Slow Cooker Yellow Split Pea Dal with Tadka
Soak the split peas for 1 hour; skipping it leaves some of them firm while the rest fall apart. They're done when they crush against the side of the slow cooker with no firm center. Almost no liquid evaporates in a slow cooker, so thicken with the lid off on High, or thin with a splash of hot water. Have every tadka ingredient chopped and within reach before the ghee goes on the heat, it moves fast.
Ingredients
For the dal
- 9 ounces dried yellow split peas
- 2 tablespoons ghee or 1 tablespoon sunflower oil and 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 green chiles chopped, seeds and membranes removed for less heat if desired
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic pressed
- 1¼ inch fresh ginger finely grated
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tomato finely diced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups water
- ⅛ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For the tadka
- 1½ tablespoons ghee or 1 ½ tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes omit for a milder dal
To serve
- 11 ounces basmati rice
- fresh cilantro roughly chopped, to taste
- fried onions to taste
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
Preparing the dal
- Rinse the split peas under cold running water. Soak in plenty of cold water for 1 hour, then drain.9 ounces dried yellow split peas
- Heat the ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the green chiles for 1 minute.2 tablespoons ghee, 2 green chiles
- Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent.1 onion
- Lower the heat slightly. Add the garlic, ginger, and bay leaves. Fry, while stirring, for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.6 cloves garlic, 1¼ inch fresh ginger, 2 bay leaves
- Add the tomato and ground cumin. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the tomato is soft and almost falling apart.1 tomato, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Stew dal
- Transfer the onion mixture to a 3.5-quart slow cooker (3.5 liter). Stir in the drained split peas, turmeric, salt, and water.½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ¾ teaspoon salt, 3 cups water
- Cover and cook on High for 4 to 5 hours or Low for 7 to 8 hours.
- Press a few split peas against the side of the slow cooker with a spoon. They should fall apart easily with no firm center. If they’re still firm, continue cooking with the lid on and check again.
- Stir well until some of the split peas break down and the dal becomes creamy. Too thin? Leave the lid off and let it thicken on High, checking after 20 to 30 minutes. Too thick? Stir in a splash of hot water.
- Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the garam masala and lemon zest. Taste and add more salt as needed.⅛ teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Toward the end of the cooking time, cook the basmati rice according to the package directions.11 ounces basmati rice
Making and serving the tadka
- Have the tadka ingredients ready. Just before serving, heat the ghee in a small skillet over medium-high heat.1½ tablespoons ghee
- Briefly fry the cumin seeds and black mustard seeds until fragrant and the mustard seeds start to pop.1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until the edges are golden brown. Lower the heat if the seeds darken quickly.1 shallot
- Add the chili flakes and cook for 10 to 15 seconds, then remove the pan from the heat.¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- Pour the hot tadka over the dal. Stir some of it through and leave the rest on top.
- Serve with basmati rice. Garnish with cilantro and crispy fried onions, and serve with the lemon wedges.fresh cilantro, fried onions, 1 lemon
NOTES
1. Do I Need to Soak the Yellow Split Peas? Yes, for this recipe, soak them in plenty of cold water for 1 hour. Rinse them first and drain after soaking.
2. How Do I Thicken the Dal? Leave the lid off and let the dal thicken on High. Check after 20 to 30 minutes to see if it’s the thickness you like.
3. What Should I Do If the Dal Is Too Thick? Stir in a splash of hot water.
4. Storage
- Refrigerating: Cool the dal quickly, for example by placing the pan in cold water and stirring regularly. Transfer to sealed containers and refrigerate at 4°C within 2 hours. Store for up to 2 days. Store the rice separately, following the same cooling and storage times.
- Freezing: Freeze the cooled dal in sealed, individual-portion containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: The dal thickens as it cools. Reheat it in a saucepan, adding a splash of water as needed until creamy again. Stir regularly and heat until steaming hot throughout. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat. Do not reheat leftovers again once they have already been reheated.
Nutrition
Calories: 668kcal | Carbohydrates: 112g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 549mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 409IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Iron: 5mg
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