This is a super thick soup that is incredibly easy to make and tastes awesome.
Two part preparation with the base and then its tempering.
For the Base:
- Either bottle gourd or chow chow, cut into small pieces. About 300-400 grams after cleaning and cutting. Chow Chow will be sweeter.
- Some carrots, chopped up.
- Moong Dal (split green gram), 4 tablespoons, soaked in water.
- Turmeric, a pinch.
- Salt as per taste.
- Water, about half a cup.
For the Tempering:
- Desi Ghee, about 2 tablespoons.
- Cumin seeds, a teaspoon.
- Mustard seeds, half a teaspoon.
- Small onion, finely diced.
- Garlic, finely diced.
- Green Chilly, finely chopped.
- Curry Leaves.
Combine all the ingredients in the base and pressure cook for one whistle. Let the pressure dissipate on its own.
Open the cooker and check the water level. It should be thick consistency. Use a spatula and mash everything into a paste. Check and adjust salt as needed.
In a tempering pan, heat the ghee. Crackle the cumin and mustard seeds. Add half the curry leaves, onion, garlic and green chilly. Cook till the raw smell is gone. When ready, increase the heat for a few seconds. This way the ghee should be super hot, when you carefully empty it into the mashed lentil soup. Let its sizzle and dance. Quickly add in the remaining curry leaves as well. Let these cook in the residual heat of the soup.
Enjoy as it. This needs nothing more to be a complete meal on its own.
Uncomplicated Cooking 