Bean Soup

Makes: 6 servings, 1 1/3 cups each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours (not including bean-soaking time)

Ingredients

• 2 Cups any variety of dried beans
• 4 tablespoons cooking grade oil
• 4 medium onions, finely chopped, 1/3 cup reserved for garnish
• 1 any variety of capsicum, finely chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 8 cups water
• 2 cups vegetable stock water (optional) (if you have this reduce water to 6 cups)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
• 6 tablespoons yogurt / milk cream (ground to paste)
• Chopped fresh coriander for garnish

Preparation

Rinse the beans well and soak it fully in water (preferably hot water) overnight or atleast 7 hours. Dont throw away the remaining water after removing the soaked beans. Use this water in place of normal water for soup preparation.

Cook the beans in pressure cooker over three whistles or in a rice cooker for 25 minutes or microwave it for 15 mins at 900 degree heat.

Heat oil in a kadai or deep pan and add half portion of the chopped onions, capsicum and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the cooked beans, water, vegetable stock water, left over water from soaked beans and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt. 

Divide the cooked mixture in two halves. Allow one half to coll and puree it in a blender or food processor until fairly smooth. Return the pureed soup to the kadai and heat through along with the remaining cooked mixture. 

Garnish it with chopped coriander, onion, capsicum and garlic, Add a nice layer of cream on top and serve it hot.