Afghan Dal
An Afghan lentil stew of yellow split peas with onion, tomato, garlic and cumin, finished with fresh coriander.
Photograph credit: Dal curry 20230930 by Vis M · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Storing and Planning Ahead
Keeps in the fridge for 4 days. Add hot water when reheating.
Afghan Dal: The Method
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Put the split peas, water and turmeric in a pan, bring to the boil, skim, and simmer for 25 minutes until soft.
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Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the onions for 12 minutes until deep golden. Lift out half and set aside.
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Add the garlic, tomatoes and cumin to the pan and cook for 6 minutes until thick. Stir into the dal with the salt.
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Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and coriander and top with the reserved onions.
Tips for Success
- Skim the foam from the peas.
- Keep some browned onion for the top.
- Cook the tomato into a thick paste.
- Loosen the dal with hot water as needed.
Some Background
Does an Afghan dal differ from the Indian kind? A little, in its restraint. There is no long list of spice blends here: just onion cooked until golden, a ripe tomato, garlic and cumin, with a squeeze of lemon and fresh coriander at the end.
Split peas or split lentils take about 25 minutes to cook until soft. Rinse them first and skim off any foam. The onion is cooked separately in oil until deep golden, and half of it is stirred into the dal. Keep the other half for the top. It adds a sweet, crisp finish that no spice can replace.
The tomato goes in with the garlic and cumin and cooks into a thick paste, which is stirred into the pot. A little water loosens the stew.
Serve with flatbread or rice. The dish tastes better the next day, once the flavours have blended. A pinch of dried chilli flakes at the end gives a little heat for those who want it.
Serving Ideas
Flatbread · Steamed rice · Plain yoghurt · Sliced onion
Common Substitutions & Variations
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
Afghan Dal Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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