On a chilly evening, or on days when you’re tired and don’t feel like cooking an elaborate meal, a bowl of hot soup does the trick. This garlic soup needs just four ingredients that are almost always in an Indian kitchen: garlic, oil or ghee, water and salt. The flavour is surprisingly gentle. When garlic is cooked slowly, the sharp bite melts away and turns soft, sweet and mellow, and the whole kitchen starts smelling wonderful. It takes under half an hour, and there’s hardly any chopping involved. Here’s how to make it, step by step.