Daal Shorba (Smooth Red Lentil Soup with Ginger, Cumin and Lemon)
A thin, silky soup of red and yellow lentils blended with ginger, tomato and carrot, then finished with a sizzling cumin and garlic ghee. Good on a cold evening with bread on the side.
Ingredients
Equipment: Medium heavy-bottomed pot with lid, immersion blender (or countertop blender), small frying pan for the tarka
Method
Rinse both daals in a bowl of cold water, swirling and draining, until the water runs almost clear. Drain well.
Put the daals, water, onion, tomatoes, carrot, ginger, crushed garlic, turmeric, chilli powder and salt in the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off any white foam.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir now and then. The daal is ready when it has collapsed and the carrot squashes easily against the side of the pot.
Take the pot off the heat and blend the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth. If using a countertop blender, let it cool a few minutes and blend in batches with the lid vented.
Return to low heat and stir in the garam masala and black pepper. Add a little hot water if the soup is thicker than single cream. Simmer for 5 minutes and taste for salt.
Make the tarka: heat the ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10 seconds, then add the sliced garlic and dried chillies.
Cook for about 1 minute, stirring, until the garlic is golden but not dark brown. Take it off the heat straight away, as burnt garlic turns bitter.
Turn off the soup, stir in the lemon juice, then pour the sizzling tarka over the top. Scatter with coriander and serve hot.
Cooking tips
- Blend until very smooth for a true shorba texture. For a more rustic bowl, blend only half and stir it back in.
- Red lentils cook fast and settle at the bottom, so stir from the base of the pot every few minutes to stop them catching.
- Add the lemon juice off the heat so it stays bright and fresh.
- The soup thickens as it stands. Loosen it with hot water rather than cold, so the flavour stays even.
Substitutions
- Use all masoor daal if you don't have moong daal; the soup will be slightly thinner and cook a few minutes faster.
- Replace ghee with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil for a dairy-free tarka.
- Swap the carrot for a small peeled potato or a piece of pumpkin for a sweeter, thicker soup.
- Use lime instead of lemon, or a teaspoon of tamarind paste for a tangier finish.
Serve with
"Serve in deep bowls with toasted bread, chapati or plain naan for dipping. A small bowl of sliced green chillies, extra lemon wedges and a simple kachumber salad go well alongside."
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It also freezes well without the tarka for up to 2 months.
Reheating
Warm gently in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring often and adding a splash of water to loosen it. Bring to a steaming simmer and make a fresh tarka to pour on top if you like.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
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