Serves: 4
Total Calories: 50

1/2 cup dried split yellow mung beans (dhulli mung dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water
6 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
1 to 3 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, stemmed
2 teaspoons peanut oil, or melted ghee
2 whole dried red bell peppers, such as chile de arbol
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground asafoetida
6 to 10 fresh curry leaves
1 to 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1. Soak the dal in 1 cup water until it absorbs the water and softens slightly, about 30 minutes. Then transfer to a large saucepan, add the turmeric, salt, and 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, watching carefully and stirring, until the dal is very soft, 20 to 30 minutes.

2. With a hand-held beater or immersion blender, whip the dal in the pan, or stir it vigorously to make it as smooth as possible.

3. In a blender, blend together the ginger and green chile peppers, adding some water until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the dal and add more water to make about 4 cups of soup. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer about 5 minutes.

4. Heat the oil (or ghee) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the red chili peppers, and mustard and cumin seeds they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Add the black pepper, asafoetida, and curry leaves, stir about 30 seconds and mix well into the dal. Add the lemon juice and cilantro, bring to a boil once again, and serve.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 50
Calories from Fat: 21

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Soups
Cabbage Soup with Vegetables
Carrot-Ginger Soup
Cashew Corn Soup in Chicken Broth
Chicken Soup with Chayote Squash
Chicken Soup with Cream-Style Corn and Green Chili Peppers
Chicken Soup with Ginger and Coconut Milk
Chickpea Soup with Chicken Broth
Chilled Chickpea Soup
Chilled Potato Soup
Chilled Roasted Vegetable Soup
Chunky South Indian Tomato Soup
Classic South Indian Ginger Soup
Creamy Almond-Poppy Seed Soup
Creamy Tomato Soup
Curried Green Pea Soup
Fast Black Bean Soup, Indian Style
Fragrant Yogurt Soup
Goan Caldo-Verde Soup with Cauliflower
Goan Shrimp Soup
Mulligatawny Soup
Mysore Coconut Soup
Puréed Mushroom Soup with Yogurt
Puréed Pumpkin Soup
Puréed Spinach Soup
Quick Black Chickpea Soup with Cumin Seeds
Quick Lentil, Barley and Vegetable Soup
Quick Puréed Root Vegetable Soup
Quick Sindhi Split Pigeon Pea Soup with Tamarind
South Indian Buttermilk Soup
South Indian Lemon Soup with Mung Beans
South Indian Tamarind Soup
Spicy Chicken Broth
Spicy Lamb Broth
Spicy Shrimp with Coconut Milk and Tomato
Spicy South Indian Vegetable Soup with Tamarind
Spinach Yogurt Soup
Tomato Soup with Fresh Curry Leaves
Tomato Soup with Sautéed Vegetables
Tomato Soup with Yellow Mung Beans
Traditional South Indian Split Pigeon Pea Soup
Vegetable Soup with Yogurt and Coconut
Vegetarian Broth
Yellow Mung Beans and Spinach Soup with Sizzling Cumin Oil
Yogurt Soup with Flame-Roasted Eggplant