Spicy lentil soup with squash, tomato and green beans (sambar)

Ingredients

For the vegetables

• 100g/3½oz tur dal (yellow split pigeon peas), well rinsed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 100g/3½oz carrots, cut into 2cm/¾in chunks
• 100g/3½oz pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm/¾in chunks
• 100g/3½oz green beans, cut into 2cm/¾in lengths
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1½ tsp sugar
• 1½ tsp salt

For the masala

• 50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil
• 1 tsp chana dal (Bengal gram or split yellow peas)
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 4 dried Kashmiri chillies with seeds
• handful fresh curry leaves
• 1 tsp asafoetida

For the tarka

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1½ tsp fenugreek seeds

Method

1. For the vegetables, pour 1.5 litres/2½ pints of water into a large, deep pan and bring to the boil. Add the tur dal, onion, carrots, pumpkin, green beans and tomato and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, sugar and salt and simmer gently for a further 15 minutes, or until the dal is soft.

2. For the masala, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the rest of the masala ingredients and fry for 30 seconds to one minute, or until fragrant. Tip them into a spice grinder or mini food processor, along with the oil, and blend to a paste. Stir the paste into the pan of vegetables.

3. For the tarka, heat the oil in a clean frying pan over a medium heat and fry the tarka ingredients for 10 minutes, or until the onion is softened and golden-brown. Stir this into the pan with the vegetables, along with any oil, and serve.