good-and-cheap

This thick lentil soup is a flavor-packed stapleof the Indian table. There are a ton of ways toprepare dal, but the core—beyond the lentilsthemselves—is usually ginger, garlic, and chili,along with some dry spices.Dalf o r fo u r$2 .40 t o t a l$ 0.60 / s e r v i n g2 cups lentils1 tbsp butter1 onion, finely chopped1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp black mustard seeds1 tsp turmeric powder2 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 green chili, finely chopped½ inch ginger root, gratedsalt and pepper34SoupIt’s a cliché, but as soon as the weathergets cold, my apartment fills with thesmell of vegetables simmering for soup.Vegetable soups are so simple that youcan easily invent your own, using thestuff you and your family like. Startwith some onion, carrot, celery, maybea pepper; then add broth and a largeamount of, say, spinach, and suddenlyyou have spinach soup! It’s a great wayfor new cooks to gain some confidence.Just remember to season it enough.Dunk a grilled-cheese sandwich in itand even mediocre soup tastes great.You can use any type of lentil you like. If you’reusing larger lentils (like chana dal, frenchlentils, or split mung beans), soak them for30 minutes to start. If you’re using the smallorange lentils, then don’t bother soaking them;they cook very quickly.Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Addthe onion and let it cook for 1 minute, then addthe cumin and mustard seeds and stir themaround with the onions until they sizzle. Tossin the turmeric powder, garlic, and chili andcook for 3 to 4 more minutes. Add the gingerroot and stir fry quickly for about 30 seconds.Add the lentils along with enough waterto cover them, then place a lid on top. Leteverything cook for 20 to 45 minutes, or untilthe lentils are tender. Taste the dal and add saltand pepper. You’ll probably need a fair bit of saltto bring out all the flavors—a teaspoon or so.If you have them available, top the dish with asplash of cream or some chopped fresh cilantro.s o u p35