Toordahl Dahl

The night before or a few hours before you want to make this dish, soak the pigeon peas in water. Change out the water 2-3 times. Right before you are ready to make the dish, rinse the pigeon peas under water until the water runs clear (about 4-5 rinses).

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and olive oil together. Add the onion and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are lightly golden brown and translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Next, add in your drained pigeon peas, 3 cups of water, and the turmeric, chili powder, cumin and coriander. Turn the heat to medium low and cover the skillet. About every 20-30 minutes, you will want to stir the mixture. If it the pigeon peas begin to look dry, you will want to add some water, about 1/2-1 cup at a time. Overall, I added more water about 3 times, totaling about 5 cups of water in all. Cook on medium low until the peas are tender and very thick, about 3 hours.

When the mixture is nice and thick and the peas are tender, add salt, pepper, lemon juice and tomatoes and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Serve with brown rice, vegetables and whole wheat naan.