2 onions, roughly chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 tablespoon butter
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
8 ounces lamb or beef scraps, cut into small pieces (I used lamb)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
2 teaspoons tomato puree
3 ounces small red lentils, washed
2 pints lamb or beef stock (I used beef)
***I’d suggest doubling the meat and the lentils, tasted great, but when I made it I thought it wasn’t a filling enough
2 dried chilies (I used a teaspoon of chili powder, but you could leave it out entirely if you don’t like spicey foods) salt and freshly ground black peper small bunch of parsley and mint, roughly chopped

1) Brown the onions and carrot in the butter. Stir in the spices, garlic and meat and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, and lentils and pour in the stock. Stir well and bring the liquid to boil. Pop in the chillies, cover the pan and simmer gently for about 30-40 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the lentils have plumped up and thickened the soup.

2) Remove the chillies, and season to taste. Swirl in half the chopped herbs and sprinkle the rest of the top. Serve with yogurt.

Serves 4

Submitted by Glenda. From “Classic Turkish Cooking” by Ghillie Basan.