What's in Your Cupboard
Water: 500ml
Sunflower Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds: 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Ground Turmeric: 1 tsp
Garam Masala: 1 tsp
Curry Leaves: 10 leaves
Salt and Black Pepper: To taste
Method
Cook the Peas: Soak the split yellow peas in cold water for 3 hours to speed up the cooking time. Once soaked, drain and rinse the peas, then place them into a large pan. Pour over the 500ml of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes (or until the peas are very soft). Season well with salt and pepper.
Toast the Spices: In a separate large pan, heat the sunflower oil. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ground turmeric, and curry leaves. Fry over a medium heat just until the mustard seeds start to pop.
Sauté the Aromatics: Quickly add the sliced onion, sliced chilli, and crushed garlic to the spice pan and stir well. Cook for another 3 minutes, then stir in the garam masala.
Combine and Simmer: Mix everything well, then tip the spiced onion mixture into the pan with the cooked dal, along with the chopped tomatoes. Bring the whole mixture to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes. If the dal becomes too thick, simply add a little more water. Taste and season well again.
Serve: Take the pan off the heat. Serve hot, finished with an optional squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of fresh coriander.