spread it with some melted butter, and then top it with minced garlic and chopped cilantro for quick and easy garlic naan. Toast under the broiler until the garlic is golden and the bread is crisp. Spread it with a bit of extra melted butter once removed from the oven.
- You can store leftovers of this soup in the fridge rather easily. If you need to thin it out before reheating, feel free to add more water.