Fijian recipe
How to make Dhal
Indo-Fijian homes, now the whole country
A thin, golden soup of split peas or lentils, cooked with turmeric and finished with spices fried in hot oil or ghee. In Indo-Fijian homes it is served almost every day with rice, roti and a curry.
Ingredients
- 200 g yellow split peas or toor dal, rinsed
- 1.2 litres water
- Half a teaspoon of ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- A few curry leaves (optional) and fresh coriander
Method
- Put the split peas, water and turmeric in a pot, bring to the boil and skim off any foam.
- Simmer, partly covered, for 40 to 60 minutes, until the peas are very soft. Whisk well so the soup is smooth. Fiji dhal is thin, so add water if needed, then add the salt.
- In a small pan heat the oil or ghee, add the cumin seeds, garlic, onion and curry leaves, and fry until the garlic is golden.
- Pour the hot spices into the dhal, stand back as it sizzles, stir, and sprinkle with coriander. Serve with rice or roti.
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