Dal — Spiced Indian Lentil Soup
A warming Indian red lentil soup tempered with cumin, turmeric, coriander, and ginger — finished with a sizzling spiced ghee pour. One of the most comforting and nourishing dishes in Indian home cooking. Serve with warm chapati or basmati rice.
Ingredients
- 150 gred lentils
- 800 mlwater
- 1 tomato
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tspfresh ginger
- 1 tspturmeric
- 1 tspground coriander
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- 0.25 tspground chili
- 1 tbspvegetable oil or ghee
- salt to taste
- fresh cilantro for serving
- lemon or lime wedges for serving
Method
- Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. Cook in a pot with turmeric and water for 15-20 minutes until soft. Season with salt toward the end.
- In a small skillet, heat oil or ghee. Add cumin seeds and fry until they start to pop. Add onion, garlic, and ginger — cook until golden and soft. Add coriander, chili, and tomato. Cook until fragrant and the tomato breaks down.
- Pour the spiced mixture into the lentils and stir to combine. Add water for desired consistency. Simmer 2-3 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, and serve with a lime wedge and warm chapati or rice.
FAQ
Red lentils (masoor dal) cook fastest and break down into a creamy texture — ideal for soup. Yellow lentils or chickpeas can substitute but will need more cooking time.
Tempering spices in hot fat releases their essential oils and dramatically intensifies the aroma. Without this step dal tastes flat. It is the most important technique in the dish.
Regular butter or neutral vegetable oil work well. Coconut oil adds a subtle sweetness that also works nicely in dal.
Dal thickens as it cools — add water when reheating as needed. For a thicker soup cook uncovered longer. For a creamy texture mash some lentils with a spoon or use an immersion blender.
Classically served with warm chapati or basmati rice. For extra protein add a boiled egg or fried chickpeas. A squeeze of lime at the table is essential — it brightens all the flavors.
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Comments (2)
Дал — это не просто варёная чечевица. Это чечевица с тадкой — обжаренными в масле специями, которые вливаются в готовое блюдо в самом конце. Без тадки дал — это каша для больных. С тадкой — это блюдо, ради которого стоит жить. Кумин и чеснок обжариваются до золотистого цвета за 30 секунд, не прозевайте.
Start with cold water for dal — spiced indian lentil soup. Adding red lentils to cold water and bringing it up slowly extracts far more flavor than dumping ingredients into a rolling boil. The difference in depth is significant.