Day 3- Dahl Soup

I love to eat and prepare Indian food. I can prepare some pretty good channa masala, bhindi masala, aloo ghobi and chicken curry. In fact, at one point, one of my husbands co-workers (who was from Goa, India) noticed all the Indian food he would bring for lunch. She mentioned it to her husband, who in return asked if he was married to an Indian woman. No, I am not. I am a French Canadian, with a great palate. My parents introduced me to spicy food as a child, and I am very thankful for that. Tolerating a bit of heat really opens up a whole world of food possibilities.

When it comes to Indian food, you may immediately think of the standard bright yellow powder you get at the grocery store. Most curry blends include coriander, cumin, turmeric, and fenugreek. However, the blend of spices can depend on the recipe, and include many other spices such as clove,cardamon, mace, nutmeg etc. Which is why it is much easier just to buy one powder instead of 9 individual.

Dahl soup is made with lentils, stock, some vegetables, turmeric, and curry powder. I used carrots instead of eggplant in the recipe below, and you could easily add some diced peppers to add more texture and flavor.

I made the soup in the morning, thinking that I would be home late after meeting with a friend, and doing some Yoga. But I decided to skip yoga in the end. As it turns out, making the soup earlier turned out to be a smart move, since Darien brought a colleague home from work. I have been steadily feeding people my soup for the past three days. My friends and neighbors came for the crab and corn chowder on Sunday. Today I gave my leftover fennel and apple soup to my friend (who is sadly moving to Toronto on Thursday),and I have convinced two more friends to stop by for soup tomorrow.

Since I make a new soup everyday,I am in need of many mouths. I am seriously considering giving soup as Christmas gifts this year- but not as stocking stuffers, that could get messy. What else can I do? I can't eat soup for lunch and supper, that's taking my commitment to a whole other level. Otherwise my "future book" will end up in the diet section next to the likes of Susan Sommers, instead of the gourmet section, next to the cooking god Gordon Ramsay.

Dahl Soup
Source: Recipe Zaar, originaly found in 1984 Bon Appetit

6 1/2 ounces of yellow lentils, rinsed
6 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 ounces of eggplants, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 fresh red chile, seeded and sliced
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 sprig fresh cilantro, chopped


Directions
Combine lentils, stock tomato, eggplant, tumeric, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and cook until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, chili and curry powder and cook until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add lentils mixture to onions;sprinkle with cilantro. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, ladle into bowls and serve.