Elsie’s Dhal Dumpling Soup

Dhal Dumpling Soup

Simple homestyle soup flavored with cumin and coconut

Yellow split peas boiled with seasonings and  topped off with oil heated and flavoured with roasted cumin seeds (Geera) and minced garlic  is known as dhal in Trinidad and Tobago. In traditional Indian cuisine there is a variety of "dhal " preparations made with a range of peas and beans. 

 This soup recipe is based on the traditional "Trini" type of dhal that I grew up with and my first taste was made by my grandmother Elsie . Granny Elsie's Dhal Dumpling soup was traditional dhal with tiny dumplings , my mother in an effort to add more vegetables to my diet would add carrots, pak choi, and pumpkin .

 I have since adapted and experimented with this recipe to my own tastes by adding pumpkin and coconut cream while seasoning my dumplings. I use red or green lentils because they boil within 20 minutes versus traditional yellow split peas which take 4 hours based on elevation where I live.

 Safety notes:

 Please cover the cumin seeds as they roast !  I have set off the fire alarm almost every time I make this recipe so if you are in an apartment or house where the fire alarm is sensitive .Trust me :)

  Use cooking mittens when pouring the tempered / flavoured oil into the soup base. The hot oil splatters and sizzles and can cause burns .

 This is a fantastic winter type soup, that gives the comfort of home to me. I hope you try  it and let me know what variations worked for you.

Ingredients:

 Dhal Mixture :

• 1/1/2 cups of red lentils

• 7 cups of water

• 3 cloves of garlic roughly minced

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 1/2 tablespoon of roasted ground cumin(Ground Geera)

• 1/2 tablespoon of turmeric

• 1/2 cup of coconut cream

• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin (Optional)

 Dumplings :

• 1/2 cup of flour

• 1/8 teaspoon of salt

• 1/2 cup of coconut cream

• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

 Flavoured Oil :

• 1 Tablespoon of cumin seeds (Geera)

• 2-3 Tablespoons of Oil

• 1 clove of garlic finely minced

  Preparation:

1. Put the 7 cups of water to boil and add in the finely minced garlic, salt, turmeric and cumin.

2. When the water is at a vigorous boil, add in the lentils and partly cover and allow to boil until the lentils are falling apart. (Red/Green lentils - 20 mins , yellow split peas can take longer and may require additional water to be added to get to the soft consistency.)

3. Mix dumplings by adding all dry ingredients into a bowl and gradually mix in coconut cream until all the flour is fully incorporated.  The dough should be a firm texture and can be rolled into a log approximately 1 inch in thickness.

4. When the lentils have softened and fall apart when pressed with a spoon , add in the pumpkin and coconut cream and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Using a hand blender puree until desired thickness. (This can be done with a regular blender and returned to the pot). Taste and adjust salt and black pepper to taste.

6. Using a knife cut the dumpling log into bite sized pieces and add to the pureed lentil mixture. Allow the dumplings to cook fully 5-8 minutes or until the dumplings are floating to the top of the soup.

7. Turn off heat and prepare the flavoured oil.

8. Add cumin seeds to a small fry pan and cover while on high heat. Allow the cumin seeds to blacken, approximately 10 minutes . The seeds will start popping and will become fragrant when at the desired roast level.

9. Add in the finely minced clove of garlic and oil . As the garlic turns brown turn off the heat and pour the mixture into the soup .

Serving Suggestions :

• Crusty bread

• Salad