Saturday, August 20, 2011

Spinach & Yellow Split Peas Soup & a Free Recipe Book Giveaway

Spinach & Yellow Split pea Soup
I first tasted this as a side dish served with banana leaf lunch. Typically in a banana leaf lunch they serve around 8+ side dishes. So some of them I eat alone without rice. As soon as I tasted this curry it stroked me that what a healthy curry that can be made as a soup.

Spinach combined with legume – yellow split peas provides complete nutrition and protein.  Spinach is ranked as one of world’s healthiest vegetable. It’s rich in vitamins (vitamin A, K & C) and minerals (Iron, magnesium, folate etc) and also a powerful anti-oxidant. It is best to eat spinach in raw form, (in salads & sandwiches) else if you are cooking spinach it has to be cooked for less than a minute to preserve its nutrition’s.
Spinach & Yellow Split pea Soup
I had to put some extra effort to do this post, as I’m still recovering from post holiday syndrome. Slowly getting back to my routine. I really enjoyed this holiday in Europe, wonderful weather, indulged in scrumptious food and took 1000+ photos in picturesque sights. Stay tuned I’ll share some photos with you’ll in photography page. Some of you may wonder why I’ve enjoyed weather, it’s because I come from a hot, humid 24*7 sweating weather, I love to walk outdoors, but I can’t do that here because of weather. That’s why from morning till 10pm or so, I was out enjoying 20+C weather in Europe.
Spinach & Yellow Split pea Soup

Print recipe here
Ingredients
Serves 2-3

2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used Indian sesame oil)
1 red onion, diced
4-5 green chilies, diced
1 tomato, diced
Few curry leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
1tsp of each mustard and cumin seeds
Pinch of fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander and curry powder
50g Yellow Split Peas, soaked in water minimum for 1hour, washed and drained
1 vegetable soup cube
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (from Indian stores) optional
500ml water
400ml milk or 200ml coconut cream mixed with 200ml water
4 tbsp low fat yoghurt (optional)
Pinch of turmeric powder
100g Spinach leaves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Please note that yellow split peas have to be soaked prior to making this soup. Its better if you could soak overnight, else even a minimum 1 hour is enough. More you soak it, easier and less time it takes to cook them.

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, green chili, tomato and curry leaves for 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger sauté till aromatic. Stir in mustard, fennel, fenugreek seeds and curry, cumin and coriander powder sauté for few more minutes.

Add yellow split peas, soup cube, fenugreek leaves, water, milk, yoghurt and turmeric powder, stir well, close the lid and cook for 30-40 minutes till split peas are soft.

At this stage depending on your preference you may add water to loosen the soup. Turn off heat, add salt and spinach and stir well. Sprinkle lemon juice to your taste preference and serve in soup bowls.

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3 comments:

  1. This is a great soup, I want to add it to my soup rotation. When I hear yellow split peas I think of the Indian Toovar dal, but many Indian cooks mean Channa dal. I suppose either can be used in this recipe.
    Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Anthony, Tnx for your lovely feedback, yes channa dal and yellow split peas are the same. Enjoy...

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  3. I made this soup as a winter warmer this evening. Wow! I was really happy with the rich flavours and heartiness of the meal. Just watch out for those chilis! I suggest 1 - 2 chilis, as I found the soup to be far too hot.
    Also, 'fenugreek' is known as 'methi' and is easier to find in shops under that name. It is a wonderfully aromatic addition.
    Lastly, I added the spinach in at the beginning of the simmer, not the end, as I wanted less 'leaf'.
    All in all, this is a wonderful recipe, and I can't wait to make it again - with fewer chilis this time ;)


    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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