Lettuce and Matki sprouts Dal /Soup

Greens are great for your digestive track as they bring in fiber into your diet. A good digestive system ensures smooth running of your other systems and that mean over all health! Salad, soups and grilled forms of leafy vegetables should be made a part of your everyday meal. However, it is important to check for allergy information before you choose your greens. For example, people with Thyroid malfunction are asked to minimize use of a few vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower, soyabeans or soya products (as these food varieties contain goitrogens and do not allow absorption of Iodine by the body.)

Lettuce is among the common greens used in salads. I recommend that you try at least one variety of lettuce in your diet if they are available in your local market. Here is a nice article on Lettuce varieties for you to know more about this leafy veggie. HERE . If you are bored of eating raw lettuce in your salads and sandwiches, this simple soup/dal recipe is a nice way to eat your lettuce. It is very easy to make and is great on a cold night.

leafy veggie - Red leaf Romaine lettuce

Moth dal (gujrati) or matki dal (Marathi) - Raw

Matki /moth dal (sprouts) and other lentil varieties feature prominently in Gujarati and Marathi cuisines

For this recipe:

Soak matki in water for at least 8 hours and drain it completely 

Tie it in a neat kitchen towel and leave it for a day for the matki to sprout

you could also use the soaked matki for this soup/dal 

All you need: serves 4

Matki sprouts - 1 1/2 cup (use 1 and  cup raw matki for 1 1/2 cups sprouts)

Romaine lettuce (a bunch) - 3 cups when chopped
Onion- (chopped) - 1/2 cup
spices: to grind
cumin seeds 1 tsp
Green chillies- 2
curry leaves - 5/6
mustard seeds (black) - 1 tsp
ginger - 1" piece- grated
garlic- 1 clove (optional)

Spices
turmeric powder - a pinch
kuzhambu powder - 2 tsps
Indian Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Asafoetida -  a pinch
Bay leaf - 1 (fresh or dry)
oil - 1 tsp

Clove - 1
cilantro/coriander leaves for garnish

Method

• Pressure cook matki / moth sprouts (a single whistle)
• Grind mustard seeds, cumin, chillies, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and  half the quantity of onions into a smooth paste
• In a kadai,  pour oil and put the clove and bay leaf and remaining onions and saute well
• Add the chopped lettuce leaves and keep stirring until the lettuce is half done
• Add the pressure cooked matki /moth sprouts and stir well
• Pour the spice paste and salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida, kuzhambu powder and cook until done.
• Add garam masala powder (optional) and simmer for another minute
• Serve this soup with bread/roti or steamed rice

you could add some water while cooking to make the dish a little more soupy.


Trivia: ayurveda
Mustard and cumin paste helps in keeping your body warm in the winters
Asafoetida and garlic help in digesting the lentil better and reduces gas in your stomach
Lentils /whole dals (not kellogs lol...) are easy to cook and digest when they are soaked allowed to sprout