Traditional Caribbean dal is near and dear to my heart, a dish that reminds me of my childhood on the islands. My mom didn’t cook much curry, but when I came home after school there was always rice, dal and curry waiting for me. (Also known as curry flavor) Chicken is what we (Brothers and sisters) This is the recipe everyone was looking forward to and although this is not that recipe, it is just as comforting and when I dip the leftover sada roti in it, boom!, it takes me back to my childhood.
You will need…
12-15 cups water
2 1/2 cups yellow split peas (washed)
1 tablespoon turmeric (Solfran)
1 1/2 pounds salted pig tails (Got ready)
1 medium sized onion (sliced)
10-12 garlic cloves (Split)
3 Birdseye Peppers (option)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon geera seeds (cumin)
Note! I highly recommend watching the video below, which goes into more detail about the recipe, including why the salted pig’s tail needs to be pre-boiled before adding it to the dal. If you’re making this recipe gluten free, check the full list of ingredients to ensure it meets your gluten-free dietary requirements.
Prepare the salted pig’s tailBasically, you have your butcher cut the tail into 1-inch pieces, rinse it well, then place it in a deep pot of water and bring it to a boil. Cook at a boil for 40-50 minutes. Dry it, rinse it and set it aside. This step removes most of the salt used to cure it and softens it a bit. (They’ll be tough.).
Add 12 cups water to a soup pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then add the washed yellow split peas and turmeric and stir well. Return to a boil.
As it boils, you will see bubbles forming on the top. Skim them off. Next, add the onion, half the garlic, and the Bird’s Eye pepper. (Use whatever chili peppers you like or have available, and as much as you can handle). Black pepper. Don’t add salt yet. (Explained in the video).
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, add the salted pork tail pieces and simmer for 70 minutes or until the beans and pork tail pieces are tender, stirring every 15 minutes.
You may need to add more water halfway through – I added another 3-4 cups. Keep in mind that this makes a lot of dal – I make a lot on purpose so I can freeze the extras – this is a great method for those days when you want dal but don’t want to spend hours cooking.
At this point you should taste and add salt if necessary. (To your liking)Remove the salted pig tail pieces (I hope it’s soft).
In the video, you’ll see that I use a traditional wooden swizzle stick to break up the cooked peas until smooth. If you use a stick blender, I recommend pulsing a few times to avoid continuous foaming. Return the salted pig tail to the pot.
Heat the oil in a frying pan along with the remaining garlic. (Crushing) And Guila (cumin) seeds. Allow the garlic to brown slightly and the oil to become smoking hot.
There are Very carefulPour this mixture into the pot of dal and stir well. In the video, we explained the proper technique for this step, called “Chunkay”.
This dal is delicious as a soup or as a side dish to curry dishes.
Search for dal in the search box above or visit our recipe index and you’ll find 4-5 Caribbean style dal recipes. If you’re not a fan of pork, that’s okay. If you want to add some green seasoning while cooking, feel free to do so. One tablespoon adds a lovely herbal flavour.
