Urad dal is sweet, heavy, unctuous, and slightly heating. This is an excellent, calming food for vata and vata-types can eat it frequently. Pitta and kapha can eat it once or twice a week.
Never eat this soup with fish, yogurt, or eggplant, because it makes a bad food combination that can cause toxins to accumulate in the body.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups urad dal
- 5 cups water
- 1 tablespoon safflower oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 curry leaves, fresh or dried
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped or 2 pinches cayenne
- 1 pinch hing
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
Directions:
Wash the urad dal twice, so that the water runs clear. Cook the urad dal in water until tender, about half an hour. Stir occasionally.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves, and stir until the seeds pop. Turn down the heat to low and add the cilantro, garlic or cayenne, and hing. Cook until the garlic is slightly brown.
Add the cooked dal soup to the spices, then add the turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and serve with rice and chapatis.
