Dhal Soup - A Recipe from the Cookbook of Ada de la Harpe

This is a cross between rasam - a thin Indian soup made with tomatoes and spices, usually eaten with dosai or rice, often one of the dishes in a thali - and a European broth. Whereas with the rasam you serve it tomato pieces, spices and all, with this soup you strain it as you would a broth before serving. It has a wonderful fragrance and delicate sweetness from the cinnamon - the stronger the cinnamon the more the fragrance - cut with the acid of the tomato, with the dhal giving just enough body.

I cannot remember ever having had this as a child, but it has become an instant favourite. It's perfect for vegans, vegetarians and those with gluten intolerance, but carnivores will be mighty satisfied with it too.

Ada's version (in all these blog posts I will give you Ada's recipe as she wrote it, and then my updated version)


1/2 "chundu' of dhal. Out it to boil in about 6 tea-cups of water. Put in with it (less not more), of a dessert-spoonful of coriander roughly ground, same quantity of maldive fish well ground, 2 small or 1 large tomato, salt, celery, cinnamon, and any other vegetables, such as carrots. When reduced to about 4 cups, put in about 2 table-spoonfuls of thin coconut milk, and keep on stirring for some time. Then strain and temper with a good amount of red onions - (This quantity is enough for six persons.


Updated version


1/4 cup of red dhal ( a "chundu" was a small round cigarette tin and this amount is a good approx.)
6 cups water
1 dessertspoonful coriander seed roughly ground
1 dessertspoonful maldive fish (A particular variety of dried fish you can get in Indian and Sri Lankan groceries. If you can't get it, don't be tempted to substitute dried prawns, they will be too...prawny.)
1 large tomato
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
1 stick cinnamon (about 5 cms long)
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of coconut milk (I make it up from a heaped tablespoon of powdered coconut milk to 2 tablespoons of water. If you are using canned coconut milk, thin it out till it is the consistency of lite milk.)
3 or 4 shallots or small red onions (NOT Spanish onions), diced small
a little vegetable oil

Wash the dhal in a little water two or three times to get rid of excess starch powder. 

Put all the ingredients except the coconut milk into a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer till the quantity is reduced by around 1/3. Keep skimming off any froth that forms on the top.


Add the coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes.


Strain the broth through muslin. Leave it to stand, covered, for 10 minutes to let sediment to settle. 


Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frypan and when hot add the diced onions and fry till just browning. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.


To serve, take a ladle of soup being careful not to disturb the sediment, and pour into small soup bowls and top each with a sprinkle of fried onions.

Chinese rice bowls are good, or you can use shot glasses - in which case you will get more than 6 serves but you will want to be sparing with the fried onion tempering, a dice or two will do.