dal soup

My mom asked for a red lentil recipe since my brother and I left them behind over the holidays. This one's for you mom!

Serving size: 4

Ingredients:
2 c. red lentils
7 c. water
1/2 t. turmeric
1 T. canola oil
1 T. butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. ginger, minced
1 t. mustard seeds
1 t. cumin seeds
1 t. coriander seeds
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
salt to taste
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. cilantro (optional)

In a medium pot, bring the red lentils, water, and turmeric to a boil. Turn down the heat and let it simmer covered for 30 minutes.

In a small frying pan, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, mustard, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and cook for about a minute. Don't worry if you don't have whole seeds, you can use ground spices. Pour the browned spices into the soup and salt to taste. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice and optionally cilantro (we used frozen cilantro from the summer). Enjoy!