Success!

Since enjoying langar at the Sikh gurudwara during the Parliament of World's Religions in Barcelona earlier this month, I've been on a mission to make my own dal shorba (lentil soup).

Tonight's result was a culinary miracle whose flavor transported me to that white tent at the shore of the Mediterranean again.

Making dal shorba is a labor of love that shouldn't be undertaken if one has less than a full afternoon to spare for its preparation. But the result is delicious and surprisingly filling.

Here's my recipe:

1 cup red lentils (rinsed)
3 small onions (finely sliced)
4 garlic cloves (diced or crushed)
1/2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons coriander
3 teaspoons curry powder
2 jalapeno peppers (seeded and diced)
3 tomatoes (chopped)
6 tablespoons spinach leaves (chopped)
3 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup lime juice

Put rinsed lentils into stock pot and add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium heat until lentils are thickened (about 1 hour). Reduce to low heat.

Heat olive oil in wok or large skillet. Add onions, fry until translucent. Add tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, coriander, curry powder and jalapenos. Fry until tomatoes are soft.

Add the tomato-and-onion mixture to the lentils and add 4-and-a-half cups water. Put the whole mess into a blender and puree (you might need to puree in two batches ... my blender wasn't big enough).

Return soup to stock pot and boil for 15 minutes.

Add spinach, cilantro, salt and lime juice. Serve immediately in soup bowls or aside rice.

Serves 4.