Mulligatawny Palak A Curried Lentil Soup With Spinach Recipes

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP WITH LENTILS

Steps:

• Puree the ginger and garlic in a blender or food processor.
• Heat oil and add onion and ginger and garlic, until tender.
• Add the mustard seed and cook until they begin to pop.
• Add in garam masal, tandoor spice mix, curry salt, cardamom and cayenne and stir to coat onion, ginger and garlic.
• Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the stock and lentils and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the lentils are tender Stir in coconut milk and simmer 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in spinach and lemon juice and sugar (optional).
• Garnish with cilantro.
• Note: tandoori spice mix is available in Indian and gourmet food stores.

MULLIGATAWNY PALAK - A CURRIED LENTIL SOUP WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oil and garam masala in a large pot over medium-high heat and add the onion, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
• About 2 minutes later add the celery, carrot and leek. Keep stirring while the vegetables soften.
• About 8 minutes later add the garlic, turmeric and white pepper.
• A couple of minutes later (by now your kitchen will smell delicious) add the coriander, red lentils, brown lentils and boiling water. Salt lightly.
• At the same time squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, and zest some lemon rind into the pot with a grater.
• Give it a good mix and cover pot with lid. Allow to simmer, adjusting heat downwards and stirring occasionally.
• After about 30 minutes, roughly blend the Mulligatawny in the pot with a hand blender. The split red lentils will already be soft and creamy, so just blend until most of the brown lentils are incorporated. Leave a bit of texture in the dhal.
• Stir, check the consistency and taste, and add more hot water and salt if you need to.
• Add the chopped spinach to the pot, give it a good stir, replace the lid and turn heat to low. Let the spinach wilt in the dhal for the next 10 minutes or so.
• Enjoy your Mulligatawny Palak!

RAGHAVAN'S PALAK MASOOR DAL (RED LENTILS WITH SPINACH)

Steps:

• Rinse lentils in a 3- to 4-quart pot with water, rubbing lentils between the fingertips of one hand, then drain. Repeat 3 or 4 times or until the water runs clear.
• Place drained lentils in the pot and add 2 cups water, tomatoes, ginger, chiles, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming and discarding foam. When tomato skin is loosened and wrinkled, after about 5 minutes of cooking, transfer tomatoes to a plate to cool.
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer lentils, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very tender and almost mushy, about 15 minutes. (The lentil color will change from salmon to pale yellow as they cook.) Keep warm over low heat.
• Meanwhile, peel and core cooled tomatoes; discard skins. Transfer tomatoes to a blender, along with the ginger and chiles from the pot and the cilantro. Pureé, scraping down the sides as needed, until you have a thick, green-flecked tomato sauce.
• Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add cumin seeds and let sizzle until they turn reddish brown and smell nutty, about 10 seconds. Immediately add spinach in handfuls, stirring to wilt.
• Stir spinach mixture, tomato sauce, and salt into warm lentils. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, to let the flavors mingle, about 5 minutes.

VEGETARIAN MULLIGATAWNY SOUP

Steps:

• Heat ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and curry powder; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth, potatoes, lentils, and carrots and bring to a simmer. Cook until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth.
• Return to the heat and add coconut milk, lemon juice, cilantro, and tamarind concentrate. Stir until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.