Indian Yellow Lentil Soup with Opo Squash
This vegetarian lentil and opo squash soup is guaranteed to please you and your family. It's rich, creamy, and comforting - delicious!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 396kcal
Ingredients
For the lentils:
- 1 cup split yellow lentils (toor dal)
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 medium opo squash , peeled and diced
- 1 cup chickpeas , soaked overnight and drained (or 1 ½ cups drained canned chickpeas)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 5 cups water
For the spice-infused oil (Tadka):
- 3 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter)
- ¼ onion , diced
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- Salt , to taste
- Fresh cilantro , for garnish
Instructions
The lentils.
- Wash the lentils in a colander until the water runs clear. Drain. Place the lentils in a large pot with the onion, garlic, squash, chickpeas, turmeric, and water. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam, then reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft with a puree-like texture.
The spice-infused oil.
- Heat the ghee in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cumin and mustard seeds, chili powder, and garam masala and immediately cover partially with a lid to keep the mustard seeds from popping out of the skillet. When the mustard seeds start to pop, remove from the heat.
- Pour all the spice-infused oil into the prepared lentil soup and mix well to combine the flavors. Add salt to taste, and cook the soup, stirring, for several minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve garnished with fresh cilantro.
NOTES:
- Adapted from “The Malaysian Kitchen” by Christina Arokiasamy.
Nutrition
Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.2g | Protein: 19.2g | Fat: 11.7g | Cholesterol: 22.9mg | Sodium: 801.2mg | Sugar: 6.3g