Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the diced onion, minced garlic, minced ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli flakes for 2 minutes or until the onion has softened and the spices are fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and stir through.
Next, add the grated carrots and saute for 1 minute.
Add the split red lentils, liquid vegetable stock and diced tomatoes.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until the lentils have softened.
Stir through the milk, cream or coconut milk and season with salt and pepper.
For a chunky soup, serve as is. For a smooth soup, use a stick blender to process the soup. If you'd like a slightly chunky soup use a stick blender to process half of the soup and leave the other half chunky. Stir to combine. Serve on it's own or with your choice of the following: naan or Turkish bread, greek yoghurt, cream or sour cream, fresh coriander or sesame/poppy seeds.