Hello friends,
So here comes my First Lentil soup cooked in my "grandma" style.
Indians has the lowest rate of meat consumption in the world and it also has more vegetarians than rest of the word put together. The main source of their protein comes from beans and pulses.
Lentils (pulses or beans) are a natural source of protein. They are high in fiber and is super healthy for your body. They are used extensively in India both for vegetarian and non vegetarian cooking.
Of the variety of pulses some are used whole, others are slit and in some cases the husk is also removed. The cooking technique depends mostly on the variety you choose to make.
Thanks to globalization these pulses are no longer restricted in Asia or India only. They are available world wide.
However to enjoy them to the fullest it is important to know the right way to cook them.
This blog is dedicated to my Vegan and Vegetarian friends world wide . I will share my family recipes handed to me by my grandmother in this blog and a following few blogs to introduce people to the art of cooking and consuming pulses or beans purely on the age old Indian tradition of cooking pulses. However said this, every part of the country have their own recipe, I will share the ones passed down to me by my grandmother.
Recipe 1 with pink lentils:
Simple and easy to make , pink lentil is a rich source of in vitamin, calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and is also low in fat and has zero cholesterol.
These lentils should be washed properly before use.
Step 1: In a pot boil some water and pour the lentils.
TIPS: It is cooked to be a soup. So add sufficient water so that all the lentils are soaked well in the water and there is still extra water left. The lentils will absorb water so don’t worry we may add water later if need be.
Step 2: Cook for around 20 min . You can see that the lentils changing texture.
Step 3: Add turmeric.
TIPS: Start with adding less because excessive of it spoils the flavor. For example 1 tea spoon in a medium size pot.
Step4: Add green chickpeas and cook for another 10-12 min till the lentils are boiled.
TIPS: I used frozen chickpeas. But the fresh ones always tested better. If you are using fresh ones they take longer to cook. So add them in the earlier stages. Take them out with a spoon and press with your finger. If they are softs and ready to melt then you are done.
Step5: In a separate pan sauté fine chopped onions and pour the lentils in the pan. Let them boil for some time in a medium high heat. If you like your soup to be a little thick in consistency boil for some more time. Smear one spoon of butter and have it as a soup or mix with rice and get some carbs in.
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Eat Healthy, Cook well!