Yellow split peas are very prevalent in the Indian communities of Guyana, Fiji, Suriname, Jamaica, South Africa, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, and are popular amongst Indians in the United States as well as India. There, it is referred to generically as dal and is the most popular dal. It is prepared similarly to dals found in India, but may be used in recipes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal
Mauritius. Could you find it on a map?
Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian ocean, about 2000 kilometers off the southeastern coast of Africa. It’s usually lumped in with Africa when being assigned to a regional grouping of nations. Although there is evidence that Arab traders were aware of the islands as early as 975AD, the first Europeans to encounter the uninhabited islands were on a Portuguese ship that was blown off course in 1507, who named it Isla do Cerne (Swan Island). About 90 years later the Dutch laid claim, renaming them after Maurice, Prince of Orange. They made several short lived attempts at permanent settlement over the next century, but ultimately it was the French, who claimed the islands in 1715, that first succeeded in establishing settlements. In 1810 Great Britain seized the islands, which were eventually officially ceded in the Treaty of Paris. The British ruled the country until independence in 1968.
Mauritius’ main claims to fame are being the only full democracy and among the most developed countries in Africa, as well as having a lot of biodiversity, including a number of endemic species found no where else. (Mauritius was home to the Dodo, which, along with several other bird species, went extinct soon after human settlement.)
Given the complex history, and the fact that no humans lived there 500 years ago, it’s no surprise that the population is quite diverse. Indo-Mauritians are the largest ethnic group, most likely descendants of workers brought in to run sugar plantations. (No surprise there is you’ve been following my recent posts).
I had been starting to think that dal doesn’t really vary much around the world, but this recipe brought the excitement back into the exploration. All those layers of colonial history actually show through in Mauritian dal! Specifically, the French influence shows through. First of all, apparently in Mauritius yellow split peas are known as dhal petit pois, clearly a name coming from the French. Then there’s the inclusion of thyme and parsley, both very French ingredients that you almost never see in Indian cooking. I was also surprised to find no chili peppers or powder in my recipe (they did appear in one or two source recipes, but not enough to make it into mine). That’s probably not French influence, but it was a markedly different aspect.
The other big difference is that it seems to be quite common to add vegetables to the dal. Eggplant and chayote (known as chow chow in Mauritius) were the most common. I didn’t actually see any recipes that used both, but I decided to go ahead and put my twist on it. I’m sure that people probably do make dal with more than one vegetable, even if they don’t put their recipes on the internet. Feel free to use only one or the other if your are so inclined.
Traditionally the eggplant of choice are the Chinese or Japanese style with long skinny fruits, which are sliced into thick rounds. Winter in Duluth, Minnesota isn’t the best time to find eggplant diversity so I just bought a regular big purple eggplant, and cut it into large chunks. (To be honest there isn’t really any season you’re likely to find anything but the familiar big purple eggplants in the grocery stores here. Maybe late summer farmers markets would have a little bit of variety, but that’s still half a year away. ) You do want to cut the eggplant in fairly large chunks and leave the skin on, so that it holds together rather than melting into the dal. Once it’s cut, salt it to remove some of the bitterness, and then cover with cool water to prevent oxidization. Frying it separately before adding to the dal helps keep the flavors distinct.
Chayote is a type of gourd native to Mexico. It’s green and pear shaped, with firm white flesh and a single seed. It’s generally treated like zucchini or other summer squash, although it’s firm enough to remain crisp even when cooked. We’re cutting it into chunks slightly smaller than the eggplant.
As an island nation, fish is obviously a big part of the diet. However it’s also a country with a long history of Europeans importing food to feed their slaves or indentured workers rather than spending time or space to grow or harvest local food, so Mauritian cuisine shares the Caribbean’s weird fascination with salt fish. I didn’t add any to this batch, but I did include it in the optional ingredients.
Mauritian Dal with Eggplant and Chayote
Serves: 4-5
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: ~1:20
Total: ~1:40 plus soaking time
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1 ⅔ cups yellow split peas
1 ½ teaspoons turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
3 ½ cups water
20 oz eggplant
1 ½ Tablespoons salt
1 large chayote
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 ¼ inch ginger, peeled and minced
AND
3 cloves garlic, minced
OR
1 Tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
3 sprigs curry leaves
3 bay leaves
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
Water, as needed
2 ⅔ Tablespoons coconut oil
Cilantro, to garnish
Optional:
1 carrot, diced
Parsley, to taste
3 whole peeled tomatoes, crushed, in place of Romas.
1 boney piece of salt fish
2-3 whole cloves
Rinse your split peas well and cover with cool water. Leave to soak for at least 30 minutes, up to several hours or overnight.
Drain the split peas and place in a pressure cooker with the turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt, and 3½ cups of water. Seal the pressure cooker and bring up to pressure. Cook for about 15 minutes, then remove from heat and allow pressure to release naturally. When it is safe to open the pressure cooker, check your peas. They should be very soft. If not, return to pressure and cook a few more minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare your eggplant by cutting it into large cubes or thick slices, about 1½ inches. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 ½ Tablespoons of salt. Gently rub it into the eggplant, then cover with cold water. Set aside. Cut the chayote into pieces slightly smaller than the eggplant. Set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wide pot. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, bay leaves, thyme and cumin seed. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the garam masala and the tomato and mix well. Cook until the tomato breaks down. Add the chayote and stir to coat with the mixture. Add the contents of the pressure cooker along with enough hot water to make a soupy consistency covering the chayote. Simmer until chayote is just tender, 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Drain the eggplant and pat it dry with a paper towel. Place eggplant pieces in hot oil and fry for about 5-7 minutes, until nicely browned. Flip eggplant pieces and fry for another 7-10 minutes, until eggplant is almost cooked. There should still be a little resistance when a knife is inserted.
Add the eggplant to the dhal, along with more water if needed. Continue to simmer until eggplant and chayote are fully cooked, 10-20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve with rice. Garnish with cilantro.
Lorin cooks Legumes 