Zucchini Tomato Yellow Split Pea Dal

Zucchini Tomato Yellow Split Pea Dal is a healthy high fibre dish topped with veggies and fragrant spices. If you like Indian food then you need a favourite dal on your list of repeat recipes. Gluten free cooks are always looking for foods from every cuisine that are naturally gluten free in the category of legumes.

Over time I've collected a dozen or so Indian recipes like this that I come back to over and over. Simply doing that makes life in the kitchen a little easier.

I typically serve this dish as part of an East Indian menu. Although I vary some of the other dishes the topping on this dal is the reason it's on my menu every time.

Dal (also spelled dahl, daal or dhal) is a side dish or vegetarian main course. The consistency should be sort of sloppy or wet, unlike a dry curry. Dal can be made with lentils, peas or beans but when you make dal they are always split.

We need high fibre foods all the time so checkout this post, 33 High Fibre Gluten Free Recipes, for loads of ideas. My Leek and Split Pea Soup with Pistou plus this Lentil and Red Pepper Soup are two musts for me when it's cold outside.

Ingredients

Fun Food Fact: Canada is the world's largest exporter of lentil and pea crops. If you don't have at least five favourites in this category there's something you can work toward. Your spice cupboard may also need some expanding to cook all the amazing Indian dishes I can smell as I type.

• onion
• jalapeños or serrano chiles
• ginger
• garlic
• yellow split peas
• whole cloves
• bay leaves
• cinnamon stick
• turmeric
• cooking oil
• zucchini
• mustard seeds
• fennel seeds
• cumin seeds
• tomatoes
• cilantro

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Legumes, Pulses and Dal

Despite the fact that I love East Indian cuisine, have loads of delicious recipes and cook some of them on a regular basis, the difference between whole and split peas, beans and lentils is not crystal clear in my head. For the everyday home cook you don’t need to know the finer points of these terms; dal, pulses or legumes. But you do need to know enough to choose and make a recipe. Here’s a quick description.

Legumes refer to plants whose fruit is enclosed in a pod. Fresh beans, including soybeans, peas and peanuts are all legumes. Alfalfa and clover are also legumes.

Pulses specifically refer to the dried seed of a legume. Dried peas (like the split peas in this recipe), edible beans (like kidney beans), lentils and chickpeas are all pulses.

Dal refers to a split version of a pulse such as lentils, peas, chickpeas and more.

If you are interested in learning more visit Indiaphile and read her comprehensive post titled Guide to Indian Lentils. It inspires me to cook more lentils but you know how that goes, 'so many recipes, so little time.' If you're ready to make dal here is a Canadian brand of yellow split peas available on Amazon.

I’d love to hear if you tried this Yellow Split Pea Dal or if you have a favourite dal recipe. Let me know in the comments below.

Zucchini Tomato Yellow Split Pea Dal

Zucchini Tomato Yellow Split Pea Dal is a long time favourite dal recipe. The spiced zucchini-tomato mixture on top is next level!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: East Indian

Keyword: split pea dal

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 265kcal

Author: Cinde Little

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 onion, quartered
• ▢ 2 jalapeños (or 3 serrano chiles)
• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• ▢ 2 large cloves garlic
• ▢ 6 cups water
• ▢ 1 lb yellow split peas, rinsed
• ▢ 6 whole cloves
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1½ inch piece cinnamon stick
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt

ZUCCHINI TOPPING

• ▢ 6 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 zucchini, cut in 1-inch cubes

TOMATO TOPPING

• ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ ½ onion, thinly sliced
• ▢ 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
• ▢ ½ cup chopped cilantro

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Instructions

• Combine onion, jalapeños, water, ginger and garlic in food processor and puree.
• Pour puree into a large pot and add water, yellow split peas, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until peas are tender, 35-40 minutes. Discard cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon. Cover and set aside.

ZUCCHINI

• Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add zucchini and cook until brown, about 2 minutes. Stir and cook another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt. Put on top of dal without stirring.

TOMATOES

• Heat oil in skillet over high heat.
• Add mustard seeds. When they begin to sputter and fennel and cumin seeds. Use a lid to contain the mustard seeds if needed. Stir spices until brown, about 2 minutes.
• Add onion and cook until dark brown, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes to skillet and cook until warm and softened, about 3 minutes. Mound on top of zucchini.
• Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Notes

*This is a big recipe. I sometimes make half the yellow split pea part but I still make the full amount of zucchini and tomatoes because I like it so much. Adjust to your liking.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Zucchini Tomato Yellow Split Pea Dal

Amount Per Serving (350 g)

Calories 265 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 8g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Sodium 690mg30%

Potassium 785mg22%

Carbohydrates 28g9%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 480IU10%

Vitamin C 28mg34%

Calcium 94mg9%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.