Red Lentil Soup with East Indian Spices

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp ghee or butter
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 cup chopped tomatoes (I used 14oz can diced tomatoes)
1 cup dried red lentils, washed and drained
4 cups water or vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Heat 1 Tbsp ghee in a 4-qt pot. Saute onion and garlic in ghee until brown. Add spices and stir for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and cook until they break down, if using fresh tomatoes; if using canned, simply proceed. Add lentils and water to pot. Let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring often, until creamy. Stir in salt.
3. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp ghee in a small skillet and fry cumin and mustard seeds until they pop. Stir fried seeds and cilantro into finished soup.

Source: Feeding the Whole Family

Try #1 - September 20, 2012
So, this was a little bland for me, probably because I totally skipped the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and cilantro step... :)  But the kids really liked it (probably because it wasn't so spicy), and the red lentils were fun.  I served it over rice.