Burmese samosa soup is a popular street food in Burma. It is a hearty and delicious dish that is quite easy to make at home. There are 2 main components in this samusa soup - samosa and dal.
The spicy lentil soup aka dal is quick to make. I use the Instant pot but you can either make it in a pressure cooker or even on the stove top. Serve hot soup with chopped samosa, falafel and shredded cabbage.
Table of contents
About the recipe
You know my love for street food. In that quest, I have tried quite a few different dishes from around the world, like this scrumptious Indian bread omelette or this amazing Polish Zapiekanka.
Here, I have a popular street food from Burma/ Myanmar. This Burmese samosa soup or thouk is spicy, hearty and absolutely delicious. The best part is this recipe is easy to make at home too. Whenever I have extra samosa, this is the first dish that comes to mind.
The soup part of this dish is basically a spicy lentil soup similar to everyday Indian dal. Samosa and falafel are dunked into the hot soup and then topped with a crunchy cabbage topping. A generous squeeze of lemon juice perks everything up.
There are quite a few variations of this Burmese samusa soup recipes available. But, this is a very easy version with toor dal. I use the Instant pot to cook the dal and store bought samosa for convenience. All in all this is a filling meal for any time of the day.
Ingredients
For the details of the exact quantities of each ingredient and the list of ingredients needed, check the printable recipe card below.
Here are the ingredients to need to make Burmese soup:
- Lentils ~ I use toor dal, but you can use red lentils or masoor dal instead. I have also seen recipes that use black chana/ chickpeas.
- Onions, green chilies and cilantro.
- Tamarind paste
- Spices - red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt.
The other ingredients you need are:
- Samosa ~ feel free to use store bought or frozen samosa. You can of course make your own samosa.
- Falafel ~ optional, but I highly recommend adding these. I use frozen falafel here.
- Shredded lettuce or cabbage for topping. I sometimes even use store bought coleslaw mix.
- Lemon wedges and scallions, for topping.
Instructions
For the detailed instructions on how to make the recipe with exact timings, check the printable recipe card below.
Here is how to make Burmese samosa soup recipe:
Make the Lentil Soup
Turn on the Instant pot on Sauté mode. Add oil and once hot, add the dry chilies and once they start to change color, add onions and green chilies; cook till the onions are soft.
Add the drained toor dal along with water, ground coriander, red chili powder, garam masala, salt and pepper. Mix well and make sure to remove any stuck on bits from the bottom of the pan to avoid any burnt dish.
Turn off the 'Sauté' mode and lock in the lid. Turn on the 'High Pressure/ Manual' mode and cook until done. Once the pressure subsides, open the lid and whisk the dal to make it creamy and smooth.
Stir in tamarind paste and ½~1 cup of water to thin the soup. Cook on 'Sauté' mode until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Assemble Samosa Soup
Divide the soup evenly in 4 serving bowls. Add 2 small samosa or 1 big chopped samosa and 2 falafel. Top with the sliced cabbage, lemon wedges, cilantro and scallions. Serve hot and Enjoy!!
Expert Tips
- To make the soup, you can use either toor dal or red lentils/ masoor dal. You can also add some black chana/ chickpeas.
- Feel free to use store-bought or frozen samosa. Just make sure to reheat them thoroughly before serving. You can of course make your own samosa.
- Falafel are optional, but I highly recommend adding these. I use frozen falafel here.
- You can use either shredded lettuce or cabbage for topping. I sometimes even use store bought coleslaw mix.
- Make the lentil soup up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. Reheat until heated through before serving.
You might also like
Here are few more delicious lentil recipes that you might want to try:
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Recipe Card
Burmese Samosa Thouk
Ingredients
For the Lentil Soup:
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1~2 Dry Red chilies
- 1 Small Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Green Chilies, slit
- ½ cup Toor Dal, rinsed and drained
- 1½ cups Vegetable stock or Water, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- ½~1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- To taste Salt & Pepper
- 1~2 tablespoons Tamarind pulp
Other Ingredients:
- 4 Samosa, warmed
- 8 Falafel, warmed
- As needed Cabbage, very thinly sliced
- As needed Cilantro, finely chopped
- As needed Lemon wedges
- As needed Scallions, finely chopped
Instructions
Make the Burmese Soup in Instant Pot:
- Turn on the Instant pot on Sauté mode. Add oil and once hot, add the dry chilies and once they start to change color, add onions and green chilies; cook till the onions are soft.1 tablespoon Oil, 1~2 Dry Red chilies, 1 Small Onion, finely chopped, 2 Green Chilies, slit
- Add the drained toor dal along with water, ground coriander, red chili powder, garam masala, salt and pepper. Mix well and make sure to remove any stuck on bits from the bottom of the pan to avoid any burnt dish.Turn off the 'Sauté' mode and lock in the lid. Turn on the 'High Pressure/ Manual' mode and cook for 8-10 minutes. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and quick release the rest.½ cup Toor Dal, rinsed and drained, 1½ cups Vegetable stock or Water, plus more as needed, 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander, ½~1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili powder, 1 teaspoon Garam Masala, To taste Salt & Pepper
- Open the lid and whisk the dal to make it creamy and smooth. Stir in tamarind paste and ½~1 cup of water to thin the soup. Cook on 'Sauté' mode for 3~4 minutes or until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.1~2 tablespoons Tamarind pulp
To Serve:
- Divide the soup evenly in 4 serving bowls. Add 2 small samosa or 1 big chopped samosa and 2 falafel. Top with the sliced cabbage, lemon wedges, cilantro and scallions. Serve hot and Enjoy!!4 Samosa, warmed, 8 Falafel, warmed, As needed Cabbage, very thinly sliced, As needed Cilantro, finely chopped, As needed Scallions, finely chopped, As needed Lemon wedges
Video
Notes
- To make the soup, you can use either toor dal or red lentils/ masoor dal. You can also add some black chana/ chickpeas.
- Feel free to use store-bought or frozen samosa. Just make sure to reheat them thoroughly before serving. You can of course make your own samosa.
- Falafel are optional, but I highly recommend adding these. I use frozen falafel here.
- You can use either shredded lettuce or cabbage for topping. I sometimes even use store bought coleslaw mix.
- Make the lentil soup up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. Reheat until heated through before serving.
Priya Srinivasan
Aww that looks amazing pavani, warm soup dunked with samosa and also some falafel, i bet this is one hearty meal as such!!! Love the beautiful pictures!!