Yellow Mung Dal Soup - Dal Shorba

I found this recipe on a blog written by a Lithuanian woman who now lives in India - she found the love of her life while studying in the US, he is Indian and so now she lives in India, and publishes the "Virtuve su indisku prieskoniu" blog (Kitchen with an Indian flavor). The author of the recipe is Sanjeev Kapoor.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  neutral  oil
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1 -2  garlic clove, minced
• 3⁄4 inch  slice fresh ginger, grated
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1⁄2 cup  mung dal (yellow lentils)
• 4 -5  cups water, I used 4 cups broth
• 1 -2  chili pepper, see note
• 1 -2  tablespoon butter
• 1  teaspoon ground cumin
•  salt
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice or 1  tablespoon lime juice
•  chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Note: I used 1/2 tsp of dried thyme and just crumbled it between my fingers. (That's before I realized the recipe actually called for turmeric, not thyme). If you don't like things too hot, slice the pepper in half and seed it and toss in the halves - retrieve them before pureeing/serving. The recipe called for water, but I used vegetable broth, which I think added to the flavor of the soup.
2. Wash and rinse the mung dal. The first package I bought was artificially colored - I washed it repeatedly until the water was quite clear, so check your package before buying!
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion, sauteing until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, stirring, and cook briefly.
4. Add the turmeric.
5. Add the mung dal and 4 cups of broth or water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. If you are using water, add salt at this point. Also add the chili peppers. Stir from time to time and skim off any foam. Add additional water, as needed. Simmer until the mung dal are quite soft, 30-45 minutes.
6. Puree at this point, if desired. If you are using chili halves, remove before pureeing. (The last time I made this I used a ripe jalapeno, and left it in . I did not puree it to the very end, leaving some texture and very pretty red chili flecks in the soup).
7. In a small skillet heat the butter until it foams. Add the cumin and stir it in for just a few seconds, then scrape it all into the saucepan. (The last few times I made this, I just sprinkled a little cumin on top, and that worked just as well, less work and fewer dishes to wash!).
8. Add the lemon or lime juice and ladle into bowls. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
9. This made two servings for me, but will probably make 3 to 4 for others.