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Mercimek çorbası (Turkish lentil soup)
Red lentils (mercimek, masoor dal) are a traditional Northern Cyprus ingredient either
cooked into a spicy, thick South Asian dal, or in the form of this
milder Turkish soup. Mercimek çorbası is ubiquitous in Turkey; most
restaurants serve it or a similar lentil-based soup called Ezogelin
çorbası as a standard first course. Red lentil soup or dal, cooked with
onion, tomato, garlic and cumin, stretches from Morocco to Nepal.
As with most of my
recipes, amounts are negotiable and seasoning to taste (I like the
flavors quite strong; so tend to be quite enthusiastic with the garlic,
mint, cumin, peppers, etc).
Ingredients:
Red lentils (500 grams; about 2-3 cups)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1-2 tomatoes, finely chopped (or equivalent amount of canned chopped tomatoes)
3-5 large cloves garlic, minced
Chicken stock (stock cubes will do if you haven't got the real thing)
Tomato puree/paste (optional)
Olive oil
Cumin
Dried mint
Salt and black pepper
Red chili pepper flakes (preferably pulbiber, a tangy, dried and preserved Turkish variety)
Toppings
1 Lemon
Sumac (optional; a powder made from dried red berries used in Persian, Turkish, and Central Asian cooking)
Plain yogurt (again, Middle Eastern or Greek style if possible)
Method
1. Place the lentils in a bowl of warm water and soak (half an hour early if possible)
2. Chop onions and garlic, saute in 2-3 spoonfuls of olive oil until soft, adding about 1 tbsp cumin as they become fragrant.
3. Add chopped tomato and cook for a few minutes until soft.
4.
Add 2-3 cups of chicken stock and soaked lentils and bring to a boil;
add 3-4 tablespoons of dried mint, 1 teaspoon chili pepper, and a dash
or two of salt and pepper. Add 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste (optional,
but nice). Add water (or more stock) to keep a soupy consistency.
5.
Cook on medium heat for at least 30-40 minutes (like most things with
lentils, it's better after several, and best the next day), adding
liquid as necessary. Season with more mint, cumin, chili, salt and
pepper as needed, to taste.
6. When lentils are soft and the mixture
has become creamy, turn down the heat. You can puree the soup in
batches if you like; but it's also fine as is.
7. Serve with lemon
slices (or just add a little lemon juice at the end) and topped with
yogurt, pulbiber/chili pepper flakes, and sumac.
Many thanks to Elizabeth @ verbalprivilege.blogspot.com for the recipe.
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