URID DHAL SOUP RECIPE

Urid dhal is a slimy, sticky, slightly heating and a nice dhal for Vatas. It is used medicinally in Ayurveda to tonify the bone tissue and deeply nourish the muscles, reproductive and lac-tation systems as well as detoxify the system. Because of its heavy nature, it is hard to di-gest and should not be eaten if agni is challenged; otherwise, it will readily produce ama. You can obtain it with or without its black skins. It’s black skins are particularly nourishing to the bones. This bean can be cooked into a soup, mixed with rice and made into crepes, made into dumplings, and is used in both sweet and savory dishes in India. It is often used as a binder in recipes to hold things together due to its sticky nature.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup urad dhal (skin on or off as per needs)

• 7 cups water

• 12 Tbs ghee

• 1 tsp black mustard seeds

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp coriander powder

• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (coarsely ground)

• 5 curry leaves

• 3 black peppercorns

• 1/2 tsp fennel powder

• 1 pinch hing

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 Tbs fresh chopped ginger root

• 1 peeled and grated carrot & a few handfuls of fresh spinach or greens of choice

• Optional Garnish: small handful of chopped cilantro and/or mint leaves, and/or...

• Few Tbs roasted black sesame seeds (roast in toaster oven on baking tray until just roasted and nicely aromatic)

Directions:

• Wash urad dhal well and soak overnight

• Bring water to boil, add urad dhal, daikon and bring to boil, cover well

• reduce to moderately low and simmer approx. 1 hour until tender, soft & fully cooked

• Add salt, grated carrots and spinach/greens and turn off heat and cover

• In small bowl, combine all spices (except mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing) with 1/3 cup water to make a masala paste

• Heat ghee in small frying pan on medium high and then add mustard seeds and let them pop, then cumin seeds and let them get aromatic, then hing until aromatic

• Pour spice paste into fried spices and fry for 1 minute, then pour all spices into cooked soup

• Garnish with mint or cilantro and some roasted sesame seeds (black is best)

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