This flavorful and warming Afghan-inspired split pea dal is made with creamy yellow split peas simmered in ginger and toasty spices.
A couple of weeks ago I was reminded of how much I missed Afghan food. We had plans in the city one evening, and decided to wing it as to what we’d get for dinner beforehand, once we arrived in Philly. That’s always a fun game, which typically involves no more than a half block stroll down the street before something jumps out at me. On that particular evening, it was Afghan. A wise choice. I think I actually commented to my boyfriend “This tastes like Christmas time.” And it did. In a way. Like in that familiar but it’s been a while and all kinds of fond memories are popping into my head as I nibble away kind of manner.
I think it was the pumpkin that I made the Christmas comment about. You might have already read that I have a special place in my heart for kaddo borani. This night, two weeks ago, was however maybe the first time I ventured out and tried something new in Afghan cuisine, which has always been difficult for me, given how much I love the pumpkin. Since there were two of us, and both ordering off of the vegetarian menu, which might have been a first for me, we decided to get one order of the pumpkin and one of the split pea dal.
The split pea dal was at least as amazing as the pumpkin. It makes me wonder if next time I go out for Afghan food I’ll feel the need to order the dal again, or whether I’ve learned that trying new things leads to happy new discoveries. Time will tell.
So this is my version of the Afghan split pea dal that I had a few weeks ago. If you picked this off of an Afghan menu, it would probably be called dal chalaw. I didn’t name my post that because I’m honestly not sure how authentic it is. I tried to recreate the dish from taste, and while it does taste like what I ordered out, I can’t say for sure what ingredients in my version would be found in the authentic Afghan dish. In any event, it you want something that tastes authentic, or tastes delicious, or both…well, here ya go.
Yellow Split Pea Dal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups dried split peas
- 1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Asian chili paste, or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil over medium heat in large saucepan. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about five minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute.
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Add the broth and all remaining ingredients except for the cilantro. Stir and bring to a boil.
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Lower the heat, cover and allow to simmer for about one hour, stirring occasionally, until the split peas fall apart, adding up to 1 cup of water during cooking if it becomes too thick.
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Divide among bowls and top with cilantro. Serve over basmati rice.
I made this today using red lentils. OMG – this is the best dal I have ever made – hearty, fragrant, earthy, totally delicious!
Yay! This is probably my favorite dal too! I’m glad you enjoyed it. :)
Very simple yet very flavorful! I combined this with cauliflower rice and loved it. I doubled the recipe and found it took longer to cook as a result – more like 75-90 minutes as opposed to 60. Thanks for the great recipe!
Yay!! Glad you enjoyed it! Thank Luke!
Yum! Doubled the recipe and subbed 2 cans full-fat coconut milk for 2 cups of broth (ended up having to add an additional cup of water 45 min into the simmer). Omitted chili paste since I have two young boys. Chopped broccoli and added to the mixture for the final 10 min. My picky 6 year old son loved it over jasmine rice! The even pickier 4 year old ate 3 bites, which is a win in our house!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! And coconut milk sounds like a delicious addition!
You list “4 whole cloves” in the recipe but don’t say of what! I’m using my imagination but coming up short :)
Also – where did you eat in Philly? I’d love to stop over and try the original inspiration for this dish.
Just cloves, as in the spice! Ground cloves are more common, but you should be able to find them whole in this spice aisle – like this: https://www.amazon.com/Simply-Organic-Whole-Cloves-Ounce/dp/B00AJRKKI6/ The place in Philly was Sansom Kabob House. :)
Hi there, I love daal and am trying to reduce fat content into my diet. Can you tell me how big your serving size is for it to be 250 calories? Thank you
Hi Kirsty! It’s approximately 1 cup. Enjoy!
While definitely not a vegan option, adding a touch of yogurt (I use fage greek non-fat) makes this from awesome to delectable. I also added a squirt of fresh lemon. This is a great recipe and came out right on my first try! (although I did use pinches of ground cinnamon and cloves since I didn’t have whole on hand.)
I’m glad you like it! I actually sometimes serve non-dairy yogurt with my dal – especially when I make it extra spicy! Thanks Melissa!
I found the peas where not cooked tender after an hour. I keep adding time in 10 minute increments until the mixture was starting to burn. Should I have soaked the peas?
On no! Were they split? If they were split that shouldn’t happen. The only other thing I can think of that would cause it is if your peas were a bit old.
I only did half the recipe and after 90 min the split peas also weren’t cooked. I looked at the package and it said soak overnight so maybe there are different types of split peas.
Are you sure the peas were split? There are different varieties of split peas, but generally as long as they’re split they don’t require soaking – the split actually allows water to penetrate during cooking, so they cook much faster than whole dried peas.
I also had this issue :( I think it is because I added salt at the beginning, affecting how the peas would absorb water. Might want to clarify to not add salt until the end.
I think that happened to me. My peas were old and took a really long time. I also had to replenish the water a few times.
So easy and good! I’ll halve the chilli sauce next time since I have a two year old but just right for us!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much Cheryl!
Does this store in the fridge and/or freezer well?
Absolutely! Just store it in a sealed container. You should get 3-4 days in the fridge, and a few months in the freezer. Enjoy!
Thanks. The great thing about split peas is that they don’t have to be pre-soaked. The Morrison Farms yellow split peas I have, says soak overnight (up to 12 hours). It is a commodity product, so these are probably old. Read your labels!
Challaw is white rice.
Dal refers to an entire category of legumes which includes many sizes and colors of lentils and split peas. Either the yellow split pea or the split red/yellow lentil from the masoor lentil is used to create traditional dals. Afghan dal is a little thicker, less soupy, than Indian dal.
Thanks for sharing all of this!
OMG I just made this. THIS RECIPE IS DELICIOUS! I am so in love with it, thank you for sharing it with the world. My tastebuds, body, and boyfriend are very happy with it!
Yay!! I’m so glad you love it! THanks Michelle!
Thanx for the useful and authentic recipee you have share with this article
it will be surely Delicious.
Very welcome! Enjoy!
I was very excited about the smells coming from my pot of yellow split pea dal…. but the split peas wouldn’t soften!! I cooked it for three hours and the peas are still “al dente.” I am guessing I should’ve soaked them overnight first…
Oh no! Usually when that happens it means the split peas are a bit dated. Is there a date on the package? Soaking them can cut a few minutes off the cook time, but it shouldn’t be necessary.
Loved this! I’ve never made (or had!) Afghani food, so wasn’t sure what to expect with this interesting combo of spices. Will definitely be making it again. :)
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is just about the best dal recipe I’ve ever tried, and my new vegetarian go to recipe. I followed the recipe fairly closely, other than adding extra garlic and ginger and being generous with the sambal. I also had to cook it longer even though I had just bought the split peas. Added extra water and the texture came out perfect. I made a double recipe for New Year’s dinner and my mostly vegetarian family licked the pot clean.
That’s awesome! I’m so glad it was a hit! Happy New Year!!
Very good dal! It’s also nice that it stays bright yellow unlike most split pea dals which turn brownish. . My split yellow peas were definitely rather old. I didn’t sample the dal until it had cooked about 2 hours and it was almost overcooked ( fine by me). Two things I do differently than what recipes say to do – – Years ago I read that putting salt in at the beginning of cooking will make legumes *harden*, so I wait until they’re cooked, and, use low salt broth. Another thing I do differently with small legumes like split peas and lentils is start them in cold water, about 1/3 of the total water. When that comes to a slow boil I add the rest of the water which has been preheated in the teakettle. Maybe one of those is what makes the difference?
Another awesome recipe from your site! I made this with green split peas, which was all I had on hand, and while they did not look as lovely as your yellow split peas, the flavor of this was delicious. Warming, spicy, and comforting. I cut back on the sambal because we like just a bit of spice. I did let it cook for an extra half hour because the split peas were a bit chewy. We served it with yogurt and homemade pita. Thanks for another winner! I know we’re in for a treat when I search for a recipe and see one from your site, they’re always great.
My boyfriend went NUTS over this dal! he loved it so, so much! And I agree, its so simple to make, yet so tasty. My split peas are soaking as I type for a second batch. I also added some spinach at the end and drizzled over some Afghan garlic mint yoghurt sauce with sumak. Thanks for the great recipe!