Mulligatawny Palak - A Curried Lentil Soup with Spinach

Name: Mulligatawny Palak - A Curried Lentil Soup with Spinach
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: South Asia — Muslim traditions
Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp garam masala; 1 large onion; 2 celery ribs; 1 large carrot; 1 leek; 8 garlic cloves; 2 tsp turmeric; 2 tsp white pepper; 2 tbsp coriander leaves; 2 cup split red lentils; 0.25 cup brown lentils; 3 l boiling water; salt; 0.5 lemon; 200 g spinach

Lentils, spinach and celery simmered on the stove and spiced with garam masala and turmeric for a South Asian soup.

1 hr 15 min · Serves 8 · Medium

Method

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Time: Prep 15 min · Cook 60 min · 75 min total
Difficulty: medium

1
Heat the oil and garam masala in a large pot over medium-high heat and add the onion, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
2
About 2 minutes later add the celery, carrot and leek. Keep stirring while the vegetables soften.
2 min
3
About 8 minutes later add the garlic, turmeric and white pepper. A couple of minutes later (by now your kitchen will smell delicious) add the coriander, red lentils, brown lentils and boiling water. Salt lightly.
8 min
4
At the same time squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, and zest some lemon rind into the pot with a grater.
5
Give it a good mix and cover pot with lid. Allow to simmer, adjusting heat downwards and stirring occasionally.
6
After about 30 minutes, roughly blend the Mulligatawny in the pot with a hand blender. The split red lentils will already be soft and creamy, so just blend until most of the brown lentils are incorporated. Leave a bit of texture in the dhal.
30 min
7
Stir, check the consistency and taste, and add more hot water and salt if you need to. Add the chopped spinach to the pot, give it a good stir, replace the lid and turn heat to low. Let the spinach wilt in the dhal for the next 10 minutes or so.
10 min