Split Pea & Coconut Curry Sauce
Submitted by jgbwv
South Indian split pea and coconut curry sauce with mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, green chiles, and ginger. A creamy, spicy condiment for rice, dosa, or idli.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minThis is a South Indian curry sauce rooted in the chutney and pachadi tradition. Yellow split peas and raw rice get soaked, then blended into a smooth paste with fresh green chiles and ginger. That paste is stir-fried with popping mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, and curry leaves before being simmered in coconut milk until thick and creamy.
The rice in the blend is doing subtle but important work. That single teaspoon acts as a thickener and gives the finished sauce a slightly starchy body that clings to whatever you pour it over. Without it, the sauce would be thinner and less satisfying.
The tadka (tempering) of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves in hot oil is the flavor engine. When those mustard seeds pop and the curry leaves crackle, the oil captures all their volatile, aromatic compounds. The split pea-ginger puree goes in immediately after and gets stir-fried for about four minutes to cook out the raw taste.
Kitchen Tips
- Soak the rice and split peas for the full hour. Under-soaked peas won’t blend smooth and leave a gritty sauce.
- Stand back when the mustard seeds hit the hot oil. They pop aggressively and can burn skin.
- Stir the coconut milk in thoroughly, pressing out any lumps from the puree with the back of a spoon.
- Add the lemon juice off the heat at the very end. It brightens everything without cooking out the fresh citrus note.
Variations
- Add a small handful of fresh grated coconut to the blender for a thicker, richer sauce with more coconut flavor.
- Increase the green chiles to 3-4 for a properly fiery South Indian heat level.
- Serve alongside dosa, idli, or steamed rice as a condiment, or use as a base sauce for simmering vegetables.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine rice and split peas in a bowl and rinse in several changes of water.
Add ¼ cup water and soak for 1 hour (do not drain the water.) Add chiles and ginger and blend mixture until finely pureed, Set aside. Heat oil in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mustard, cumin, turmeric and curry leaves. When seeds pop, stir in split pea-ginger puree. Stir-fry for about 4 minutes. Add coconut milk and salt. Stir with the back of a spoon until there are no lumps. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
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