A hearty Parsi soup - Oash-e-Berenj
A thick soup made with chickpeas, black eyes beans and mix of lentils
Ingredients
25 gms whole green moong dal
25 gms whole masoor dal or brown lentils
75 gms chickpeas
25 gms black eyed beans
25 gms channa dal or chickpea lentils
100 gms rice
75 gms dill leaves, chopped
50 gms coriander leaves, chopped
15 gms green chilli, finely chopped
20 gms garlic cloves, minced
100 gms onion, finely chopped
75 ml oil
5 gms cumin seeds
7 gms turmeric powder
Salt to taste
8 gms crushed black pepper
lemon wedges
Method:
1. Wash and soak the lentils overnight (except the channa dal, which can be soaked 30 minutes before cooking the lentils)
2. In a pot, heat water and add all the lentils and salt, boil till soft. (Water is double the amount of the lentils.)
3. Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes.
4. In a large pot, heat oil, crackle the cumin seeds, adding in the garlic, green chilies and turmeric, and sauté.
5. Add in the chopped dill and coriander, sauté till bright green and fragrant.
6. Add the rice, sauté for a couple of minutes and then add water till covered by about 1 inch and cook.
7. Once the rice is half cooked, add in the boiled lentils, seasoning and let it boil further for 15 minutes.
8. Spoon into large bowls and serve with freshly squeezed lemons.
Note: Meat on the bone is also added to the dish. This can be added at the time of boiling the lentils, so it is soft and tender by the end of the preparation.