Ingredients
Yield:
| Unit | Item |
|---|---|
| 2 tsp | Coriander seeds, fresh ground |
| 1/2 tsp | Cumin seeds, fresh ground |
| 1 cup | Red lentils, washed and soaked for 30 minutes, drained and rinsed |
| 2 ea | Medium red beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups) |
| 1/2 tsp | Ground turmeric |
| 1 large or 2 small | Bay leaves or cassia leaves |
| 1 ea | Small green Thai chili, seeded and minced |
| 1 tbsp | Ghee or olive oil |
| 2 tsp | Salt |
| 1 tbsp | Olive oil |
| 1/4 tsp | Black pepper |
Garnishes
Cilantro, cooling pungent masala, lime slices.
Preparation
Step 1
Grind the coriander and cumin seeds to a fine powder in a spice grinder.
Step 2
Combine the red lentils and 4 cups water in a heavy 3-qt saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove any froth from the surface. Add the ground coriander and cumin, the beets, turmeric, bay leaves, chili and ghee and mix well. Bring to a boil again, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer until the lentils and beets are soft and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Step 3
Turn off the heat and leave the pot uncovered to allow the soup to cool down a bit. Remove the bay leaves (!!) and add the salt, olive oil and black pepper. Blend the soup to a more chunky or smooth consistentcy; you may also add more water if you like–in this case, adjust the salt to taste.
Step 4
Garnish with the cilantro and cooling pungent masala (fennel seed, coriander seed, black peppercorn, coconut sugar), and serve hot with lime slices. The lime enhances the taste and helps with protein digestion and iron absorption.
Notes
For fiery digestion: Reduce the turmeric to 1/4 tsp, substitute 6 curry leaves for the bay leaves, omit the chile and black pepper, and garnish with extra cilantro.
For earthy digestion: Reduce the ghee and olive oil to 1 tsp each; add 1/4 tsp asafoetida and one more green Thai chili with the other spices in Step 2.