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Indian Mishrit Masoor ka Soup (Mixed Lentil Soup)

Course Soup
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 people
Author David of Sunset & Sewanee

Equipment

  • medium pot with lid
  • cutting board
  • chef knife
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • whisk, kitchen spoon, or ladle

Ingredients

Lentils

  • 2 cups lentils mixed, rinsed, and cleaned (Red, green, and black lentils)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 whole Chili, large, green, stemmed and split in half (Thai or Serrano)
  • 1 tbsp ginger, root(peeled) or puree, fresh
  • 1½ tsp salt, kosher, or sea

Soup Base

  • ⅓ cup oil, avocado, or neutral-tasting high-temperature oil
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds (preferably black seeds, but more common brown seeds are fine)
  • 1 tbsp mustard, black seeds
  • 1 whole onion, peeled, cored, and finely diced
  • 1 tsp coriander, ground
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • ¼ tsp cayenne, ground
  • 1-2 whole tomato, diced red heirloom, or ripe plum tomato
  • 4 tbsp butter or ghee
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tsp asafetida, powder (optional)
  • 1½ tsp Garam masala
  • 1 tsp Fenugreek, ground
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup cilantro, minced (lightly packed)

Instructions

Cook the Lentils- Stage 1

  • Rinse and clean the lentils and drain them into a colander. Place the lentils in a medium pot and fill it with water. (The water should be about 1 inch above the level of the lentils) Add the ginger root or puree, green chili, and salt to the pot. Place the lentils over medium to high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Reserve

Make the Soup Base- Stage 2

  • (It is essential to keep the onions, tomato, garlic, and spices separate until you need them.)
  • While the lentils are cooking, start on the soup base. Peel, core, and finely chop the onion, reserve. Likewise, core and chop the tomato and mince the garlic. Finally, measure out all of the spices separately and reserve.
  • Heat the oil in a large chef pot or saute pan roughly (400°F or 205°C)
  • To the hot oil, add the cumin seeds. The seeds should start sizzling right away—Cook for 30 seconds. Next, add the mustard seeds and cook for an additional 30 seconds. To this, add the minced onions. Reduce the heat to medium-high (This will help cool down the oil and prevent the spices from burning.) Cook the onions until they start to become translucent. Add the coriander, chili powder, and ground cayenne to cook for 1 minute more. To cool this mixture down, add the tomato and minced garlic. Cook the mixture until the tomatoes start to break down.

Combine- Stage 3

  • To the soup base, add the reserved lentils. Almost all of the liquid, but not entirely, should have been absorbed during the cooking of the lentils. Therefore the lentils should not be dry but have just a bit of water to keep them loose. (If the lentils are too dry, add a bit more water) Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer (212°F-100°C), and cover with a lid or tightly with aluminum foil for 45 minutes.
  • After 45 minutes, lift the lid and stir the soup. To this, add the butter and stir to incorporate. Once the butter has melted, stir in the coconut milk. Finally, add the asafetida (optional), stir to combine, and mix thoroughly.
  • Next, bump up the seasonings with lemon juice, Garam masala, Fenugreek, and minced cilantro.
  • Lastly, check the salt and pepper levels and, if desired, remove the whole ginger pieces (if any). Serve hot in bowls with garlic/cilantro Nann bread, and enjoy!