East Indian Lentil Soup (Dal Shorva)

Ingredients

• 3 tsps olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp whole fresh ground cardamom
• 1 tsp whole fresh ground cumin
• 2 tsps mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 lemon yields lemon juice
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 cups red lentils

Directions

1. Rinse the beans or lentils.
2. Bring to a boil with the stock, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, cardamom and curry/bay leaves.
3. Let simmer until the beans or lentils are very soft (about 30 minutes). If using bay leaves, remove them now. Curry leaves can be left in the soup. Mix the soup slightly to a not too smooth consistency (or mash the lentils/beans with a ladle).
4. Sauté the garlic and mustard seeds lightly in the fat and add to the soup. Let simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Stir in fresh squeezed lemon juice, and serve.
6. Note: The flavor is a lot better using fresh whole cardamom and cumin and grinding just before use. This slightly modified recipe stems from Mumtaz Khan at Mumtaz Paan House in Bradford, England. Mung beans is the exquisite choice, but red or yellow lentils also make a delicious result (green lentils are not recommended). The chicken stock can be replaced with vegetable stock for a vegetarian variety.
7. Note: based on a recipe from Recipezaar.