Dal

Name: Dal (Split Pea or Lentil Purée)
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Trinidad & Tobago
Ingredients: Salt; 2 tablespoons coconut oil, ghee, or vegetable oil; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1½ pints water; 1 lb. split peas, or lentils; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Split Pea or Lentil Purée

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Complete Book of Caribbean Cooking

By Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz

Published 1973

About

Dal is the Hindi name for all the legumes. The spelling varies, but dal is the closest. In Trinidad, where split peas, or less popularly, brown lentils, are the favourite dal, it is also spelled dhal or dholl.

Ingredients

1 lb. split peas, or lentils
1½ pints water
1

Americas
Trinidad & Tobago
Side dish
Caribbean
Gluten-free
Vegan

Method

Soak the peas or lentils overnight, unless they are the quick-cooking variety, in which case omit this step. Add the turmeric to the peas and cook, covered, at a simmer until they are tender. Season to taste with salt and stir in the onion. Remove from the heat. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the garlic and cumin. Sauté until the garlic is dark brown. Strain the oil into the peas. Stir, co