Steamed Nuggets with a Peanut-Tomato Sauce

Some of the more traditional vadis I sampled in Marathi-speaking homes in the state of Maharashtra, in western India, were pan-fried medallions of pureed chile-spiked yellow split peas, served as an appetizer with a relish or sauce of some kind. Here I have changed the concept a bit, turning it into a main-course curry and avoiding the pan-frying to make this a healthier alternative while retaining all the flavor.