Spicy Green Lentils and Yellow Split Peas

My trusted copy of 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer has once again come to the rescue when I needed a quick but satisfying meal solution to end a particularly dreary and trying week. In times of woe, it's easy to resort to restaurant meals, but I never forget that home cooked meals are not only more nourishing, but cheaper and generally superior in taste. The spicy kick of this dish is pleasantly balanced by the muted sweetness of the brown sugar.

I served this delightful lentil curry over a bed of hot buttered basmati rice alongside some Savory Olive Muffins with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Ricotta Cheese.

This is my contribution to the 8th helping of My Legume Love Affair, a popular food event started by and hosted this month by the ever-talented Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.

Spicy Green Lentils and Yellow Split Peas


2/3 cup of green lentils
1/4 cup of yellow split peas
2 tablespoons of ghee or a mixture of butter and oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of asafetida
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 - 2 hot red or green chilies
2 medium-large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup of jaggery or brown sugar (I used rapadura)
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
generous handful of curry leaves (I used dried as I didn't have any fresh ones on hand)

Rinse the lentils and the yellow split peas in a strainer. Transfer to a medium-sized saucepan and cover with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are very soft and the split peas are tender - roughly 40-50 minutes.

In a frying pan, heat the ghee (or butter and oil) over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to sputter and pop. Add the cumin seeds, salt, cayenne, asafetida and turmeric, stir and immediately add the tomatoes, hot pepper, sugar, parsley and curry leaves. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has a sauce-like consistency - roughly 10 minutes.

When the lentils and peas are done, mash a portion of the legumes with the back of a spoon. Add the sauce to the pan, cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so.

Yields 4 servings.

More lentil recipes from Lisa's Kitchen:
Rice and Green Lentils in Coconut Milk
Saffron-Brandied Lentils
Lentil Soup with Prunes and Apricots