everyday yellow dal
I spent the summer in Israel when I was 15 years old, and while I know I did all of the expected stuff–day trips, stays at hostels and kibbutz, the big cities and the desert–one of the things that stands out most clearly in my memory is something sort of random–the way the Israeli kids dressed on hot days: black jeans and often long-sleeved shirts. I’d look at them, so covered, so dark, and want to scream. “Don’t you know how HOT it is here? I’m in my Tevas and tank top and you’re there wrapped as tight as you can in WINTER clothes.” Clearly this penchant for melodrama isn’t a recent phenomenon.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 19 of 23 ingredients — the other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 19 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut | 1/2 cup shredded (40g) | 283 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Pea | 1/2 cup (72g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Green Cabbage | 1 cup shredded (89g) | 22 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Turmeric | 1 tsp ground (3g) | 9 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Cilantro | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g) | 1 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Seed | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Coriander | not in our table | 0 |
| Black-Eyed Pea | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 2 cups tightly packed, shredded green cabbage (use the large holes of a grater)
- 1 small serrano chile, seeded and minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more as needed
- 1/4 to 1/2
- teaspoon table salt (adjusted from 1 tsp. as a few commenters found it too salty)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 cup yellow split peas, soaked in cold water for 1 hour
- 1 large tomato (about 8 ounces), cut into 8 wedges
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, finely ground
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (I used 1/4, thought it was plenty, although I may be a wuss.)
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves (I abhor cilantro, and always replace it with flat-leaf parsley.)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dried black-eyed peas or two 15-ounce cans, drained
- 2 tablespoons, canola oil
- 1 small yellow onion, minced (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, finely ground
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated garlic (about 1 large clove)
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger (about a 1-inch piece)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (I always start with the half the suggested cayenne, and then decide if it needs more. Mine didn’t.)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, finely ground
- 1/4 cup minced tomato (1 small tomato)
- 2 cups (or 1 cup if using canned peas) hot water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste if using canned peas
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice