Indian-Style Split Pea Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings

Split pea soup is a classic Canadian comfort food. If you are Canadian, you probably remember growing up eating cans of Habitant pea soup, or maybe you still do. Simple with little else but split peas, salt, onion and maybe a few diced carrots or celery, my husband still adores split pea soups. But I can't bring myself to make something quite so basic — but I don't mind turning something basic into something extraordinary.

So this split pea soup is "Indian-ized" with Indian seasonings, but it's extra special because I also put in some plump, colorful and hearty spiced cornmeal dumplings in the soup too. This is pretty much a complete comfort meal in a bowl, and is one of the finest soups I have made in a while. The broth itself was a treat. And did I mention the dumplings? After this, you won't settle for canned split pea soup again!

I don't consider that the photos are up to par, but it's been dark here pretty much for the last few months. I trust that fellow cooks will judge the recipe without fancy photos.

Indian-Style Split Pea Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on February 19, 2016 Split peas and vegetables simmered in a delicious, fragrant and warming Indian-seasoned broth, served with beautiful plump spiced cornmeal dumplings Print this recipe Soup: 1 cup green split peas 2 tablespoons olive or sesame oil 1 small red onion, chopped 1 large carrot, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander 4 sprigs of fresh thyme small handful of dried curry leaves 6 cups water or vegetable stock, or more as needed 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste fresh cracked black pepper, to taste handful of fresh chopped parsley Dumplings: 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup unbleached white flour, or more as needed 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 cup almond milk, or more as needed Tempering: 1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds Instructions: Rinse the split peas and soak for 4 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, carrot and celery, and sauté until the the vegetables are softened — about 5 to 7 minutes. Now add the garlic, jalapeño and ginger, and stir for another few minutes. Add the turmeric, coriander, thyme sprigs and curry leaves, and stir for another minute. Pour in the split peas and water or stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes or until the peas are tender. While the soup is simmering, prepare the dumplings. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder salt, turmeric, cumin and almond milk in a large bowl. Stir to combine until you have a soft and pliable dough, adding more flour if the dough is too moist or more almond milk if the dough is too dry. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough stand for 15 minutes. Form into small 1-inch oblong shapes or rounds. Cover again until ready to add to the soup. When the peas are tender, drop the dumplings into the soup and simmer until they float — about 15 minutes. To prepare the tempering, heat the oil in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds and stir until the mustard seeds begin to splutter and pop. Quickly add to the soup, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve hot with a grain of your choice or some nice crusty bread. Makes 6 servings

I'm sharing this with Jac's weekly Meat Free Mondays event.

Other recipes featuring split peas:
Indian-Style Split Pea Soup
Ash-e Anar ( Persian Split Pea and Pomegranate Soup )
Indian-Style Yellow Split Pea Curry (Matar Dal)
Split Pea Cilantro Dumplings in a Coconut Curry

Ash-e Anar ( Persian Split Pea and Pomegranate Soup )

Herbs and fruits are frequently prominent components in Persian cooking, often used to stunning effect when combined with rice, vegetables and spices. This split pea and pomegranate soup is just such a wonderful example of a blend of contrasting ingredients and flavors — from onions and garlic to seeds and spices, and from split peas and rice to fresh herbs and pomegranate molasses — all combined to produce an astonishing result. Hot, sweet and sour at the same time, there is more going on in just this one soup that can really be properly described, but it all joins together into a perfect whole. And a scattering of colorful pomegranate seeds on top burst with a tart pop in your mouth to provide a spectacular finish on the palate.

Ash-e anar is also a very simple and warming soup that's filling and nourishing at the same time. It doesn't require too much attention, making this an ideal soup for chilly evenings when you don't have a lot of time for prep work but you want something special. I like thick soups that are almost a meal unto themselves, especially at this time of year, and this recipe is written for that effect — but you can easily make this a thinner soup to be served as a starter either by increasing the liquid or reducing the quantity of split peas from 1 cup to 3/4 cup. Pomegranate molasses is a truly wonderful base for this and other soups and is a staple in Persian and Middle Eastern pantries. You can easily find it at any Middle Eastern and most Asian grocers, but if you can't find it you can easily substitute 2 cups of pomegranate juice plus a teaspoon of sugar or honey for the same amount of water or vegetable stock.

Ash-e Anar (Persian Split Pea and Pomegranate Soup)

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Persian Published on February 16, 2012 A simple sweet-and-sour Persian split pea soup bursting with the flavors of spices, pomegranate and fresh herbs Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 6 cups vegetable stock or water 1/2 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (garnish) Instructions: Heat a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, wait a few moments, then swirl to coat the pan. Toss in the onions and fry for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and stir a few times. Add the split peas and stir for 2 minutes. Now add the crushed fennel seeds, turmeric, ground cinnamon and cayenne, and stir to coat the peas and vegetables. Pour in the vegetable stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes or until the split peas are just tender. Add the rice, cover again, and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Stir in the pomegranate molasses and herbs and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to let the herbs wilt. Remove from heat and season with salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper. Ladle into bowls, scatter pomegranate seeds over top, and serve hot. Makes 6 - 8 servings

Other recipes you many enjoy:
Shakshouka ( Tunisian Tomato & Pepper Stew with Eggs )
Mesopotamian Barley, Chickpea, Lentil and Tahini Soup
Zahtar ( Dukkah )

On the top of the reading stack: The National Post

Audio Accompaniment: Sasha

Indian-Style Yellow Split Pea Curry (Matar Dal)

Split peas — or matar dal — are not the most frequently used legume in Indian dal curries, but their rich, earthy taste and hearty, chewy texture contrast beautifully with the hot and tart and tangy flavors for which Indian cooking is so famous, and make a wonderful change of pace on occasion. This simple and colorful curry takes abundant advantage of these natural combinations of Indian flavors with the humble split pea, and takes no more than 10 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking.

As usual, ingredients like amchoor powder (ground dried mangoes) and garam masala are easily available at local Indian grocers, or you can make your own garam masala blend using ideas found here or here.

Indian-Style Yellow Split Pea Curry (Matar Dal)

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on January 25, 2012 A simple and colorful curry contrasting the earthiness of split peas and hot, tart and tangy Indian spices and flavors Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried yellow split peas 1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1/2-inch piece ginger, minced 2 green chilies, seeded and chopped 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 medium tomato, chopped 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon amchoor powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon garam masala small handful fresh coriander or parsley leaves, chopped Instructions: Rinse the split peas under cold running water and soak for 1 hour under several inches of cold water. Drain and rinse, then add to a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes or until the peas are tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the ghee or olive oil in a frying pan or wok over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and fry for 2 minutes or until the onion starts to turn translucent. Toss in the ginger and chilies, and stir for 1 minute. Add the cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds or until the seeds darken a couple of shades and turn fragrant. Now stir in the tomato, cayenne, turmeric and amchoor and cook for 5 minutes or until the tomato starts to reduce. Stir in the split peas and let the pan simmer for 10 minutes to let the peas warm and absorb the flavours. Remove the pan from heat and season with salt and garam masala. Serve hot or warm on its own or on a bed of hot fresh white rice, garnished with chopped fresh coriander or parsley leaves. To reheat, add a little water and simmer gently in a pan for several minutes. Makes 4 servings

Other simple Indian dals you may enjoy:
Indian-Style Split Pea Soup
Spicy Green Lentils and Yellow Split Peas
Mung Tamarind Dal

On the top of the reading stack: "The Cat's Table" by Michael Ondaatje

Audio Accompaniment: Neroli by Brian Eno

Greek-Style Rice and Split Pea Pilaf with Artichokes

Light and fragrant with a slightly sweet and salty Mediterranean tang, this quick and simple rice and split pea pilaf dressed with artichokes, juicy kalamata olives and creamy feta cheese makes a wonderful lunch or side dish. Both the rice and split peas can be cooked a day or more in advance, and should be cool before making the pilaf — use 1 cup dried rice and 2/3 cup dried green split peas to make the right amount of cooked ingredients.

Greek-Style Rice and Split Pea Pilaf with Artichokes

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Greek Published on November 10, 2011 Light and fragrant with a slightly sweet and salty Mediterranean tang, this quick and simple rice and split pea pilaf dressed with artichokes, juicy kalamata olives and creamy feta cheese makes a wonderful lunch or side dish Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped (optional) 1 sprig fresh thyme (optional) 3 cups cold cooked rice (1 cup dried) juice of 2 lemons 2 cups cooked green split peas (2/3 cup dried) 14 oz (410 mL) can artichoke hearts packed in water or brine, drained and quartered 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped (2 teaspoons dried) 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper to taste 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved 1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled Instructions: Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. When hot, toss in the olive oil, wait a few moments, then swirl to coat the pan. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the green pepper and jalapeño and sprig of thyme if using, and continue to sauté for another minute. Pour in the rice and lemon juice. Stir to break up clumps of rice. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir in the green split peas, artichoke hearts and oregano. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the pilaf is heated through. Stir in the grape tomatoes, salt and pepper, and let rest on the heat for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and discard the thyme sprig. To serve, stir in the olives and ladle the pilaf onto a serving plate or individual plates, and garnish with Feta cheese. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings

Other ideas from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you may enjoy:
Greek Macaroni and Cheese
Greek Tomato Rice
Quinoa Dolmadakia (Stuffed Grape Leaves)