Moong dal ka shorba is a hearty one-pot soup made with yellow split lentils. A gluten-free, vegan and nutritious soup perfect for the chilly weather.
Winter weather calls for a bowl of piping hot soup. And nothing warms you up like a homemade Moong dal ka shorba. This thick and creamy lentil-based soup infused with robust flavors of bottle gourd, cumin, and lemon juice will surely warm you up on cold nights.
Moong dal ka shorba is a delicious mix of yellow lentils, vegetables, and spices. To keep it simple I have added bottle gourd to my soup, but feel free to experiment and add the veggies of your choice.
This soup is a great way to make your fussy eaters eats their veggies. Just hide the vegetables in the soup, and they will slurp their soup bowls without a fuss. 😉
What is SHORBA?
The preparation of Shorba dates back to Persian times. In the word ‘Shorba’, ‘Shor‘ refers to as ‘salty and ‘Ba‘ means a ‘stew dish cooked with water.’ Traditionally, shorba is prepared by simmering meat in boiling water along with salt and aromatic spices.
It’s a very versatile dish and travelers used to make Shorba (meat version) on the road with whatever spice and ingredient they had on hand, and that is how the term Shorba spread as far as it could.
But over the years, Shorba has undergone multiple modifications with simple ingredients to suit a wide variety of taste buds and many vegetarian alternatives of Shorba have surfaced.
The recipe that I have here is named after an Arabic term – ‘Shurbah‘, meaning soup. Though it may look quite similar to the soup, the combination of herbs and spices in this recipe gives Shorba a very distinct flavor. Soup is often served as starters, but Shorba can be served as an accompaniment to the main dish or in between courses.
How to make Dal Ka Shorba?
Start by cooking the lentils and chopped veggies together. Cook under the vegetables is soft and tender. Allow it cool. Use an immersion blender to blend the lentils until smooth. Add water for desired consistency.
Temper the soup with ghee and cumin seeds. Cumin seeds elevate the overall flavor of the soup. For a smooth and creamy texture, finish the soup with a drizzle of cashew cream and cilantro leaves. Moong dal ka shorba makes an excellent side but wait, pair it with rice or bread for a complete meal.
What’s so good About this Moong Dal Ka Shorba?
There are a lot of good reasons to make this soup. It’s –
- healthy
- hearty
- flavorful
- filling
- nutritious
- and easily customizable. In short, a soul-satisfying dinner for the whole family that comes together in just 30 minutes. Perfect comfort food for busy weeknights!
Try this refreshing warm and comforting soup, and it’s sure going to tickle your taste buds. If you have questions related to this recipe, send me an email, and I would be happy to answer them. We’d love to hear from you. ?
Craving for more, try these other options!
Thanks for reading.?
Moong dal ka shorba
INGREDIENTS
FOR DAL
- 3/4 cup Yellow Moong Dal
- 1/4 cup Chopped bottle gourd (lauki) (optional)
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 small piece of Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Haldi (Turmeric powder)
- - - Season to taste
- 1.5 cup Water
- 1 small Chopped green Chilies (optional)
SPICES
- 1 tablespoon Crushed red chili flakes or Red chili powder (adjust according to taste)
- 1 tablespoon Coarsely crushed black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1/2 cup Water ( to dilute the soup, add more if needed)
TEMPERING
- 2 teaspoon Ghee/butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
GARNISHES
- - - Chopped cilantro leaves - to garnish
- - - Roasted cumin seeds (crush and sprinkle on top)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Let's begin by assembling ingredients for dal.
- Chopped Bottle gourd. Feel free to add veggies of your choice - carrots, zucchini, broccoli, and asparagus.
- Clean and wash dal.
- In a pressure cooker add all the ingredients listed under "FOR DAL" and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles (approximately 10-15 minutes in a closed cooker without whistles).
- Using a hand blender, puree the dal.
- Adjust the consistency of the dal by adding extra water. Set it aside.
- Assemble rest of the ingredients.
- Add black peppercorns powder, red chili flakes and pour in lemon juice. Mix it well.
- In a pan heat ghee/butter and add cumin seeds. As it starts to crackle take it off the flame.
- Pour this tempering over hot dal puree.
- Mix and adjust seasonings as per taste and allow it to simmer for 3-4 minutes on low flame, stirring continuously.
- Feel free to add cream on top, sprinkle cilantro leaves and some crushed roasted cumin seeds.
- Serve hot with the choice of bread.
RECIPE NOTES
- Don't have a liking for bottle gourd, no worries. Sub bottle gourd with any vegetable like carrots, zucchini, broccoli, and asparagus.
- Moong dal or yellow lentils can be swapped with the lentils of your choice but cooking time will vary.
- Non-vegans can top their shorba with regular cream.
- Feel free to season this shorba with your favorite spices.
