Shorbas’ are a great way to start a meal. Pudina dal shorba definitely has a place at the beginning of a grand feast. Shorbas’ have their roots in Persia and the Middle East.
These are piping hot soups served as an appetizer. As we know with soups, there can be many varieties. Shorbas’ are specialty soups from Asian cuisine. It is even served just on its own with some kind of bread to soak up the goodness.
Mostly it is served as an appetizer. In fact what better than a refreshing and hot drink to start a meal. It cleanses your palate and gets the gut ready.
I served this pudina dal shorba with aloo jeera and light phulkas for an early dinner. Even a bowl of this soup can be served just on its own with a slice of plain toasted bread.
More soup recipes on FOI and also try starter/appetizer recipes!
- ¼ Cup toor dal/pigeon pea dal
- ½ Tsp jeera
- 7-8 whole black pepper corn
- ½ Cup packed mint/pudina leaves
- ½" ginger
- 1 clove garlic
- Juice of ½ a lime
- ¼ Tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- Water to adjust consistency
- ½ Tbsp desi ghee
- ½ broken dry red chilli
- ¼ Tsp jeera
- Cook dal with enough water. Mash and keep aside
- Dry roast jeera and whole black pepper corn
- Wash pudina, roughly chop ginger and garlic
- In a mixer or mortar, crush ginger and garlic
- Add jeera and black pepper, blitz again
- Next add pudina leaves and crush them roughly with ginger and garlic
- Squeeze in lime juice and roughly grind again
- To mashed dal, add the crushed pudina mixture
- Now pour about a cup of water and adjust consistency. If it feels very thick add little more water. Bring it to a light boil
- Add turmeric and salt to taste
- Lastly make tadka with ghee, red chilli and jeera and pour over shorba
- Serve piping hot as an appetizer
Dal has to be very less in quantity for it to taste like shorba and not thick pudina dal. It gives body to the shorba
Plain jeera shorba can be made the same way just skip the pudina to make jeera dal shorba
Skip ghee to make it vegan, instead use oil to add tadka
Pudina Dal Shorba Stepwise:
Cook dal with enough water. Mash and keep aside
Dry roast jeera and whole black pepper corn
Wash pudina, roughly chop ginger and garlic
In a mixer or mortar, crush ginger and garlic
Add jeera and black pepper, blitz again
Next add pudina leaves and crush them roughly with ginger and garlic
Squeeze in lime juice and roughly grind again
To mashed dal, add the crushed pudina mixture
Now pour about a cup of water and adjust consistency. If it feels very thick add little more water. Bring it to a light boil
Add turmeric and salt to taste
Lastly make tadka with ghee, red chilli and jeera and pour over shorba
Serve piping hot as an appetizer
