Red Lentil Soup or Daal in 11 Steps

One of the fondest memories I have from our trip to Turkey is being welcomed with a warm bowl of red lentil soup as soon as we would sit down to eat in a restaurant, in Istanbul. It was such an unexpected delicious surprise. Sipping warm soup, while deciding which gastronomic Turkish delight (no pun intended) to eat.  Here is my twist on a Daal recipe with a few remnants of Turkish influence.

Ingredients:

1 cup of red lentils (washed and drained)
4 cups of filtered water (The chlorine in tap water kills the wild yeast, hence compromising the texture of the lentils)
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
1 teaspoon of coriander powder
1 teaspoon of turmeric
2 tablespoons of ghee or oil (available at Trader Joe's)
4 cloves of garlic (sliced crosswise)
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
4 medium sized tomatoes (cut into quarters)
1/4 cup of cilantro (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon of amchoor (mango) powder (available at South Asian grocery stores)
1/2 teaspoon of chaat masala (available at South Asian grocery stores)
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
1 teaspoon of salt

Step 1: In a saucepan, over high heat, bring a cup of red lentils, 4 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, coriander powder, and turmeric to a boil.

Step 2: Reduce the heat, cover, and cook on low heat for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

Step 3: In the meanwhile, chop the tomatoes, garlic and cilantro.

Step 4: In a hot pan, over medium-high heat, add the ghee or oil.

Step 5: Add the sliced garlic to the frying pan.

Step 6: Once the garlic has a golden hue, add the cumin seeds and wait for them to pop.

Step 7: Add the tomatoes and cilantro. Add the amchoor powder, chaat masala, cayenne, and salt.

Step 9: The tomatoes will release their water. Wait for the oil to separate.

Step 10: Add the tomato mixture into the saucepan containing the red lentils. To achieve the soup consistency, I blend the daal in the Vitamix, which results in a silky smooth and homogeneous texture.

Step 11: After blending the daal in the Vitamix, transfer it back into the saucepan and let it reduce.

Enjoy the delicious red lentil soup on a hot or cold day, with rice, roti, focaccia, quinoa, or on its own. The world is your oyster, my friend :).