Lentil Soup (Masoor)

Many people mistakenly call all kinds of beans Lentil. Lentil is a specific type of bean which is flat, round and has a dark brown husk. It makes a very hearty soup all by itself or try it with some hot rice.

Lentil (Masoor)  

Ingredients:

Whole Lentil – 1 cup

Water – 3 cups

Oil – 1 Tbsp

Jeera (Cumin Seeds) – ¼ tsp

Rai (Mustard Seeds) – ¼ tsp

Haldi (Turmeric) – ¼ tsp

Hing (Asofoetida) – pinch

Onion – 1 small, chopped

Garlic – 4 cloves, chopped

Ginger – 1 tsp, finely grated

Green Chilies – to taste, finely chopped

Tomato – 1 medium, chopped

Dhania Powder (Coriander Powder) – 1/2 tsp

Jeera Powder (Cumin Powder) – ¼ tsp

Red Chili Powder – ¼ tsp or to taste

Salt – ½ tsp or to taste

Lemon Juice – ½ tsp or to taste

Cilantro/Coriander Leaves – 5 sprigs, chopped for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash Lentil in running water until water runs clear. Soak for approx 1 hour. Drain water.
2. Add Lentil and 3 cups Water in a pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles.
3. Heat Oil in a pan.
4. Add Jeera and Rai and allow to sputter.
5. Add Haldi, Hing, Onion, Garlic, Ginger and Green Chilies – mix well and cook until onions turn light brown.
6. Add Tomato – mix and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add Dhania, Jeera and Red Chili Powders – cook for 1 minute.
8. Add in cooked Lentil, Salt and a little extra water if the mixture is too thick.
9. Allow to boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Add Lemon Juice to taste and garnish with Cilantro.
11. Serves 4-5

Tip:

1. Soaking the Lentil for about an hour before pressure cooking reduces cooking time.
2. For a creamy variation, add a dollop of yogurt (at the end) to your lentil.

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0 thoughts on “Lentil Soup (Masoor)

    1. Hi Kelly,

      Since we have pressure cookers, we tend to use them frequently…a big time saving gadget! Lentils are one of the few beans that do not require soaking. They can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes on the stove, depending on how soft you like them. If cooking lentils on the stove, you may want to add salt after they have cooked – the cooking time is faster that way.

  1. Hi Hetal and Anuja,
    I just finished making this right now and it is AWESOME!!! It took me almost no time at all! God bless lentils..lol. I just increased the spices a bit as I like spicy lentils. Your recipes are so easy to follow. Thank you for responding so quickly.

  2. Hi Heatal and Anuja,
    When adding yogurt into any boiling or hot liquid, I find it lumps up a bit. Any suggestions?

    Also, does your website carry the pressure cooker that whistles? If not, how do you determine time of cooking? Does it still let of steam burst (if not whistles) that you can count?

    1. Hi Judy,
      The best you can do is to beat the yogurt very well before you add it into curries. And even after you add it in, keep stirring on low heat.

      Regarding the non-whistle pressure cookers, they say that once the pressure has built up, every 3 minutes is equivelant to a whistle.

      Hope that helps!

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