Guyanese Dhal — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Silky smooth split pea soup tempered with cumin, garlic, and wiri wiri pepper, an essential accompaniment to every Guyanese rice meal.

Ingredients

1 Wash split peas thoroughly and add to a pot with water and turmeric. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam.
2 Reduce heat and simmer thirty minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas completely break down into a smooth soup.
3 In a small skillet, heat oil until very hot. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle and pop for ten seconds.
4 Add garlic and onion to the skillet and fry until golden brown. This is the tadka or tempering.
5 Pour the hot tadka into the dhal pot, add whole wiri wiri pepper, and stir. Simmer five more minutes.
6 Season with salt and garnish with cilantro. Serve as a sauce over rice or alongside roti.

Did You Know?

Guyanese families often judge a cook by their dhal, saying a good cook can make even plain dhal taste extraordinary.