Radish soup

Ingredients ;

  1 cup split yellow peas/lentils ( toor/tur dal), cooked soft and mushy with water
1 daikon or a bunch of radishes, peeled, sliced or diced into cubes
3 tsps tamarind paste
2 Tbsps spice powder for soups (sambar powder/madras sambar powder)
3tsps salt
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp oil
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1 or 2 dried red chilies, broken into big bits
Optional: a pinch of asafoetida powder
Optional: 4 to 5 curry leaves, fresh/dried

Method:

Heat a heavy bottom saucepan with the oil.When hot add the mustard seeds. After they pop add the dried red chilies, optional asafoetida powder and curry leaves. Give it a fry and immediately add the radish just give it a fry. Now add a cup of water and cook the radishes half covered until well cooked. Add more water if needed. The radish should easily break apart when pressed between fingers. Now dilute the tamarind paste in 1/2 a cup of water and add this to the cooked radishes. Bring it to a full boil so that the raw smell of the tamarind goes away.Add the cooked split yellow peas, a cup of water, sambar powder, salt, turmeric powder and bring it all to another full roaring boil. Remove from heat and serve. The consistency should be like a thick soup.