Split Pea Soup with Spices and Coconut from Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen by Richa HingleThis simple Split Pea Soup from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen by Richa Hingle gets its flavors from just a few whole spices such as cinnamon sticks and cumin seeds, and coconut. The flavors intensify as the whole spices sit in the soup, and the dal tastes even better the next day. Remove the whole spices just before serving. Serve over rice or with flatbread or crackers.

Split Pea Soup with Spices and Coconut

Bengali Cholar Dal

Serves 4

Dal

  • 1 cup split chickpeas (chana dal) or split yellow peas, washed, soaked for 1 hour, and drained
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

The Tempering

  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil or safflower oil
  • 1/4 cup large coconut flakes, dry or fresh
  • 2 (2-inch) cinnamon sticks
  • Seeds of 2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 whole dried red chiles or red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 1 (1-inch) knob of ginger, minced
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped raw cashews
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, for garnish

Preparation

  1. Dal: Combine the split peas with 3 1/2 cups of water and the turmeric in a saucepan. Partially cover and cook over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the split peas are very tender. Stir in the salt and sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer while you make the tempering.
  2. The tempering: Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut flakes and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Remove the coconut flakes from the pan and set aside. Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, cardamom seeds, bay leaves, and cloves to the hot oil, and mix for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
  3. Break the red chiles in half and add them to the pan. Add the ginger, cashews, and raisins and cook until the cashews are golden, about 1 minute. Add this tempering to the simmering split peas and mix well. Mash some of the split peas if needed. Taste and adjust the salt and spice, if needed.
  4. Stir half of the golden coconut flakes from Step 2 into the split peas. Simmer covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with the remaining coconut flakes and red pepper flakes. Remove the cinnamon and bay leaves from the split peas just before serving.

Vegan Richas Indian Kitchen

Recipe from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen Copyright © 2015 by Richa Hingle. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.

Printable Split Pea Soup with Spices and Coconut recipe:

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Split Pea Soup with Spices and Coconut
Author: 
Serves: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
Dal
  • 1 cup split chickpeas (chana dal) or split yellow peas, washed, soaked for 1 hour, and drained
  • 3½ cups water
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
The Tempering
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil or safflower oil
  • ¼ cup large coconut flakes, dry or fresh
  • 2 (2-inch) cinnamon sticks
  • Seeds of 2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 whole dried red chiles or red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 1 (1-inch) knob of ginger, minced
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped raw cashews
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Dal: Combine the split peas with 3½ cups of water and the turmeric in a saucepan. Partially cover and cook over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the split peas are very tender. Stir in the salt and sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer while you make the tempering.
  2. The tempering: Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut flakes and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Remove the coconut flakes from the pan and set aside. Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, cardamom seeds, bay leaves, and cloves to the hot oil, and mix for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
  3. Break the red chiles in half and add them to the pan. Add the ginger, cashews, and raisins and cook until the cashews are golden, about 1 minute. Add this tempering to the simmering split peas and mix well. Mash some of the split peas if needed. Taste and adjust the salt and spice, if needed.
  4. Stir half of the golden coconut flakes from Step 2 into the split peas. Simmer covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with the remaining coconut flakes and red pepper flakes. Remove the cinnamon and bay leaves from the split peas just before serving.

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