Procedure:

Wash dal thoroughly. Add dal, 2 ½ cup water, salt, turmeric powder and 1 tbsp mustard oil in pan and boil them in medium heat. If boiling generates some froth, do not get puzzled. Turn down the heat and stir the dal. Froth will go down. Once froth goes down, put the pan on medium heat again. Boiling time depends on the quality of the dal and the ambient temperature. Generally it takes 15-20 mins. Keep aside when done.

Preheat a pan. Heat 2 tbsp of mustard oil. Add fenugreek, red chili and green chili. Stir softly and fry for 20 seconds. Add chopped tomato and capsicum, stir for another 20 secs. Simmer. Pour the boiled dal into the pan slowly. Cook for 3 more mins. on low heat.

Turn off the heat. Add the chopped coriander leaves and put on a lid. Your dal soup is ready. Serve hot after 5-10 mins.

You can make the soup light or heavy according to your choice.

• Some people don't like the dal soup fully boiled into paste. In such case, the dal is removed from heat before it turns into a paste. The soup is then whipped carefully with an special whipper (Ghutni) and kept aside. This whipped dal is added to the fried fenugreek, chilli, tomato and capsicum later. You may use an egg beater instead of a ghutni for whipping the dal.