You can make dhal from any dried pulses, though different seasonings suit different pulses. I do this recipe a lot simply because I can usually get my hands on yellow split peas. It's a good idea to make a pile and stick it in the fridge. It's easy to reheat and you can alter the seasonings each time. If you're doing a lot of physical work or training for sports or something it might be worth following the traditional Indian practice of eating two different types of dhal at one sitting. Doing this means you get a wide range of amino acids.
You don't need to soak split peas before cooking but it is important that you don't add salt to any pulses before or while they are cooking or they will remain hard. Wait until they have cooked and then salt them.
Ingredients
1 kg dried yellow split peas
A half teaspoon each of powdered ginger, turmeric and red chilli
2-3 tomatoes or a dessertspoon of tomato paste
1 large onion
4 or 5 cloves of garlic
Vegetable oil
Water
Rinse the peas well and put them in a large pot. Add enough water to cover them by about 10 cm. Bring to the boil and boil vigorously for five minutes. Skim any froth off and throw it away. Turn down the heat and add the spices, crushed garlic and chopped tomatoes or tomato paste. Partially cover the pan and simmer but be careful it doesn't boil over. Check for froth after ten minutes and skim if there is any. After twenty minutes of simmering, chop and gently fry the onion until it is brown. This will take about ten minutes. Add the onion to the dhal, with the vegetable oil, and stir it in. About another 10 - 15 minutes cooking should do it. It's a good idea to keep a kettle of hot water handy at this stage in case you need to add some to the dhal. You also need to keep the heat right down towards the end of cooking so that the peas don't stick and burn. Try to stir the dhal as little as possible during the whole cooking process. When it's ready, the peas should be soft but not completely turned to soup (though if this happens, it will still taste good). Add salt at the last minute.
Serve in a bowl with melted butter, ghee or vegetable margarine on top. Garnish with fresh green coriander, garam massala or crushed dried methi leaves. An alternative is to fry some whole cumin seeds and/or chopped garlic in some ghee or vegetable oil and pour this over as garnish.
To reheat dhal, simply put some in a frying pan and thin with a little water and heat gently.