The winter season is synonymous with the soup season! All you need to thaw your chilly evenings is a steaming bowl of soup that will provide you with warmth, jam-packed flavours and health! There are so many soups ranging from sweet corn to vegetable soup but if moong dal (lentil) soup hasn’t made it to your list then you are missing out. Knowing how to make moong dal soup will keep you healthy and warm this winter season!

Lentils are the healthiest tiny things which are loaded with proteins and vitamins and are capable of promoting weight loss while also keeping your cholesterol levels in check. It is a bonus that moong dal is a celebrated ingredient in many Indian recipes and thus one has many delicious ways to include moong dal in the diet.

Moong dal soup is a perfect way to include lentils and have a protein-rich diet. The soup is extremely low in calories and yet keeps you full for a long period of time which helps in promoting weight loss. Moong dal soup is also good for recovering patients who need to go light on their diet as the nutrients in this soup help with faster recovery. Moong dal soup can also make a nice meal for babies of six months of age or more as it is all liquid and doesn’t require any chewing while at the same time fulfilling your child’s protein requirements for their healthy growth.

In all, moong dal soup can be a perfect evening snack or a light dinner option and here’s how to make it.

How to make moong dal soup?

Ingredients:

1/4th cup soaked moong dal
1 small carrot chopped
1 tomato chopped
A small portion of pumpkin
1 bottle gourd (or any other vegetable of your choice)
Ginger to taste
Garlic to taste
Coriander leaves
Butter
Salt, Pepper and chilli flakes to taste
Lemon juice

Method:

1. Roughly chop all the vegetables into small pieces and keep them ready. Vegetables can be of your choice and you can take anything like spinach, zucchini, beans, etc.
2. Take a pressure cooker and heat some ghee or butter in it and saute some grated ginger in it.
3. Now, add some turmeric and add all the chopped vegetables to the pressure cooker and saute them a little bit.
4. Add the soaked moong dal, some salt and 2-3 cups of water. Stir well and close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook on medium flame for 3-4 whistles.
5. Open the lid once the lentils and vegetables are properly cooked, then let it cool down and grind it in a blender to make a smooth paste out of it.
6. Now take a pan, heat some ghee in it, add 1-2 crushed cloves of garlic and saute it until golden brown.
7. Once the garlic is sauteed add some chilli flakes, crushed black pepper and cumin powder and saute for one more minute.
8. Simmer the heat and add the blended mixture to the pan. You can also add some water or coconut milk to reach the desired consistency.
9. Continue stirring until it boils and then take it off the heat.
10. Once cooked, transfer it to a soup bowl and garnish it with some lemon juice, pepper, chili flakes and fresh coriander.
11. Your moong dal soup is ready to serve!

Your kids might hate moong dal, but chances are high that they will love its soup, so go and give this recipe a try!