Mud beans...

Every once in a while my mother would make a lentil soup for our family....I always thought it was pretty good, but my older sister greatly disliked it and called it "mud beans". After this poor first impression, I am relatively sure that she herself has never prepared anything out of lentils in all the years that she has cooked for her own family. The following lentil dish, "Dal Soup" is so good that it might make a lentil lover out of my sister yet. I will have to get back to you on that.

Dal Soup - Dal is the name given to a delicious indian lentil dish

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil (the original recipe, called for butter here)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion,chopped

1/4 tsp turmeric*

1/2 tsp garam masala* (sold in a small bottle with all the other spices at the grocery store. Not all stores have it. I found it at Target.)

1/8 tsp chili powder*

1/2 tsp ground cumin*

2 lb 4 oz canned, chopped tomatoes, drained (I always prefer "petite" diced tomatoes)

1 cup red lentils (I use brown lentils, because that is what can buy in bulk and so it costs alot less than buying a tiny little bag at the grocery store and they work just fine.)

2 tsp lemon juice

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock (I mix mine from the Better Than Boullion paste that comes in a short squatty bottle

1 can coconut milk (1 1/4 cups)

salt and pepper

chopped cilantro and lemon slices, to garnish

naan bread to serve

1 On medium, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and onion and stir fry, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, and cumin and cook for a further 30 seconds.

2 Stir in the tomatoes, red lentils, lemon juice, vegetable stock, and coconut milk and bring to a boil.

3 Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup, uncovered, for about 25-30 minuted, until the lentils are tender and cooked.

4 Season to taste with salt and pepper and ladle the soup into a warm tureen. Garnish with chopped cilantro and lemon slices and serve immediately with warm naan bread.

*I have changed this recipe a bit. The way that it has been written reflects all four spices cut to half their original amount. Because I have small children, I like to start out on the mild side and then add more later if I think it needs it.