Vegan Burmese Samusa Soup
by Desmond TanFrom Desmond Tan's Burma Superstar in San Francisco, this heartwarming soup is served at the restaurant with pieces of samosas or falafel.
But it is also delicious on it's own, with a slice of good bread or even broken pieces of tortilla chips!
It's a feel good soup that's perfect to start the new year healthy!
Vegan Burmese Samusa Soup
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
vegan
Servings
4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
From Burma Superstar Facebook page:
Samusa Soup
For whatever reason, Burmese-English menus often write samosas with a “u” instead of an “o” - hence Samusa Soup. Yet a bowl of this soup - whether served in Yangon or San Francisco - includes more than those namesake savory fried filled pastries (however you want to spell them). There are also fried bits of potato and fritters made with yellow split peas (what Burma Superstar employees call falafel). Brimming with South Indian flavor, it is by far the most popular soup on the menu.
The most important component is the broth. Toasted chickpea flour thickens it while curry powder and garam masala add fragrance. If making samosas and falafel for the sole purpose of this soup is a tall order, skip them; make the broth and add a cup of cooked diced potato for a simple, healthy alternative. The broth, samosas, and falafel freeze well, so you can make the various recipes at different times, freeze them, and then serve them all together down the road. If you have the Mustard-Cumin Spice Blend (page 215), you can use 2 teaspoons of it in place of the cumin seeds and mustard seeds called for here.
Visit our websiteburmainc.com for this and other mouthwatering recipes for our bestselling cookbook: Burma Superstar - Addictive Recipes from the Crossroads of Southeast Asia
Ingredients
-
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
-
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
-
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
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3 to 4 small dried red chiles
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic (about 12 garlic cloves)
-
1 tablespoon kosher salt
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1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
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1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 cup toasted chickpea flour (besan)
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2 quart vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup dried yellow lentils
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled and chopped
- 2 red Thai chiles or 1/2 jalapeño, chopped
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1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- Chopped fresh mint, thinly sliced cabbage, fresh cilantro leaves, thinly sliced red Thai chiles, and lime wedges, for serving
Directions
Make tamarind water: combine 3/4 cup boiling water and 1 heaping tablespoon tamarind pulp. Let steep 1 minute. Mash with a fork, and let steep 3 minutes. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids.
Toast cumin and mustard seeds in a large, dry saucepan over medium, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, and grind into a coarse powder. Add oil to pan, and heat over medium-high. Add cumin mixture, chiles de árbol, and bay leaves, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 25 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 15 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in salt, paprika, and turmeric.
Whisk together 1/2 cup water and chickpea flour in a small bowl until well combined. Add chickpea flour mixture, broth, tamarind water, lentils, and potato to pan. Stir to combine, and bring a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until lentils and potato are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in Thai chiles and garam masala.
Garnish servings with chopped mint, sliced cabbage, cilantro leaves, sliced Thai chiles, and lime wedges.