Warm spinach and lentil soup.

Cold days call for heartwarming soups! 


What you need: Serves 4
1 cup thogri bele (toor dal/masoor dal or yellow/orange lentils) 
2 cups fresh spinach coarsely chopped (a single green or a combination of many, like spinach, dill, cilantro
3-4 fresh garlic cloves finely chopped or crushed
4 to 6 Thai hot green chilies, finely chopped
1 medium sized tomato chopped
1 tsp coconut flakes dry/fresh (optional)

A sprinkle or red chili flakes
A pinch of turmeric
A tsp of gheeSalt to taste
Wash the dals in cold water and drain. Soak the dals in about 4 cups of water for 15-30 minutes, that way it cooks faster.

In a thick bottom pan/cooker pan, add in the soaked dal and the water it was soaked in. Coo on high until it comes to a boil. 

Add in the chopped spinach, chilies, garlic, and tomatoes. Sprinkle dal and turmeric. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. 


Pressure cooking it is faster. One or two pressures are ideal. Turn off the heat and let it cool down before you open it. Use an egg beater, or a manual hand churner, and churn the mixture for about 30 seconds, so the dal and greens blend. 

You can dilute the thickness of teh soup with some vegetable broth if you like. Drizzle it with some ghee and a sprinkle of chili flakes. 

Serve hot as soup with some warm garlic bread, or over cooked rice and a dollop of ghee. Enjoy!


Variation: You may swap out the green chilies with a teaspoon of curry powder or half a teaspoon of garam masala for a different flavor altogether.