Instead of sunshine soup

Serves 6-8

3 tbsp curry powder
3 tbsp canola oil
2 onions
3 big cloves garlic
1 red chilli
3 medium carrots
Half a celeriac
1 large parsnip
1 celery stick
1/2 medium leek
2 red bell pepppers
2,5 dl (1 cup) red lentils
2 liters (8 1/3 cups) water + 4 stock cubes (or the same amount of stock)
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

In a LARGE pot, combine canola oil with curry. Chop your onions and garlic and add it to the curry. Curry releases most of it’s aromatic flavour when heated in a little oil. While the onions are sautéeing at medium heat, finely chop your chilli. Add to the onions and let cook for a few minutes. Meanwhile, peel and cube your carrots, celeriac and parsnip into 1 cm/half inch cubes. Add to the pot and stir. Chop the rest of you veggies finely and add to the pot. Sauté for a few minutes and then add your lentils, water and stock cubes (or ready made stock) and 2 bay leaves. Let soup cook for atleast 20 minutes, but a longer cooking time makes for a nicer heartier soup (I let mine cook for over an hour while I prepared other food). Salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Moroccan-style Spicy red lentils

Serves 6 as side
Ingredients

1 1/4 cups dried red lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 serrano chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Directions

In a saucepan over high heat, combine the lentils, water, bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain and discard the bay leaf. Set aside.

In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chili and garlic and saute until softened, about 1 minute. Add the cumin, ground coriander and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the lentils and the spice mixture. Toss gently to mix. Stir in the parsley, cilantro and mint and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Stir in the vinegar and serve immediately.

Split pea soup

By Mayo Clinic staff

Serves 4
Ingredients

For the chive cream
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh chives, plus long cuts for garnish
3 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt
1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups dried yellow or green split peas, picked over, rinsed and drained
3 cups water
3 cups vegetable stock or broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped lean ham

Directions

To make the chive cream, in a small blender or food processor, combine the chopped chives, yogurt, buttermilk, sugar and salt. Process until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Add the carrot and saute until the carrot is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the split peas, water, stock, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the peas are tender, 60 to 65 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth and return to the saucepan over medium heat. Reheat gently.

Ladle into warmed individual bowls. Top each serving with a drizzle or swirl of chive cream and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped ham and a few long cuts of fresh chives. Serve immediately

Punjabi Khichdi

Serves 2

Ingredients:
Dhuli (yellow) mung dal - half cup
Basmati rice - half cup
Water - 4-and-a-half cups
Clarified butter (ghee) -1 tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera)-1 tsp
Black peppercorn - 6
Cloves (lavang) -4-5
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Ginger - ½", grated
Garlic cloves and curry leaves - 6-7
Salt- According to taste

Method:

Wash rice and dal in running water and drain. Heat the ghee in a pan. Add cloves and black pepper, followed by cumin. When it crackles, add onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves (they're good for the heart and add to the flavour). Stir it until golden brown. Then, add rice and dal, followed by water - thrice the quantity of rice and dal. Let it boil, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick and viscous and of porridge-like consistency.

Khichadi

There are, of course, variations to this dish. However, the recipe below is the basic one.

Ingredients :

1 cup white basmati rice, washed in water and drained
1 cup yellow lentils or red lentils (Also known as yellow moong dal), washed and soaked in water and drained
About 4 cups of water
1/2 (half) teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon oil
Salt to taste

Method :

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. (Preferably one with a cover, which will be able to contain the amount of rice and lentils cooked.)
When oil is hot, add cumin seeds. Allow cumin seeds to splutter but do not let them get burnt.
Fold in the yellow lentils and rice. Mix cumin seeds thoroughly with the lentils and rice.
Stir in water and salt.
Bring to boil.
Lower the heat, partially cover the pot and cook until the rice is cooked.
Serve hot with a sprinkling of coriander. This dish can also be served with some plain yoghurt.

Khichdi can also be cooked in a pressure cooker or in a microwave. In both cases, the cooking time should be reduced to about 20 – 30 minutes.

Variations :

Other ingredients can be added to the khichdi. These can be experimented with to vary the taste of the final dish.

Spices :

* Cinnamon sticks
* Chilli
* Cloves
* Bay leaves
* Turmeric powder
* Asafoetida (From Persian aza, for mastic or resin, and Latin foetidus, for stinking. A gum from a giant fennel used in Indian cooking.)
* Fenugreek
* Peppercorns
* Chopped onions and ginger can also be added.

These spices should be added after the oil has been heated. They should not be added all together, as too many spices can spoil the flavour of the dish.

Vegetables :

* Green peas
* Cabbage
* Pumpkin
* Potato
* Cauliflower
* Carrot

These are just examples of the types of vegetables that can be added. Feel free to experiment.

A word of caution: use only combinations of 2 - 3 vegetables together. Otherwise, the khichdi will taste like a hodgepodge of conflicting flavours.

Split pea soup

Ingredients
Serves 4

# 225g yellow split peas, soaked in cold water overnight then rinsed in a sieve
# 1 organic wheat-free vegetable stock cube
# 1 tsp organic vegetable bouillon powder
# 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
# 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
# 3 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

Method

Place the soaked peas in a large saucepan and cover with 1.5 litres of cold water. Add the stock cube and bouillon powder. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes, removing any froth with a large spoon.

Halfway through the cooking period, add the vegetables and continue simmering for a further 20 minutes until the peas and vegetables are very tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a food processor or liquidiser (the liquid will be hot so avoid splashes) and blend until smooth (you can also use a stick blender for this job). Return to the pan and heat through gently, stirring regularly. (Add more water if the soup appears to be too thick for your taste.)

Tip

Split pea soup is great for cold winter's days. This one makes keeps really well in the fridge. Add some fresh baby spinach leaves to the soup just before serving if you like.