There are some dishes that I tepidly liked as a child but have come to enjoy more as an adult. Dhal is one of those. This IndoTrinbagonian dish used to be considered poor people’s food because of its cost effectiveness. Yellow split peas generally don’t cost much. They are nutritious, can feed many and can be combined with meats like salted fish. pig tails or any curried meat for extra flavor.

Over the years I have practised my take on this Trini staple, a version which is inspired by my parents’ recipe. Although, I wouldn’t quite say that I have mastered it, I’m closer. My preference when it comes to dhal is for it have a light, semi liquidy consistency but not to the extent of it being watery (unless it’s in soup form). I have also found that I like a decent portion of cumin but not so much that the taste is overpowering.

Method

*Sort through peas by hand to remove any dirt or other inedible bits. Then rinse repeatedly with water.

*Boil water in a medium or large pot. Add peas, turmeric, 3 cloves of garlic (whole), onion, salt, some onion and whole hot pepper.

*Cover pot but leave an opening to prevent boiling over. Cook on medium heat for about 45 minutes. To shorten the process of softening the peas, you can soak them overnight or add a little baking soda.

*Heat oil in a small frying pan or in a kalchul. Add geera(cumin) and as soon as the spice begins to sizzle, add minced garlic & remainder of onion. (This step is called chunkaying. It infuses the dhal with a deeper flavor.)

*Using pot cover as a shield, add the chunkayed geera and garlic to the peas. Swizzle and add water until you have the consistency you want. Cook on low heat for another 15 minutes.

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