Indian Soup (Dal)
6 servings
45 minutes
Indian Dal soup is the soul of Indian cuisine, a simple yet incredibly aromatic dish. Its roots go back centuries when Bedouins and peasants prepared nutritious meals from available ingredients. The base of the soup is mung beans, which turn into a creamy puree when cooked. Fragrant spices—cumin, mustard, curry, asafoetida, and garam masala—give the soup a rich flavor with warm, spicy notes. Ginger adds a slight heat while fresh cilantro provides refreshing greenery. Dal is not just a soup; it's a true embrace of comfort: it warms you up, fills you up and gives a sense of coziness. It is served with rice or flatbreads to enjoy the richness of flavor. This soup is an ideal choice for those seeking harmony and comfort in food.
1
Soak the mung beans overnight or at least for a couple of hours. Rinse before cooking, add 4 cups of water, and boil on medium heat for 30 minutes. Then add more water and cook until the beans turn into a puree.
- Mung beans: 200 g
- Water: 6 glasss
2
Before adding the second portion of water to the mung beans, finely chop the ginger and cilantro.
- Ginger: 2 tablespoons
- Fresh cilantro (coriander): 1 bunch
3
While the beans are cooking, heat a small pan, melt 2 tablespoons of ghee, add cumin and mustard seeds (you can also add fennel, ajwain, or fenugreek), and when the seeds start to crackle, add finely chopped ginger, curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric, and garam masala. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Clarified butter (ghee): 2 tablespoons
- Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
- Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
- Asafoetida (hing): pinch
- Curry leaves: 7 pieces
- Turmeric: 1 teaspoon
- Garam masala: 0.4 teaspoon
4
Pour the contents of the pan into the pot, add cilantro greens, and turn off the heat after a minute. Cover with a lid, and after 5 minutes it will be ready to serve.
- Fresh cilantro (coriander): 1 bunch