Lentil Soup is a very common dish in Nepal which we cook in a very simple way that preserves the flavor and adds aroma to it. Today I’m going to cook in a similar way that every household cooks in Nepal.
Authentic Nepali Lentil soup, which I will show you in a step by step process. It is so healthy and creamy, everyone will love this, it can be served as a soup dish or, like we usually do, as a side dish. Try it and let me know how your one goes!
Cooking time 1 hour 50 minutes in pot after soaking
Serves 4
Ingredients:
250 grams of Lentils
2 Cinnamon leaves or 2 Bay leaves
7 small cloves of Garlic minced
1 teaspoon of Ginger
1/2 teaspoon of Cumin seeds
Salt at your taste
2 dried Chili
3 tablespoons of Ghee
½ teaspoon of Turmeric powder
How to make
First clean the Lentils, this lentils are small so it can have a lot of extras and dead lentils, remove them out.
Next wash them very well scrubbing by your hands than put them back into a big bowl and add water double the size of the lentils in the bowl. After adding water you can see lots of dead lentils are floating on the surface, remove them all.
Then cover it and keep it soaking for at least 5 hours or overnight, this helps to cook fast in the pot.
After overnight lentils increased two times more than their normal size. They should be soaked and even broken in middle like a strip. You can see dark water it is normal.
Let's strain them and pass with clean water then put them into the big deep pot to boil.
On a 4 liters pot, add 3 liters of water. If you see any dead lentils floating on the water surface remove them. Then our lentils are ready to boil.
Turn the gas on in over high heat and put the pot on with lentils, add 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2 cinnamon leaves or use bay leaves instead, then bring it to boil, mix it with a ladle or spatula evenly then lid on and turn heat to over medium and cook it for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes the liquid should have already reduce a bit and cook half way throw. Now put the heat to medium low, cover it then cook it for 50 minutes total until water reduce to half and lentils gets thick and creamy.
35 minutes after, check the lentils.
They should start to get thicken, lets smash them lightly with the lower back part of the ladle to make it more thick and smooth, don't mash them completely.
Then cover it and cook for 15 minutes more.
After 15 minutes it looks like already thicken and liquid reduced to half, if you want to have it smooth smash it a bit more then turn off the gas.
Now let’s use the trick to make the most amazing lentil soup, the Ghee it is my secret ingredient, it gives a very nice fragrant aroma and flavor and smooth texture to this dish.
Heat a pot and add 2 tablespoons of ghee its normal to see some smoke coming out.
Then add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds, infuse the flavor with the ghee or until it gets brown, then add whole chilies and mix it, let it burn slightly to infuse the flavor.
Add minced garlic and mix it and let garlic to be golden brown.
Now pour the lentil into the pot and let it boil, here magic happens and so much good smell is released to the air.
Then if you want more sauce you can add hot water, don't add cold water, because it takes flavor out.
If you like you can boil more to make it thicker.
Add the minced ginger, mix it well then add salt at your taste. Every time check before you add more salt.
Now turn off the gas and add 1 tablespoon of ghee, mix it and give it a final taste.
We are done! You can garnish as you wish and serve. Enjoy your Authentic Nepali Lentil Soup!
Happy cooking….
