Protein Packed Pot meal

Wishing You a Very Happy and Healthy New Year 2012!

We enjoyed the Holidays and pampered with lots of food. A high level of sugar weeks: cookies, fruitcake and sweets for New Year and not to forget the double helpings of fat laden appetizers that I went over board! Probably I am not the only person to feel guilt about the over indulging part in Holiday time! I don't know about you, but I definitely need to bring back my digestive system on track. I cannot spend hours doing the intense workout but can cut down the carbohydrate (rice/bread) and sugar once in a while.

This one pot meal works like magic if you want to be fuller and satisfied this one is perfect. I mistakenly thought it was horse gram and  brought this brown lentils one day. I don't regret, masoor dhal cooks quickly and taste great. Though lentils, are quiet common in our Indian cooking, I never did soup. This protein packed brown lentils soup is filling and hearty. More over, I flavored with Indian spices and can be eaten as side dish for rotis.

Brown Lentils / Whole Masoor dhal

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Ingredients:

Brown lentils/ whole masoor dhal: 1 cup
Onion: 1 diced
1 can (16.oz) of diced tomato or 3 to 4 tomatoes diced
Garlic: 3 pods, peeled and minced
Vegetable bouillon (omit if u use broth): 1 cube or
Vegetable broth/ water (I used 16.oz of empty tomato tin to measure water- measured with empty tomato can twice)
Celery, carrot and zucchini: 1+ 1/2 cups
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Bay leaf: one
Olive oil: 1 to 2 tsp
Salt: can be added at the end if needed
Cilantro: to garnish or to flavor

Method:

Pressure cook method (easy for cooking lentils)

Rinse the lentils properly twice.

Heat the Olive oil and saute the onion and bay leaf, add the garlic fry few seconds, add the lentils, cumin powder, diced tomato and bouillon and water or Broth.
Cover and cook until 5 to 6 whistles. Check the lentils are cooked (it should be normally)
Once the pressure is released, remove the lid. Add the vegetable and let it simmer another 15 to 20 minutes (or leave a whistle in cooker)
Check the salt and the soup consistency (u may add water if u like little thin) serve hot with cilantro on top.


In pot

Rinse the lentils properly twice.
Heat a big pot with Olive oil and saute the onion and bay leaf, add the garlic fry few seconds, add the lentils, cumin powder and (bouillon + water) or Broth.
Cover and cook until the pulse are done. Once the pulse is cooked add the tomato and vegetable and simmer another 20 min.
Check the salt and the soup consistency (u may add water if u like little thin) serve hot with cilantro on top.