Experience the warmth and heartiness of yellow split pea dal, blended with a flavourful tomato and onion sauce made from scratch and seasoned with a perfect blend of spices.

As a person on a plant-based diet, I can confidently say that curries of any kind are a staple in my cooking rotation.

They offer a wide range of veggies, are generally easy and quick to prepare, and store well. This makes them ideal for batch cooking, which is a great option for weeknight meals.

This hearty yellow split pea dal recipe has inspired many other curry dishes, such as my warming lentil and chickpea curry and my popular mungbean curry.

two bowls of yellow split pea dal garnished with coriander and chilli — Warming, hearty and nourishing describes this yellow split pea dal

Ingredients

The complete list of ingredients with measurements, can be found in the full recipe card below.

Dried yellow split peas, referred to as dal, dahl, or dhal (a Hindi word for pulses) are readily available in the dry food section among legumes and pulses. They are simple to cook with and highly filling due to their high starch content.

The Spice Mixture and Sauce

The sauce that enhances the flavour of the dal consists mainly of fresh finely diced tomatoes and onions, seasoned with ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek seeds, and a popular Indian blend of spice called garam masala.

To keep it on the healthier low-fat side, this yellow dal can be made without the use of any oil, which I outline in the below recipe card.

Leafy greens are always a good idea to add to a curry, try chopped kale or spinach. Stir them through the dal in the last five minutes of cooking.

split pea, turmeric, salt and garam masala in bowls

coriander, tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, salt in bowls

dal in a bowl with herbs and chill on the side

Janelle's Tips

I have found that well-cooked dal (even this delicious barley curry porridge) generally doesn't need to be macerated as it is broken down enough, however, you can use a masher to do this or try a longer cooking time.

Storage

This dal recipe is perfect as leftovers, I find the flavour to be better infused the next day. Store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months once it has cooled to room temperature.

Yellow Split Pea Dal Recipe - Vegan - Plant Based Folk

What To Serve It With

Serve topped with freshly chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), sliced chilli and enjoy with a side of white rice or brown rice, steamed potato (this is my favourite way to eat this dish) or naan bread, and fresh salad.

a white bowl of cooked yellow split pea with roti on the side

Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ star rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.

Recipe

Yellow Split Pea Dal

Experience the warmth and heartiness of yellow split pea dal, blended with a flavourful tomato and onion sauce made from scratch and seasoned with a perfect blend of spices.

Prep: 10

Cook: 45

Total: 55

Servings: people

Author: Janelle Hama

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

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Ingredients

Yellow Split Peas Dal

2 cups Yellow split pea rinsed and drained
6 cups Cold water 5 cups for cooking dal, one as a spare to adjust consistency
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Salt adjusted to taste
½ teaspoon Garam masala
1 handful Fresh coriander hard stalks discarded and roughly chopped

Tomato and Onion Sauce

1 medium Brown onion finely diced
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
¾ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
2-3 medium Tomatoes chopped small
1 inch Fresh ginger finely chopped (2.5cm)
4-5 cloves Garlic crushed
4-8 tablespoons Water use the amount needed for sweating onions if not using oil, otherwise use 1-2 tbs of oil
1 handful Coriander Cilantro. Roughly chopped.
1 small Red chilli chopped - optional

Instructions

Cooking Yellow Split Peas

Add the yellow split peas, cold water and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil on high heat.
Turn heat down to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes without the lid.
You will need to skim off the froth a couple of times. Around the 40 minutes mark, stir in turmeric powder, garam masala and half of the chopped coriander (cilantro).

Making the Sauce

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add optional 1-2 tablespoons olive oil (leave this out if not using oil), and cumin and fenugreek seeds. Heat up until the smoky aroma is released, by stirring. This will create the best flavour.
If you are using oil, add the diced onion and sweat until they are translucent. If you’re not using oil, add 4 tablespoons of water with onion and sweat until they are translucent and start to change color.
Stir in the garlic, ginger and optional chilli, then add the diced tomatoes and cook them down for about 15-20 minutes on medium heat. You may need to add a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Creating the Dal Curry

Once the dal is completely cooked, it should be goopy, add the tomato and onion mixture to the yellow split peas dal and stir through thoroughly. Taste to see if you'd like to adjust the salt. Serve wam topped with chopped coriander.