This is an adaptation of my grandmother Ada de la Harpe’s recipe. The main difference is that I don’t strain the soup before serving; I prefer to have the chunky vegetables as part of the dish. The coconut milk adds a creaminess to the soup and the Maldive fish – if used – has a subtle umaminess. I finished mine off with a drizzle of chili oil.
Dhal Soup
Adapted from my grandmother Ada de la Harpe's cookery book this soup had body and flavour to spare - and it's simple to make
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup red dhal
- 6 cups water
- 1 tomato
- 10 cm celery stalk
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small parsnip
- 1 bunch nettles Optional
- 1 eating spoon coriander seed
- 1 eating spoon Maldive fish Optional - you could also use dry prawns
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 stick cinnamon A 5 cm stick
- 2 tablespoons thin coconut milk Thinned coconut cream works well
- 2 shallot onions You can substitute a small brown onion
Instructions
- Chop the carrot and parsnip into small pieces
- Chop the celery into thin pieces crosswise
- Chop the tomato roughly
- Strip the leaves off the stalks of nettles if using them
- Peel and slice thin the shallots or brown onion
- Grind coriander seeds roughly
- Pound/grind the Maldive fish very fine if using
- Add everything to the saucepan with the dhal except the shallot/onion
- Add a pinch of salt to the saucepan
- Let all of this boil for 15 minutes. The water should reduce down by about a third,if not boil a little longer
- Add the coconut milk to the soup
- Serve with a sprinkle of shallot/onion each on each plat of soup
Notes
