Spicy Indian Lentil and Tomato Soup
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 8 black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
- 3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- Kernels cut from 2 ears fresh corn, or 1 cup frozen corn
- Salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons ghee
- 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
- 1 dried red chile, broken into bits
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions:
Freshly ground spices give this simple soup a gourmet touch.
- Wash the lentils thoroughly, being sure to remove any small stones or dirt. Place them, along with the water, in the slow cooker insert.
- In an electric coffee mill or a mortar and pestle, grind the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns to a coarse powder.
- In a bowl, combine the ground spices, turmeric, tamarind concentrate, tomatoes, and garlic; add to the lentils.
- Cook, covered, on low for 5 to 6 hours, or until the lentils are quite tender and the flavors have melded.
- Add the corn and salt to taste just before serving so that the corn retains its fresh flavor and texture.
- To make the tempering oil, heat the ghee in a frying pan, then add the mustard seeds and broken chile and sauté until the seeds begin to pop. Quickly remove from the heat and drizzle a tiny bit over each bowl of soup.
- Sprinkle with the fresh cilantro and serve.