I had just blogged about an Arabic Lentil Soup recently. Here is another version of Lentil Soup. Minoo made an Indian version of Lentil Soup at the Caring Place Community Kitchen. Lentil is comfort food in India and it is a daily diet as a lot of the population are vegetarian. Lentil is rich in fiber and protein. Indian Lentil Soup differs from others not only on the use of spices but the way the spices are added to the Lentil Soup. The sizzling action of adding the fried spices at the end of the cooking process makes the difference.
Ingredients
- 1 cup masoor (a brown skin lentil which are red inside)
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 5 sprigs of curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
- salt and pepper to taste
- oil for frying spices
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 to 3 whole red chilies
Vania also did some research of the health benefits of some Indian spices. Vania, thank you for sharing.
Cumin Seeds:
- good for digestive disorder like diarrhea, nausea and morning sickness as cumin seeds help digestion
- rich in iron and help absorb nutrient into our body
- detox body by helping our liver
- reduce risk of cancer
- boost our immune system
Turmeric:
- If used with cauliflower, it prevents prostate cancer
- helps liver detox
- prevent or slow down Alzheimer disease
- is a natural anti-inflammatory drug
- is a natural pain killer
- helps loose weight
- used to prevent depression
- helps treat skin conditions
Cinnamon:
- lowers LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)
- helps regulate sugar for diabetics
- reduces cancer cell production
- relieves pain from arthritis if combine with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of honey
- improves memory
- is a good source of manganese, fibre, iron and calcium
Star Anise:
- prevents flu
- cures stomach ache due to excessive gas
- prevents headache
Instructions