There are as many varieties of dal (the nourishing lentil soup) as there are towns and villages in India. Our recipe is inspired by the one served at Kasa Indian Eatery, just down the street from the Market. It gets a dose of butter, which makes the soup incredibly rich in flavor, and pureeing half gives it extra creaminess. This recipe can easily be doubled.
Recipe information
Yield
MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse the lentils and pick out any stones or foreign objects. Put in a bowl, add water to cover by 1 inch, and soak overnight, changing the water a couple of times in the process.
Step 2
Drain the lentils and put in a medium saucepan with the bay leaf and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook, skimming the scum periodically, until the lentils are very tender and starting to disintegrate, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Step 3
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add the cumin seeds; when fragrant (about 1 minute), add the onion, garlic, chile, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato and another 1 teaspoon salt and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.
Step 4
Add the tomato-onion mixture to the lentils and return to a simmer. Cover the pot partially, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 1 hour to blend the flavors. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Carefully puree half of the dal in a blender (working in batches, if necessary) and add it back to the pot.
Step 5
If the dal is runnier than you like, continue to simmer uncovered until it reaches the desired consistency. Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and season with more lemon juice or salt if necessary.
NOTE
Step 6
Indian black lentils are more traditional, but the beluga variety we use are a little easier to find. You can, of course, use Indian black lentils instead, adjusting the cooking times as necessary. If tomatoes are not in season, you can certainly use canned. For the best flavor, get the whole canned ones, and seed and chop them yourself. You’ll need about 1 cup chopped tomatoes.
