South Indian Hot Toordal Soup with vegetables

•1¼ C toor dal

•5-7 C water

•½ Tsp turmeric powder

•1½ inch ball of dried tamarind pulp

•1 C hot water

•2 Tsp ghee/oil

•1½ Tsp black mustard seeds

•¼ Tsp yellow asafetida powder

•1 green chili chopped

•2 dried red chilies broken in halves

•1 Tbsp ginger, finely grated

•9-10 fresh curry leaves

•½ Tsp fenugreek seeds

•1 C carrot cut into slices

•1 C green beans cut into 1-inch pieces

•1½ C bell pepper (capsicum), diced into ¾-inch cubes

•1 big potato, boiled and cut into chunks

•1 tomato chopped

•2 Tsp sambar masala

•2 Tsp salt

•¾ Tsp brown sugar or jaggery

•2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

1.Wash, rinse and drain the dal. Place the toor dal, 7 cups of water and turmeric in a saucepan over moderate heat. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, cook until the dal is broken down and soft. Using a whisk, blend the dal to a smooth consistency. Or alternately pressure cook the dal with 5 cups of water until smooth. Remove and set aside to let the pressure drop by itself.

2.Soak the tamarind in hot water for 20 minutes. Squeeze to extract the tamarind puree. Keep aside.

3.Now, heat the ghee/oil in a saucepan over moderately high heat. Add the mustard seeds, fry until they splutter and then sprinkle the asafetida powder, drop the chilies, add the ginger and curry leaves. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the fenugreek seeds and quickly add all the vegetables and sambar masala. Stir fry the vegetables with the spices for a couple of minutes.

4.Pour the tamarind puree, add 2 cups of water, salt, sugar and let it boil for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

5.Add the cooked dal, coriander leaves and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Serve hot with plain boiled rice, or South Indian favorites like idlis and dosas.

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