Spicy lentil soup with onions and chilli pepper



Spicy lentil soup with onions and chilli pepper

Ingredients

150 gms of yellow lentils

1 medium-size red/green/yellow chilli pepper (capsicum), chopped into small pieces

1 medium-size onion, chopped into small pieces

1 medium-size tomato, chopped into small pieces

4-5 tablespoons of oil (preferably olive or sunflower)

1/2 tablespoon of chilli powder

1/2 tablespoon of turmeric powder

1 tablespoon of curry powder (any curry powder other than garam masala)

Salt as needed

Procedure

1. Cook the lentils in one litre of water till they are soft. If you are using a pressure cooker, wait for atleast 2 releases. (You can add salt to the lentils, when you cook them.) 

2. Empty excess water but make sure some water is left along with the lentils, to have them floating. 

3. Heat the oil in a large pan. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion, chilli pepper and tomato. Add the turmeric powder. Fry them until they become a little soft.

4. Add the chilli powder and the curry powder to the soft mixture, stir and fry till the mixture turns light red in colour.

5. Add the lentils along with the water, that was used for cooking them. Add salt as needed. Stir and cook the mixture, until the mixture becomes light red again.

6. Serves 4 persons.

Options

1. You can serve the soup as it is.

2. You can add milk or yoghurt or even cream to the mixture to make it more soft and tasty, before you serve it.

3. You can some chopped coriander leaves as topping.

4. You can replace the curry powder with black pepper powder if you want.

5. You can add cumin seeds or mustard seeds to the oil at the beginning, before you add the vegetables.

6. You can add chopped garlic if you want. (Usually chopped garlic and chopped onion do not give a good taste)