Laila’s Arabic Lentil Soup

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Now on to Laila’s delicious Arabic lentil soup recipe! I was in Bethlehem a few months ago, staying with a Palestinian family. (You can read all about my adventures here!) Laila, my wonderful host taught me how to make this simple, easy Arabic lentil soup. When I first tasted it, I had no idea how easy it is to make. And I was surprised that cumin is the only spice in this soup recipe! And guess what, cumin is all this soup needs. No need for any other funky, fancy flavors. The smokiness of cumin with the earthy lentils work very well together. Laila’s soup is a beautiful example of how simple is sometimes the best.

Laila used brown lentils. I used green lentils (pictured above) because I had some left over from making my dal fry mix in a jar for the holidays. You can use either brown or green, but keep in mind that cooking times may vary.

Laila served her soup simple and unadorned. And that’s what I’ve done here too. But if you like, you can garnish your soup with chopped parsley, cilantro, chili flakes or shredded cheese. To make a complete meal out of this soup, serve it with some crusty bread or pita.

Laila’s Arabic Lentil Soup Recipe

serves about 2

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and diced finely (1/2 cup when diced)
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced (1/2 cup when diced)
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
½ heaping cup dried green or brown lentils
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste

Method
Heat olive oil in a medium heavy bottom sauce pan. Add the diced onions and cook on medium heat till soft and translucent.

Then add carrot and garlic and sauté till garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Now add the lentils and cumin and stir for 10 seconds.

Pour in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to simmer, cover the pan, and cook till the lentils are soft. This will take about 30 minutes.

If the soup needs more water while cooking, add more water one cup at a time, letting the soup come to a boil after each addition of water. (I used a total of 5 cups of water). How much water you need, will depend on how thick you like your soup, the lentils you are using and also the type of pot you are using. Just add the extra water one cup at a time till you get the desired consistency. And remember, the soup will thicken up when you mash the lentils.

When the lentils are done, they should be cooked and soft but should still be holding their shape.

At this point, turn off the heat. Using a potato masher, mash some of the lentils. I like to mash a third of the lentils, and leave the rest unmashed. If you want a smoother and thicker consistency, simply mash up more of the lentils.

Serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro or parsley or red chili flakes and some crusty bread or pita on the side.

Dal Fry Mix in a Jar. Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas for Vegetarians

Dal fry is a typical Indian lentil dish (and popular on restaurant menus) made with cumin, turmeric, onion, tomato, garlic and lentils. I’ve simplified the recipe and turned it into a holiday gift mix in a jar. If you have friends and family who are vegetarian or Indian food lovers, they will be delighted to receive this as a Christmas gift! And you will love making this gift – its easy, fun, vegetarian, vegan AND cheap!

This dal fry mix in a jar was my Christmas present for a dear friend S, who is a new mother and is running her own business. You can imagine just how busy she must be! I figured a tasty dal mix in a jar, that she can make with almost no effort at all will be the perfect holiday gift for a busy mom like her.

l’ve used a combination of red lentils (masoor dal) and green lentils. Make sure you use the flat round green lentils from the bulk section of the grocery store. Dont use whole Indian green lentils (green moong dal) because it takes longer to cook. You can substitute the green lentils with yellow letils (yellow moong dal).

Caramelized onions is a common flavor base for Indian curries. To emulate some of that flavor, I use dried onion flakes in this recipe. They give the lentils a great, deep, slow cooked taste. You can find dried onion flakes in the spice section of the grocery store or in the bulk section.

Writing (or printing) out the recipe/instruction card for this mix is your chance to really personalize the gift. I like to make my instruction cards humorous – like adding inside jokes, cartoons etc. The point is to get funny and creative with the instruction cards!

For another homemade holiday gift idea for vegetarians, take a look at my cajun dirty rice mix in a jar.

Dal Fry Mix in a Jar Recipe

makes 1 jar

For the gift jar
One 1 pint jar
a 5″x5″ piece of fabric
a thin rubber band
some ribbon
Cardstock or any thick paper for writing instructions

Ingredients
¾ cup green lentils (not green moong dal)
¾ cup red lentils
4 tablespoons dry onion flakes
1 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon salt

Pour the green lentils into the jar first. Then add onion flakes, garlic powder, turmeric, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Then pour in the red lentils.

If there is a gap between the top layer and the lid, crush a kitchen towel and stuff it into the gap. This will prevent the lentils and spices from moving around, and will preserve the pretty layers in the jar.

Seal jar tightly. Cover the lid with the fabric square. Place a rubber band over the fabric to secure it around the neck of the jar. Tie a ribbon in a bow around the neck of the jar, hiding the rubber band.

Write or print out these instructions on a thick piece of paper and attach to gift jar:

“You will need:
A large, deep skillet with a lid
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon oil

Heat the oil in the skillet. Add tomatoes, and sauté on medium heat for about a minute. Add the contents of the jar, and stir for 2 minutes.

Pour in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer the dal for about 20 minutes, or till cooked. Add more water while cooking, if needed.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Serves 4″

Pierce a little hole in the upper corner of the instructions paper, and tie it to the ribbon. Or place the instructions against the jar, and tie it around the jar using ribbon or a rubber band.

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