Tomato soup with a hot cheese sandwich

Ingredients:

Tomato soup

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 0.5 tsp. mustard seeds
• 5 curry leaves
• 1 whole dried red chili
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (grind equal parts in a mortar and pestle)
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves roughly chopped
• 5 red tomatoes
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup washed red lentils
• 1/4 cup sambar spice mix
• 1 can (400 g) coconut milk
• 110 g unsalted butter

Cheese filling

• 0.5 cup grated Amul cheese (or white cheddar)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp ground red chili pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground roasted cumin
• 1/4 tsp. garam masala

Sandwiches

• Four slices of sourdough bread, 1cm thick.
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• Special equipment: mortar and pestle; powerful blender; cast iron skillet with two burners

Preparation:

1. Tomato soup:
   
   Heat oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and red chili pepper and cook until crackling, about 30 seconds. Add the onion, ginger-garlic paste, and cilantro and cook until the onion is lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, lentils, sambar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add enough water to cover the tomatoes and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes.
2. Carefully pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth, being careful when blending the hot liquid. Pour into a medium saucepan and add the coconut milk and butter. Heat the soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to simmer.
3. Cheese filling:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, garam masala and salt to taste and set aside.
   
   Sandwiches:
   
   Place the bread slices on the table and spread the cheese filling on half of the slices. Top with the remaining bread and spread half the softened butter on the top of each sandwich.
4. Heat a cast-iron skillet over two burners over medium heat. Place the sandwiches, buttered side down. Lightly brush the tops of the sandwiches with the remaining butter and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the sandwiches to paper towels. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally.
5. Serve the tomato soup hot with cheese sandwiches.