A wholesome, tasty soup inspired by Myanmar cuisine. You may serve this by itself or with rice.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-inch/2.5-cm cinnamon stick
4-6 dried red chilli pepper, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3-5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon de-seeded tamarind chunk
½ cup/120g moong dal (husked and split green beans), rinsed and cooked
½ cup/55g pieces of vermicelli noodles, lightly roasted in oil/Ghee
Salt to taste
Method
1. Heat the oil in a medium pan over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and red chilli peppers. Stir for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add the onions and stir until golden.
3. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir for 5 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Add the turmeric powder and mix.
5. Extract the juice of tamarind in 1 cup/250ml water and discard the residue. Add the tamarind extract to the pan. Bring to a boil.
6. Add the vermicelli and mix. Cook the vermicelli , stirring frequently. You may add additional water as required.
7. When vermicelli is cooked, add the cooked mung dal and salt to taste. You may add water as necessary to bring it to your preferred consistency. Bring to a gentle boil and remove from the heat.
8. Serve hot.
Gastronomy 