Seasonal Ontario Food

I've made this a few times now as a relatively fast and easy vegetarian supper. You can make it thick and serve it with bread, potatoes or rice, or thin it down and serve it as a soup. I use Yeo's Malaysian curry, which should be relatively easy to find.

4 servings (more for soup)
1 hour 15 minutes - 15 minutes prep time


3 shallots
2 medium carrots
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 cubic inches peeled fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon Malaysian curry powder

1 1/4 cups yellow split peas OR red lentils
500 ml (2 cups) coconut milk
4 cups water, or more
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

Peel and mince the shallots. Peel and grate the carrots. Put the oil in a heavy bottomed pot, and sauté the shallots and carrots gently in it. Meanwhile, have the garlic and ginger peeled and standing by. Grate them into the sautéing vegetables, and mix in the curry powder.

When the mixture is fragrant and just showing faint signs of browning, add the peas or lentils, the coconut milk and 4 cups of water. Mix well and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Add the salt, and simmer the curry, stirring frequently, until the peas or lentils are cooked and basically dissolve. Add more water as needed to keep the mixture from getting too thick and scorching, and also to get it to the consistency you want, whether that of a purée or a soup.

Like most cooked dried legume dishes, this is better made at least a day ahead and re-heated.






Last year at this time I made Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce.