Nepali red lentil soup

Turmeric gives this creamy soup a deep golden color, and the red lentils lend it a slightly sweeter flavor than brown or green lentils would. The lentils also provide niacin and plenty of folate, a B vitamin that may help delay cognitive decline.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 2 cups chopped red onion
* 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
* 6 cups water
* 2 cups dried small red lentils
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger, and jalapeño; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in 6 cups water and next 4 ingredients (through five-spice powder); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.

Place one-third of lentil mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour pureed lentil mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining lentil mixture. Stir in cilantro and juice. Serve immediately.

Vegetarian Quantee
(Curried Soup with Mixed Sprouted Bean)

Ingredients:

* 2 cups mixed beans (kidney beans, black-eyed beans, chickpeas, soya beans, mung beans, green beans, black beans, white beans)
* 1/2 teaspoon jwanu (lovage seeds)
* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
* 1 tablespoon curry powder
* 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
* 3 fresh red chilies, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 2 cups onion, chopped
* 2 cups chopped tomatoes
* 2 cups red bell pepper, chopped
* 4 cups broth or water
* 3 tablespoons cooking oil
* Salt and Pepper
* 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped for garnish

Cooking Instructions:

In a large bowl with water soak beans overnight. Drain the water and wash the beans. Cover the bowl and set it in a warm place to allow sprouting. It takes about 2-3 days depending on the desired length of sprouts.

Heat oil in a saucepan. Fry jwanu, fennel seeds, and mustard seeds until light brown. Add three cups of sprouted beans and fry for two minutes over medium heat. Add chopped onions, chili, curry powder, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Mix to coat the sprouted beans well, for about two minutes. Add tomatoes, chopped red bell pepper and broth to the beans’ mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and let simmer on low heat until the sprouts are tender and the desired consistency of the soup has been achieved. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice.

Spinach and lentil Suruwa
(Spinach and Lentil Soup)

(Note: Chicken or lamb can be added to prepare non-vegetarian suruwa.)

Ingredients:

* 1 lb spinach, washed and cut into small pieces
* 2 cups yellow lentils
* 2 cups onion, finely diced
* 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
* 1 teaspoon fenugreek
* 1 teaspoon turmeric
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
* 1 teaspoon cumin powder
* 2 tablespoons cooking oil
* 2 cups broth or water
* 2 cups whole milk
* Salt and Pepper

For garnish:

* 2 tablespoons melted butter
* 1 teaspoon jimbu (Himalayan herb)
* 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Cooking Instructions:

Rinse lentils thoroughly. In a bowl, put lentils and two cup of warm water; let stand for overnight in the refrigerator. Drain water; rinse off soaked lentils. In a large sauce pan, pour broth or water and milk, and bring to a boil. Add soaked lentils, turmeric, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and allow simmering for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Reserve it in a bowl.

In a heavy non-stick pan, heat oil and splitter fenugreek until dark. Add onions and fry until brown. To the onion mixture, add chopped tomatoes, cumin, garlic and ginger; fry for a couple of minutes. Add cooked lentils and spinach and let cook on low heat for a few more minutes. Add more broth or water if a soupier consistency is desired. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Finally to garnish, on a non-stick saut頰an heat melted butter and fry jimbu till dark. Add garlic slices and fry till lightly browned. Pour the jimbu-fused fat over the soup. Serve with cooked rice, roti (flat bread) or puri (deep-fried flat bread).

Nepali Dal
(Lentil Soup Prepared with Spices)

Ingredients:

* 2 cups black lentils (yellow or red lentils can be used)
* 1 cup onion, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon asafetida
* 2 tablespoons cooking oil
* 6 cups broth or water
* Salt and Pepper

For garnish:

* 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon jimbu
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* 5 dried red chilies
* 2 tablespoons clarified butter

Cooking Instructions:

Rinse lentils thoroughly. In a bowl, put lentils and two cup of warm water; let stand for overnight in the refrigerator. Drain water; rinse off soaked lentils. In a large sauce pan, heat two tablespoons of oil. Fry turmeric, minced ginger, asafetida, salt and pepper for 30 sec. Add soaked lentils and stir for a few minutes. Add broth and mix well. Bring to a boil, cover the pan and allow simmering for 45-60 minutes or until the lentils are cooked tender and a desired consistency has been achieved. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Take off the heat.

In a non-stick saute pan, heat half cup of clarified butter. Fry turmeric, jimbu, dried red chilies, garlic and ginger for a minute or so. Never allow the garnishing ingredients to turn dark, or else it will impart a bitter flavor to the soup. Take off the heat and drizzle over the cooked lentils. Give it a gentle stir to incorporate the garnish into the soup body. Serve hot with rice or roti (flat bread).

Lamb and Barley Soup
(Lamb and Barley Soup, Sherpa Style)

Ingredients:

* 1 cup barley
* 1 lb lamb, cut into 1/4-in. thick slices (half inch long)
* 4 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
* 1 cup chopped tomatoes
* 1/4 lb. spinach, washed and torn into small pieces
* 1 cup chopped onions
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
* 1 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 tablespoon curry powder
* 4 tablespoons butter
* Salt and Pepper
* 3 cups lamb broth or water

Cooking Instructions:

In a non-stick sauce pan, heat butter. Add onions and saute till lightly browned. Season lamb with curry powder, salt and pepper and add to the onion mixture; brown well. Add mushroom to the lamb mixture and saute for five minutes or so over low heat. Add garlic, ginger, and turmeric; stir for a minute or so. Add tomatoes, soy sauce, and broth. Increase the heat; bring to a boil and add barley; stir well. Lower the heat and simmer for about an hour until the barley grains and lamb are tender and a desired consistency of the soup has been achieved. At last, add spinach to the soup and wilt it for one minute. Serve hot.

Gundruk Suruwa
(Soup of Fermented Vegetables)

For Gundruk:
Ingredients:

* 1/2 lb mustard greens, cut in 2-in. length
* 1/2 lb daikon, thinly sliced and cut in 2-in. length
* 1/2 lb napa cabbage, cut in 2-in. length
* 1/2 lb spinach, torn into 2-in. pieces

In a large mixing bowl, add all vegetables; rinse and drain. Spread out the vegetables evenly on a large tray and allow sun drying for a day, turning frequently, to reduce the moisture. The vegetables will have wilted a bit. Collect and put in a large bowl. Pack the vegetables into a large, thick sterilized jar and compact as much as possible. Tighten the lid and let stand for two days in a warm place. After the two-day period has elapsed, open the lid and pour out the liquid ponding on top of the vegetable mixture of the jar. Press down the mixture again and close the lid. Allow fermenting for another 3-5 days. At the end of the fermentation process, the vegetable will have developed acidic flavors. Use gundruk fresh or in the sun-dried form for the soup preparation.

Soup Preparation:

* 1 cup gundruk
* 3 cups potatoes, diced
* 2 cups tomatoes, diced
* 1 cup onion, diced
* 1/2 cup green pepper, diced
* 3 dried red chilies
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
* 1 teaspoon cumin powder
* 3 cups broth or water
* 3 tablespoons cooking oil
* Salt and Pepper
* 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Cooking Instructions:

In a large sauce pan, heat oil and fry cumin seeds and dried chilies until dark. Add gundruk and brown well. Add diced onions, green pepper, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin powder, salt and pepper and stir for five minutes. Add potatoes, chopped tomatoes and broth; stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil and allow simmering for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and a desired soup consistency has been achieved. Serve with steamed rice.

Chickpea Suruwa
(Chickpea and Potatoes Curried with Tomatoes)

(Note: Chicken or lamb can be added to prepare non-vegetarian suruwa.)

Ingredients:

* 2 cups chickpeas, presoaked overnight
* 2 cups potatoes, diced
* 1 lb boiled, chunked meat (optional)
* 1.5 cups onion, diced
* 1 cup green pepper, diced
* 1 cup celery, diced
* 1 cup tomatoes, diced
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* 1 tablespoon garlic paste
* 1 tablespoon ginger paste
* 1 tablespoon chili paste
* 1 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 tablespoon cumin powder
* 2 cups broth or water
* 1/2 cup cooking oil
* Salt and Pepper
* 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Cooking Instructions:

In a large non-stick sauce pan, heat oil and fry cumin seeds for a minute or so. Add diced onions, green pepper, and celery; fry until lightly browned. Add garlic, ginger, chili and cumin powder for a couple of minutes over low heat. Bring heat to medium-low; add potatoes and stir-fry for five minutes or until potatoes are half cooked. Add turmeric and mix well for a few seconds. Put soaked chickpeas into the potato mixture and give it a good stir for five-seven minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper; allow simmering for 40-60 minutes until the chickpeas are tender and a desired consistency of the soup has been achieved. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with roti (flat bread) or puri (deep-fried flat bread).