Clean and Simple Dhal (Indian Lentils)

A vertically angled close up image of a bowl of dhal, a bowl of curry, a bowl of rice and a stack of garlic naan on a blue cloth with a wood-grained background

5 from 3 votes

Clean and Simple Dhal (Indian Lentils)

Made from yellow lentils, this gluten-free, clean eating dhal is a perfect option for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Hearty and healthy it is a perfect meal accompaniment.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dinner, Sauce, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: Caribbean, Indian

Servings:

Calories: 163kcal

Author: Kitrusy

Ingredients

1 cup yellow split peas (thoroughly washed)
½ cup yellow onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (sliced divided into two)
½ tsp turmeric powder (also known as Indian saffron)
½ tsp roasted ground geera (cumin)
½ tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp pimento chile or bell pepper (optional)
2 tbsp extra light olive oil

Instructions

Thoroughly pick through the yellow split peas to ensure there are no sticks or stones. Wash and drain the peas and place it into a deep pot.
Add the salt, pimento pepper (if using), diced onion, two cloves of sliced garlic, turmeric powder, and ground roasted geera (cumin) to the split peas and cover with 6 cups of water.
Boil the ingredients uncovered or partially covered until the peas are soft. Keep adding more water if needed.
When the peas are soft and are beginning to fall apart, blend it all into a smooth sauce using either an immersion blender or a swizzle (cooking) stick. (see notes).
In a separate pot or frying pan, add the oil and heat until very hot. Add in the remaining 2 cloves of sliced garlic and fry for a few seconds until they brown. Then, carefully pour the hot oil and garlic over the smooth and blended dhal and cover immediately to allow the flavors to infuse. Note that when you add the oil a loud hissing/frying sound will be made.
Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference and serve with rice or roti or naan.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to four months.

Notes

Optional add-ins while boiling include hot peppers, finely chopped culantro (aka Chadon Beni or Mexican Coriander)
Optional add-ins when doing the tadka include: whole geera (cumin) seeds or curry leaves.
The reason for using a deep pot is that split peas has a tendency of boiling over when cooked, using a deep pot prevents this from happening. Similarly, do not cover the pot fully with a lid. If needed you can partially cover it by placing the lid at an angle so steam can freely escape.
In the event that you don't have an immersion blender or swizzle stick you can use a hand mixer to blend the dhal together, just be careful as the dhal will be VERY hot (the deep pot comes in handy here too) or you can allow the mixture to cool down halfway and then blend it in a blender.
Note that as the dhal cools it will continue to thicken up.

Nutrition