Roasted Mung Beans

Roasted mung beans are a popular crunchy, salty snack across India and other Southeast Asian countries.

Ven Pongal

Ven Pongal is a south Indian porridge, made with rice and moong dal tempered with curry leaves, cashew and peppercorns in ghee.

Ghugni

Ghugni is a popular street food in Kolkata, but also served at home, especially as a breakfast dish. It is made with yellow peas and potatoes in a spicy curry, topped with special onion, coconut, green chilies and a special spice blend.

Trinidadian Dhal

Trinidadian Dhal is made with split peas, Caribbean peppers, onion, garlic and spices.

Mauritian Dal with Eggplant and Chayote

Mauritian Dal more clearly shows its multicultural roots than any of the other dal recipes I’ve explored recently, with several clearly French ingredients along with the more typical Indian spices.

South African Dhal

South African dal is made with yellow split peas and typical Indian spices like turmeric, cumin fenugreek and curry leaves. My version is on the spicy side with lots of both red and green chilies.

Jamaican Split Pea Soup

Jamaican split pea soup is full of vegetables like yam, sweet potato, pumpkin and sweet corn, along with chicken and Jamaican dumplings for a delicious, filling meal.

Dhal Puri

Dhal Puri is a type of roti, or flatbread, popular among the Indian diaspora, especially in the Caribbean. It is filled with ground split peas and spices, and often served with curry or other Caribbean dishes.

Fijian Dahl

Fiji is another country with a sizable Indian population that we don’t tend to think about. Descendants of Indian indentured sugar plantation laborers make up some 38% of the population, and needless to say have their own subtle variations on the foods of their ancestors.

Guyanese Bounjal Dhal

Outside of Indian, Guyana is one of the countries with the largest percentage of people of Indian heritage. Half a world away from the mother country, Guyanese dhal has its own distinctive character.