Meatless Monday: Lime split pea curry with rice

by Sarah Steimer

I love curry pretty much any time of year, but it always seems particularly spectacular when it start getting cold out. Even when it comes to picking a restaurant, I tend to lean toward Indian restaurants or other cuisines that include lots of spices in the fall and winter.

• 1/2 pound yellow split peas
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 – 1 tablespoon red Thai curry paste (I went with 1 tablespoon, because I felt like a lot of my curry flavor cooked off in the process)
• 1/2 15-ounce can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• juice and zest from 1/2 lime, divided
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt
• rice, naan or pita, for serving

Place the split peas in a mesh strainer and rinse several times with hot water, until the water is clear.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wide pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until soft. Add the split peas, curry paste, coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups of water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the ginger, lemon juice, lime zest and garlic. Season with salt. Cover the pan partially and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. Simmer for about an hour or so, until the peas begin to fall apart. Taste and adjust for salt and curry paste.

Remove the curry from the heat and add the lime juice. Let the curry rest for about an hour to let it continue to thicken. Reheat gently before serving, adding more water to thin if necessary. Serve the curry with rice, naan or pita.

Recipe adapted from: Food52