BURMESE SAMOSA SOUP

BURMESE SAMOSA SOUP image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 23

1 cup toor dal, washed until water runs clear
4 cups water
4 tablespoons ghee
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 dried red chiles de arbol, broken in half
3 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons ancho chile, powdered
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon Indian ground hot red chile (Kashmiri diggi mirch) (or more to taste)
2 cups shredded cabbage
6 cups vegetable broth (more or less)
1 teaspoon Tamcon (Tamarind concentrate)
1 teaspoon garam masala
salt to taste
2 cups mung bean sprouts, washed
4 samosas, store-bought
8 falafels, restaurant-made
chopped cilantro, for garnish
chopped spring onions, for garnish
lemon wedges

Steps:

Bring the washed toor dal to boil with the four cups of water; cover partially and simmer until done, 35-45 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Roast the coriander, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns in a dry skillet, separately, over medium-low heat until just fragrant. Cool, then grind in a spice grinder, and set aside. Fry the sliced onion, jalapenos, and chiles in ghee over low heat until onions just begin to brown. Add the ground dry-roasted coriander, cumin, and pepper, and the turmeric, ancho chile, and Indian red pepper. Raise heat to medium and fry together for a few minutes, then add the shredded cabbage. Stir and fry until cabbage loses its raw look, around five minutes. Add four cups of vegetable stock, the Tamarind Concentrate, and the cooked dal with its liquid. Adjust consistency with additional vegetable stock depending on the amount of broth you want. Cover and simmer over low heat for half an hour or so. Add garam masala, and salt to taste. Warm the samosas in the oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes or so, then add the falafels for another 5 minutes or until all are heated through. Place one samosa in each of four soup bowls and cut into five or six pieces. Place two falafels in each bowl and cut into quarters. Add the bean sprouts, a quarter of the cooked broth, garnish with the cilantro and spring onions. Pass around lemon wedges for everyone to season their bowls to taste.