Ingredients
650g carrots, grated
150g red lentils, washed
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons black cumin seeds
1 liter vegetable stock
125 ml cream
sprinkling of dried chili flakes
a good glug of peanut oil
salt and
pepper
handful of coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
Method
- In a non-stick frying pan, dry roast the cumin seeds until they begin to pop in the pan – approx. 1-2
minutes. Remove about 1 tablespoon and set aside.
- In a large pot heat up the glug of peanut oil and sauté the onions until
translucent. Add the cumin seeds and chili flakes, ten add the carrots and
lentils and mix. Finally add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and
simmer for approx. 15 minutes. The lentils should be soft and swollen.
- Remove from heat and add the cream, then whiz the soup with a hand held purée machine or in a blender until smooth. Place back on the heat and allow the soup to heat through again but do not let it boil. Season to taste and serve with a sprinkling of coriander leaves and the remaining roasted cumin seeds.
Serve the soup with a dollop of fresh natural yogurt and some naan bread.
The soup is fairly thick but if you prefer it thinner just add some more
vegetable stock. Make sure that you taste it before you season it though as the
stock can be fairly salty.