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how to make dhal

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Trini-Style Salted Beef Yellow Split Peas Dhal

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Growing up in Trinidad, dhal was always bubbling on the stovetop, simple, nourishing, and perfect for soaking up with rice or roti. But when salted beef got tossed into the pot? Oh gosh, now yuh talking! The smoky, salty richness of the beef adds a whole new dimension to this classic yellow split pea dish. Whether it was a rainy Sunday lunch or a make-ahead meal for the week, this kind of dhal took comfort food to a next level. Here’s how to bring that authentic Trini flavor to your kitchen.

Big pot of saltbeef dhal

Ingredient Guide

  • Yellow Split Peas: These little dried peas cook down to a soft, creamy texture, perfect for dhal.
  • Salted Beef: Adds that unmistakable island umami; boil it first to mellow out the salt.
  • Turmeric: Brings a sunny color and gentle, earthy bitterness to the pot.
  • Garlic: Doubles up—some for the boil and some for the smoky tempering (chunkay).
  • Onion: Helps round out the flavor base with sweet-savory depth.
  • Scotch Bonnet Pepper: A little fire and fragrance, use whole or sliced depending on your heat tolerance.
  • Pimento Peppers: Optional but sweet and aromatic, a true Caribbean boost.
  • Cumin Seeds (Jeera): Slightly toasted in hot oil to add nutty goodness to the dhal.
  • Olive Oil: For frying the tempering spices until they sizzle.

Shopping Made Easy

  • Yellow Split Peas: You’ll find these in the dried beans aisle; grab a bag, as they last a long time.
  • Salted Beef: Check the Caribbean or international section, or ask your butcher for options of cured beef.
  • Turmeric: Ground turmeric is common, just look in the spice rack.
  • Scotch Bonnet & Pimento Peppers: Look for fresh ones in Caribbean groceries; substitute habanero or bell peppers if needed.
  • Cumin Seeds: Don’t mix up ground cumin with the seeds. Whole seeds are what you need for chunkay.

Cooking Notes from the Kitchen

  • Salted Beef Tip: Always pre-boil to tenderize and reduce the salty punch.
  • Dhal Texture: Swizzle it or blend it. Smooth is the way to go.
  • The Chunkay Technique: Roast garlic with cumin seeds to perfection for maximum flavor. Careful when adding to hot dhal—stand back, it will sizzle!
  • Batch Cooking Bonus: This dhal freezes like a dream. Perfect for busy weeknights.
  • Dhal Texture: Swizzle it or blend it—smooth is the way to go.
  • Big Batch Alert: This recipe yields a massive pot of dhal, as when I make it, I purposely cook a large batch to divide and freeze it for days when I get a dhal craving. When thawing, add 1/2 cup of water and place the mixture on very low heat. Divide the recipe to make smaller amounts.
  • Make It Gluten-Free: If you’re making this recipe gluten-free, be sure to review the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten-free dietary needs.

Can I make this dhal vegetarian?

Absolutely! Just skip the salted beef and go heavy on the garlic and cumin for depth. Still real tasty.

What can I serve with this dhal?

Traditionally, we enjoy it with rice or sada roti. But it’s also wicked with buss up shut or even just some crusty bread.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Cool it down, portion it out, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water.

Is there a substitute for Scotch bonnet peppers?

Habanero peppers come close. Or go mild with jalapeños, or leave it out if spice isn’t your thing.

Big pot of saltbeef dhal
Print Recipe

Trini-Style Salted Beef Yellow Split Peas Dhal

Cuisine:
Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 2 hrs Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins
Diet:
B Beef

Description

Hearty Trinidadian dhal enriched with salted beef, garlic, and cumin for a comforting, flavorful dish.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video

  1. Rinse the salted beef thoroughly. Place in a pot with water (not the 3 liters for dhal) and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours to tenderize and remove excess salt. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

  2. In a large pot, bring 3 liters (12 2/3 cups) of water to a boil. Add the washed split peas and turmeric. Skim off any froth that rises to the top.

  4. In a large pot, bring 3 liters of water to a boil. Add the washed split peas and turmeric. Skim off any froth that rises to the top.

  5. Add the pre-cooked salted beef, black pepper, 3/4 of the garlic (smashed), diced onion, scotch bonnet, and pimento peppers. Simmer until peas are very soft and falling apart, about 1 to 1.5 hours. Stir every 15 minutes and add more water if needed.

  6. Remove the beef and set aside. Blend the dhal using a swizzle stick or stick blender until smooth.

  7. Stir in the salt, adjusting for taste. Return the beef to the pot, removing any bones and cutting it into pieces as necessary.

  8. Heat olive oil in a small pan. Add remaining smashed garlic and cumin seeds. Cook until the garlic is browned and the oil is aromatic. Carefully pour the dhal into the bowl and stir well.

  9. Keep in mind that the dhal will thicken as it cools. Once cooled you can divide into containers and freeze for later use.

  10. Let simmer a few more minutes to marry flavors. Remove from heat.

  11. Enjoy hot with rice, roti, or bread. Store leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Note

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Gluten Free Vegetarian

Classic Caribbean 3 Peas Dhal (pea soup).

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There’s something so comforting about a hot cup of Dhal on a cool (Caribbean people say COLD) rainy Caribbean evening (or cold wintry night in Canada).. when all you want is something to warm your soul like your moms voice! The very same appreciation we have for this humble Dhal, when accompanied with rice and a curry dish of some sort. COMFORTING!

You’ll Need…

1 cup green split peas
1 cup lentils
2 cups yellow split peas
8 cloves garlic (divided)
2 pimento peppers (sliced)
2 shallots (sliced)
10-12 cups water
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Geera seeds (cumin)
6 Wiri Wiri peppers (optional)
1 scallion (chopped)
3/4 tablespoon salt (adjust)
2-3 tablespoon olive oil

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Additionally, I have this listed under the Vegan / Vegetarian category, but you will see curry chicken on the plate. Rest assured the 3 Peas Dhal itself is 100% vegan.

Go though the peas/lentils to make sure there’s no debris (sticks, pebbles etc) then wash and drain. In the meantime bring the water to a boil in a deep pot.

Pour the washed peas into the pot with the boiling water and bring back to a boil. Stir and let it go on a medium flame for 2- 3 minutes.

Skim off any froth/impurities at the top and discard. During this time you can prep the other ingredients.

With all the impurities skimmed off, add the salt, turmeric, 4 cloves garlic, shallots (add regular onion if you want), pimento peppers (optional as I know they will be hard to source), scallions and the WHOLE Wiri Wiri peppers. If you don’t have the Wiri Wiri (I’m lucky as I grow them in my garden)peppers , you can use an spicy pepper you have or like using. Or leave out the heat if you wish.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer (no need to cover). 1 hr and 15 minutes later, you can taste for salt (adjust if necessary). I used my traditional wooden swizzle stick and worked it a bit to get it somewhat smooth texture (watch the video below). An electric stick blender will work, But pulse or risk it becoming frothy. IMPORTANT! Remove the Wiri Wiri peppers before you swizzle, whisk or blend the dhal. If they break you will release the heat. You can discard then or remove and place back after the swizzle action. Nice little prizes for the heat lovers you may enjoy a plate or cup of this dhal.

NO! We’re not done. It’s time for the final step where we add that lovely finishing note as our ancestors did. Add the olive oil (vegetable oil will work) to a small pan, add the remaining garlic and cumin seeds and on to the med/high heat. Get to smoking (give the garlic some color), then pour directly onto the soup. This action is called Chunkay. We’re basically tempering the dhal with the cumin, garlic flavor. Do NOT skip this step!

Should the garlic burn during this step, that’s ok. We kinda want that actually.

Note: I forgot to mention above. When it was time to swizzle the dhal, I turned off the stove. But make sure the peas are tender and falling apart first.

Goes well with rice and curry, as a soup on it’s own, add flour dumplings near the end for a dhal + dumpling soup and you can certainly freeze the rest. It usually lasts about 1-2 months in my freezer before I get the craving again or one of my daughters gets to it.

If you can, please support. And should you have questions about this recipe or anything food related, be sure to Ask Chris.

If you can, please support. And should you have questions about this recipe or anything food related, be sure to Ask Chris.

Vegetarian

Lentils And Split Peas Dhal

38 Comments on Lentils And Split Peas Dhal

trini dhal recipe (9)

This recipe is pretty much a clone of the traditional dhal recipe I shared with you a while back, except this one we’ll be using lentils along with the yellow split peas. I still recall our grandmother making this when we were kids and eating it as we would soup. Last week I was going though the menu of a local Caribbean restaurant when I noticed they had dhal on their menu. Sold by the bowl-full (small $4.50 and large $9… imagine that). Right away I was taken back to those days when we lined up in my grandmother’s kitchen with bowl in hand, jostling with my cousins for the first serving. I just had to make some – the craving was on.

I didn’t follow my grandmother’s recipe, as she would use geera (cumin) somewhere along the line of cooking, but I’m not a huge fan of that spice so I tend to avoid it when I can.

You’ll Need…

1 cup yellow split peas
1 cup lentils
4 cloves of garlic diced (divided)
3/4 teaspoon salt * see note below
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 small onion sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 hot pepper (I used habanero – use whatever you like)
8 cups water * see note below
3 tablespoon vegetable oil (I like using olive oil for it’s sort of nutty taste)

Note:

– It’s easier to add more salt if necessary than remove excess salt. So at the end, do taste to see if there’s enough to your liking. It took me a few tries of making this before I got the salt just right. I added too much at the start and had to work with salty dhal. So take my advice and start with a little and add accordingly. BTW for some reason this goes a bit more salty when it cools  down.

– I started with  8 cups of water, but if you find that it becomes overly thick, feel free to add more.

Sort out the split peas and lentils to ensure there’s no foreign particles between them (I’ve seen twigs and pebbles at times), then give it a good wash with cool water and drain. Also get the other ingredients ready.

trini dhal recipe (2)

trini dhal recipe (3)

In a large pot, put the water to heat and when it comes to a boil, add everything except 1/2 the garlic and the oil (including the split peas and lentils). Bring back up to a boil, then lower to the most gentle simmer you can get. Now place the lid on the pot slightly ajar and allow this to cook for about 80 minuets or until the split peas are tender and starts to dissolve. If you have a pressure cooker, this will only take about 15 minutes or so.

You will be required to stir occasionally and do remove any sort of build up which may float to the top of the pot.

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After the 80 minutes both the lentils and split peas should be tender but still keeping it’s shape. We’ll now use a wire whisk or swizzle stick as you’ll see in the picture below and give it a good whisk. This will break down most of the peas and give the dhal and nice thick consistency. I’m sure you can use one of those electric submersion blender, but try not to overwork it r risk having a sort of frothy final dish (see note above regarding water)

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Turn off the heat from the dhal and in a small frying pan heat the olive oil, then add the remaining sliced of garlic. Allow this to cook for a couple minutes, until you start seeing the edges of the garlic start to go a dark brown.

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This final step you must show some caution as we’ll be adding that hot oil to the pot with the split peas and lentils that we cooked down. I usually use the lid of the pot as a shield when pouring in the heated oil/garlic mixture to the pot. So with one hand I have the lid protecting my body and the other, the frying pan with the oil. Pour and then give the entire pot a good stir. now check to see if there’s enough salt to your liking.

trini dhal recipe (10)

This will be enough for about 4 people if you’re drinking it as a soup, but if you’re having it with rice and something else (like curry chicken or tomato choka), you’ll have enough for about 6-8 people. I usually freeze portions in freezer containers and heat them up the next time I have a craving. So far I’ve had them last in excess of a month in the freezer. When it’s time to reheat, I free it from the container add a little water to a pot and put it on a very gentle heat to thaw. I guess you could also use the microwave.

Before you go I’d love for you to leave me a comment below… it’s appreciated (even if it’s just to say hello). Remember  you can always connect with us on Facebook and watch the cooking videos on our Caribbean Cooking Channel.

Happy Cooking

Chris…

Recipe Card

Lentils And Split Peas Dhal in a white bowl with a pepper in the middle
Print Recipe

Lentils and Split Peas Dhal (Trini Lentil Dhal)

Cuisine: Courses: , , Recipe Keys: Dairy Free Gluten Free Spicy Vegetarian
Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 1 hr Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

Description

A comforting Caribbean dhal made with yellow split peas, lentils, garlic, turmeric, and a fragrant garlic oil finish, perfect with rice or roti.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Rinse split peas and lentils thoroughly; drain.

  2. Bring 8 cups water to boil in large pot. Add lentils, split peas, onion, 2 diced garlic cloves, turmeric, salt, black pepper, and hot pepper (if using).

  3. Reduce to a gentle simmer with lid slightly ajar. Cook about 80 minutes (or 15 minutes in pressure cooker), stirring occasionally and skimming any foam.

  4. Once peas are soft but still holding shape, whisk gently to break down some into a thick stew.

  5. In a small frying pan, heat oil. Add remaining 2 garlic slices and fry until edges darken.

  6. Carefully pour hot garlic oil into dhal over the garlic. Stir and taste. Adjust salt as needed.

  7. Serve hot with rice, roti, or as a bowl of soup.

Note

It’s easier to add more salt if necessary than remove excess salt. So at the end, do taste to see if there’s enough to your liking. It took me a few tries of making this before I got the salt just right. I added too much at the start and had to work with salty dhal. So take my advice and start with a little and add accordingly.

BTW for some reason this goes a bit more salty when it cools  down.

I started with  8 cups of water, but if you find that it becomes overly thick, feel free to add more.

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