Lehsuni Daal | Indian Lentil soup with garlic

Hey all. I hope you had a great Easter break like I did. Here in the UK, this is the only time we get a 4 day long national holiday so this one was something everyone was looking forward to. But  obviously our weather was not. It had different plans of becoming all dark and dreary over the long weekend and the moment people picked up the cars to get back to their homes, Mr. Sun started shining again. Its been bright and sunny since the time we crossed the borders of Peak District. Damn you Sun! 

To give you a gist of the trip, we went to the Peak District which is a nice hilly area towards the Midlands in the UK. It is literally based on the “peak” of the UK i.e. it is on quite a height. Which allows us to catch some really nice views from the top. The roads as usually are narrow and bendy, making driving not as painless as it usually is. But then the stopovers make it all worthwhile. 

We stayed in a beautiful country park called “Darwin Country park”, in a cosy little wooden cottage. The resort had a warm and peaceful “feel” within which was very calming. They had small walks inside the premises, especially for the kids. Here are a few pictures from the area. 

The first day we drove to see a famous waterfall which was also the nearest one from our cottage. Apparently that was supposed to be the highest one in the area. Unfortunately, not the most beautiful ones I have seen here. It was tiny stream of river falling across rocks. And that’s it. I hope people who rate these waterfalls in the UK visit India to see the giants falls in the valleys of North and South parts. I am not being cocky here.. just saying. 🙂 

Anyway, the next stop was Matlock which is a quaint little town specially for Tourists. We hopped from one café to another in search of anything else other than fish and chips. Even a bowl of soup would have done the job. But we could get a place to accommodate 14 odd people AND serve food as well. So that was a bit setback, and we couldn’t go for the rope-way we were hoping to climb on. Its quite famous one which takes you towards Heights of Abraham. Nevertheless, the day ended on a good note with some home-made ( cottage-made, I meant) Dal-rice meal. 

 So that was our first day at peak District, pretty good with some ups and downs. I will continue the story in my next post. Till then, lets have a quick look at the recipe for today. 

 

Lehsuni Daal a.k.a lentil cooked with garlic is one of my favourite soup/stew whatever you would like to call it. I usually make it combining two varieties of lentils – yellow Moong and red lentils.  I like the combination and also these are the daals that can be made quickly. They have small grains which get cooked fairly quickly and are easy on palate. These two  lentils get digested easily, and hence are considered good for sickness and elderly as well. 

As you would have guessed by now, I adore garlic. Despite the fact  that my Mum is a Jain, and never used to put garlic in our meals. Maybe I got it from Dad’s Punjabi genes. Whatever! I love the root and try to include it in every meal I cook. 

Health benefits of garlic are immense. Apart from preventing from coon cold and strengthen your immune system; this wonder herb helps in reducing bad Cholesterol and blood pressure. And though  its good with every other vegetable, I particularly like the aroma and taste in my lentil curries a.k.a  Daals. 

More Garlic recipes – Methi Matar Pulao | Vegan cream of Mushroom soup | Roasted garlic and cucumber raita 

Usually when I prepare lentil curries, I make them Punjabi style with a heavy tempering (tadka) made of tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies Plus a few spices. Its delicious, but still heavy on stomach. So when I am craving for something light I go for this Lehsuni Daal. Its such a simple lentil soup which can be made in a jiffy and is still very filling. I usually prepare it once or twice every week for dinner and either have it with a chapati or plain boiled rice. Mostly I simply have it as soup with some simple salad aside. 

More Dal (Indian lentil curry) recipes– Paalak daal (lentil with spinach) |  Gujarati daal (sweet & sour lentil soup) | Urad daal (split gram soup) | Maharashtrial Usal (Sprouted lentils curry) | Punjabi Daal makhani (Black gram curry)

I have added black pepper instead of red chili powder in  this recipe which enhances the warming properties when mixed with turmeric. And is also good for digestion. Some dried red chili flakes on top balances out the spice factor well. 

Note that its important to soak  all lentils before cooking so as to improve their digestibility, and also saves gas since it takes lesser time for them to cook. These two lentils are the lightest ones so I soak them for only  half an hour. 

 

What you need?

• ½ cup red lentils (laal masoor ki daal)
• ½ cup yellow moong lentil (peeli mung dal)
• 3 cups of water
• 4-6 garlic pods, minced or chopped small
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp red chili flakes or 1-2 dried red chillies 
• ½ tsp crushed black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 
• 1 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter) OR Mustard/coconut oil for cooking
• A handful of fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

How to make?

Start with rinsing the lentils well and then soak for about half an hour. Drain that water and transfer to a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water ** If you are using a pan instead of an Indian pressure cooker vessel, check notes out for alternative. 

Add 1 tsp salt and turmeric to the cooker, and cook the lentils for 3 whistles. Open up when all the pressure is released.  

Start with rinsing the lentils well and then soak for about half an hour. Drain that water and transfer to a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water ** If you are using a pan instead of an Indian pressure cooker vessel, check notes out for alternative. 

Add 1 tsp salt and turmeric to the cooker, and cook the lentils for 3 whistles. Open up when all the pressure is released. Stir with a ladle to make the consistency even . 

Now, prepare the tempering (tadka/waghar/chaunk) in a small pan. Heat Oil/ghee and throw in cumin seeds. Once they start sizzling, add in the chopped/minced garlic and fry for half a minute. Add in a pinch of salt, red chili flakes and black pepper, give a mix. Turn off the flame. 

Pour this tadka into the cooked daal and stir to combine it well. Check seasoning and sprinkle fresh cilantro on top. Serve hot with plain boiled rice or Chapati (Indian flatbread)  

 

Notes:

You will get dried red chilies from any Indian grocery store, or the World food section of the supermarket.

If you are cooking in a pan instead of pressure cooker – Soak daals together for an hour. Rinse and drain. Then take 5 cups of water and cook lentils with salt and turmeric (as stated above) for 45-50 minutes. Keep stirring in between, and keep the flame medium. Follow the rest of the procedure as stated above.

Adding black pepper is though optional, it gives a nice punch to the otherwise bland daal. You may also use green chilies and red chili powder as per your taste and preference.

You may have this daal as a Lentil soup, and play with the herbs as toppings. You may go for some mint, basil and even parsley if you wish. Cilantro gives the best flavour to any Lentil soup though

If you want a rather rich curry like lentil preparation than a soup-y one .. go for this

Restaurant style Daal Tadka (lentil with spicy tempering)

Another light Moong daal preparation is this

Moong daal Khichdi,

which is considered to be a complete and balanced meal specially for elderly and sick.