LAL SHIMLA MIRCH AUR TAMATAR KA SOUP
A very nutritious and delicious soup. If you leave out the cream, it is vegan.
As stock, I use the broth from cooking a dal, a trick commonly used in South India. In that area the leftover dal is used to make a curry (sambar), but I have used it later to make a risotto (see this page).
SERVES 6
• 1 cup moong dal (skinned and split mung beans)
• 4 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
• 1 medium onion (about 5 oz), peeled and chopped
• One 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 lbs red peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
• ½ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon nice red chili powder
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 10 oz in all), chopped
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
1. Wash the dal in several changes of water. Drain. Put in a pan with 12 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover partially, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes. Scoop off and reserve 5 cups of the liquid from the top of the pot. Discard the dal solids or use them to make a risotto.
2. Put the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions, ginger, red peppers, and fennel seeds. Stir and fry for 5–6 minutes or until the vegetables just start to brown. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and tomatoes. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Now add 2 cups of the reserved liquid and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool a little, then blend the soup and strain it through a coarse strainer.
3. Return the soup to the empty pan. Add the salt, 2 cups more of the reserved liquid, and the cream (if using). Stir to mix and see if the thickness is what you want. You can thin the soup further with some of the remaining liquid. Reheat, stirring, when you are ready to eat.
