A Life (Time) of Cooking

Sometimes we want a break from spice, right? We want to be coddled by our food. We are feeling a little sensitive, a little vulnerable, and long for something gentle and delicious that will make us feel loved and supported and a little bit in heaven.

I have the dish for you.

In fact I have two such dishes for you. Same ingredients, different seasoning procedure, two different tastes, both oh so delicious.

Both dishes are also wonderful when you are ill and need to lighten the load on your digestive system. Easy to prepare, easy to digest, light in nature and perfect for any season.

They are such subtle dishes. Golden. Delicious. Simple. Heaven sent.

Recipe Notes

The ginger in these dishes, and the lack of complex spices, makes them very light on the digestive system and perfect for people recovering from illnesses. However they are so yummy, they need not be restricted to recuperation times.

The soup is thin - if you want a thicker soup, use less water.

Serving Notes

These dishes can form a light lunch or dinner. Serve with a wheat bread or rice and a vegetable.

Follow with a green salad with a serve of plain yoghurt.

Or serve as a first course to a gentle Indian meal consisting of non-spicy, dry dishes. Devi suggests Lemons stuffed with Almond-Chickpea Pate, Yellow Rice and Char-Flavoured Eggplant and Potatoes. If you need these recipes, let me know and I will post them.

Enjoy!

Gentle Mung Dal Soup: Sada Moong Dal

Source : Lord Krishna’s Kitchen
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr
Serves: 4 - 6 people, depending how you use it

ingredients
1 cup split mung dal, without skins
6.5 cups (1.5 litres) water
1 tspn turmeric
2 tspns ground coriander
1.5 tspns grated ginger (or mashed in mortar and pestle)
1 mild green or red chilli (or as desired)
salt to taste
2 Tblspn green coriander/cilantro or fresh parsley, chopped

for taka
2 Tblspn ghee
1 tspn cumin seeds

method
Rinse the mung beans under several changes of water.

Place the mung beans in a large, heavy saucepan with the water, turmeric, coriander, ginger root and chilli. Stirring occasionally, bring to the boil, cover and boil gently until the dal is very soft and fully cooked.

Remove from the heat and add salt. Beat with a whisk, beater or hand held blender until the soup is creamy smooth.

Prepare the tadka by heating the ghee in a small pan over moderate to high heat. When it is hot, toss in the cumin seeds and fry until golden brown. Pour the ghee and cumin into the dal soup, immediately cover and allow the seasonings to soak into the soup for 2 minutes.

Add the herbs, stir and serve.

Golden Mung Dal Soup: Kara Moong Dal

Source : Lord Krishna’s Kitchen
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr
Serves: 4 - 6 people, depending how you use it

ingredients
1 cup split mung dal, without skins
6.5 cups (1.5 litres) water
1 tspn turmeric
0.5 Tblspn ground coriander
0.5 Tblspn cumin seeds
salt to taste
2 Tblspn green coriander/cilantro or fresh parsley, chopped

for taka
2 Tblspn ghee
2 tspns grated ginger (or mashed in mortar and pestle)
1 tspn minced green or red chilli (or as desired)

method
Rinse the mung beans using several changes of water.

Place the mung beans in a large, heavy saucepan with the water, turmeric, and a dab of ghee. Stirring occasionally, bring to the boil, cover and boil gently until the dal is very soft and fully cooked.

Meanwhile, slowly dry roast the coriander and cumin seeds in a heavy frying pan for about 8 minutes. Remove and coarsely grind in a mortar and pestle, or crush with a rolling pin.

Remove the dal from the heat when cooked, and add salt and the roasted spices. Beat with a whisk, beater or hand held blender until the soup is creamy smooth.

Prepare the tadka by heating the ghee in a small pan over moderate to high heat. When it is hot, toss in the ginger root and chilli. Fry until golden brown. Pour the ghee, ginger and chilli into the dal soup, immediately cover and allow the seasonings to soak into the soup for 2 minutes.

Add the herbs, stir and serve.

The Soup Series

• Taking Stock - Making Great Vege Stocks
• Golden Gentle Dal
• Take a Tomato - Quick Tomato Soup
• Tomato Rasam for a SPICE Hit!
• Velouté d’asperges (Cream of Asparagus Soup)

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