Chana dal with courgettes

 

Serves: 2

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup chana dal

1 cup water

1/8 tsp ground turmeric

1 medium courgette, cut into half moons

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

pinch asafoetida (omit if GF)

1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1 green chilli, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

Method:

• Put the chana dal in the pressure cooker, together with the water and turmeric, bring up to pressure and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce pressure naturally.
• Once you can take the lid off, add the courgette and salt. If the dal is very dry, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
• Put the cooker over a low flame and gently simmer the dal and courgette until the latter starts to soften. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t overcook – you still want a bit of texture in it. Add more water, if you think it needs it, but usually the courgette lets out a lot of moisture.
• Now make the tempering. Put a small frying pan over a medium heat and add a glug of oil, or a scoop of coconut oil.
• When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds. (If you’re not sure the oil is sufficiently hot, just put a few in the pan first.)
• Now add the asafoetida and the onion - don’t let the asafoetida burn.
• Cook for about a minute and then add the ginger, garlic and green chilli. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.
• Now add the chopped tomato and cook for a further couple of minutes.
• By now the courgette should have softened. Check the texture, taste to see there is sufficient salt and then pour in the tempering.
• Mix it in and cook of a further 5 minutes.

Traditionally, this curry is served with roti or naan, but you can serve it with rice if you’d rather.

Notes:

• If you can’t get chana dal, then yellow split peas will work fine. They may cook a little more quickly, so it’s probably worth letting the pressure off after 5 minutes and checking them.
• Use 1 clove garlic, finely chopped instead of the paste
• Use 1/2 tsp ginger, grated instead of paste.
• Use a few cherry tomatoes, halved, instead of the chopped tomato.

 

Split pea soup

Split peas are more a cool climate food because for some reason, they don’t keep well in the tropics: after being on board for about a year, they completely refuse to soften, even with pre-soaking and cooked in a pressure cooker. Chana or toor dal might keep better, but I’ve never tried.   However, they would work well in this recipe, which, while pretty much the same as lentil soup, tastes completely different and makes a pleasant change when you’re eating a lot of soup.

Use 1/3 seawater to 2/3 fresh, if the sea is clean, and leave out the salt.

 

Serves 4 to 6 as a starter, 2 for a main course 

 

Ingredients

 

1 tbsp olive oil OR butter

1 onion

1 cup split peas

4 cups water

2 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pressure cooker. Chop the onion and cook it for about 5 minutes until it has started to brown.
• Stir in the split peas. Add the water and bring to the boil. If you’re using the pressure cooker, cook for 5 minutes; if cooking conventionally, simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Reduce pressure naturally. Using a potato masher, or stick blender, purée the soup. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Serve very hot, with warm bread and butter.

Variations:

• Dal Soup is a warming alternative. Chop 1 garlic clove and some fresh ginger and fry it with the onion. Stir in 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander and 1 tsp cumin. Add 1/4-1/2 tsp chilli, if you want a soup with a bit of zing. Cook as above. Add 2 tbsp lemon juice just before serving with bread or chapatis.