What red sauce is to an Italian, dhal is to a Guyanese. It is truly a staple in our cuisine. Dhal is a type of “gravy” made essentially from split peas and is commonly eaten with rice or roti. It is topped with almost any type of Guyanese dish from chicken curry to fried fish, to various vegetables such as ochroes or spinach. The simplest and most delicious way to eat dhal for me is with hot paratha roti. Once the dhal has had a chance to soak into the roti, it ends up being a very filling and hearty meal for me.
Dhal is made by boiling water with yellow split peas, onions, garlic, pepper and various spices. Then using a swizzle stick, also known as a dhal ghutney, or some other appliance to make the dhal smooth. In a metal ladle or a very small pot, oil is heated and whole cumin seeds (geera) and sliced garlic are fried until they are almost burnt. This is then added to the already cooked dhal. The burnt garlic and geera give the dhal a hint of smokiness that is truly delectable and unique. This method is known to much Guyanese as “chunkaying”. There are many people who do not like the taste of the burnt geera. But I love it and I feel it really makes dhal tastes like dhal.
My mom cooks her dhal in a pressure cooker and it is usually done cooking within 10-12 minutes. What results is a smooth, slightly thick texture that can stand up to any rice or roti that it is poured on. Because I do not own a pressure cooker (I know, the shame), I use a different method, an immersion blender! Let’s face it. Not many of us have the time to stand over a pot with a dhal “gutney” or swizzle stick trying to make the dhal as smooth as possible. So I take this shortcut and it saves me a lot of time.
Growing up in a Guyanese community, you can imagine that I have eaten dhal from many different homes and restaurants, but nothing beats my mom’s recipe. She adds just enough spices to develop a flavor that is really like no other. I’ve made this a few times just to get the measurements correct for you. This will serve approximately 4-6 people with some leftovers. Well maybe, just depends on how many times you go back for seconds.
A Note on Adding Tomato
An East Indian family friend of ours suggested adding a small tomato to our dhal. If you know anything about where our food came from, you’ll know that East Indians add tomatoes to their dhal. My mom tried it and liked it. It doesn’t change the taste of the dhal much, but adds a nice background flavor. This is completely optional as the traditional Guyanese way of making dhal does not include tomato. I’m so glad my mom was open-minded to trying this tip and other new ways of cooking, it’s helped her become versatile in the kitchen.
Chunkay
A Guyanese Staple : Dhal
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground geera
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup split peas
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 whole onion
- 3 wiri wiri pepper
- 1 small tomato, optional
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin (geera) seeds
- 1 garlic thinly sliced
Instructions
- Bring 8 cups of water to a rapid boil. Rinse split peas and add to the water.
- Chop onion, garlic, tomato, and wiri wiri peppers (or scotch bonnet) and add to boiling water.
- Add spices and salt (I usually like a bit more salt in my food so start with 1 teaspoon and add more if needed).
- Boil peas for 45 minutes until peas are soft to the touch. Blend with immersion blender or use (dhal ghutney) swizzle stick to achieve a smooth texture. Return to a slow boil for another 15-20 minutes until dhal gets slightly thick. Turn heat off when you have reached your desired texture.
- In a metal ladle or very small pot, heat oil and fry sliced garlic and geera until they become slightly burnt. Immediately add to dhal, being careful to cover the pot as you add the garlic/geera mixture as the hot oil will pitch since it is being combined with a water based liquid.
Notes
An East Indian family friend suggested adding a small tomato to her dhal. If you know anything about where our food came from, you'll know that East Indians add tomatoes to their dhal. My mom tried it and liked it. It doesn't change the taste of the dhal much, but adds a nice background flavor. This is completely optional as the traditional Guyanese way of making dhal does not include tomato.
Navin says
I was waiting for this recipe. Looks great….thanks Alica.
Anonymous says
This was great, i loved it, best recipe for dhal! thank you !!
Alica says
You are both welcome! I'm glad it turned out well Anonymous 🙂
Anonymous says
I made this today. It came out really good, although I will continue to tinker and personalize it. Where do you get your spices from? I am finding that supermarket spices are subpar and am turning to dried spices and those available from specialty markets and ethnic stores. If I don't have those on hand, (like today!) I basically double the amount of spice I use.
Alica says
Hi Anonymous!
I buy my spices from West Indian/ethnic stores only. My mother makes her own masala and I usually get a batch from her. I have also experienced that the spices from the "international" aisle in supermarkets are not as strong. I think this has to do with the mass production that needs to happen in order to distribute certain brands to grocery stores around the country. For example, McCormick makes curry powder but it is nowhere close to the curry powder that you can buy at a West Indian store b/c as they continue to mass produce the quality gets lost. West Indian stores typically import their spices from the Caribbean are distributed to specific target markets in the US unlike McCormick which can be found at every store in the US! Anyhow, I am glad that you personalized this recipe to your taste, as with most dishes it is best enjoyed when tailored to suit your taste buds! Thanks for visiting!
Spices says
I am very happy to read your articles it’s very useful for me,and I am completely satisfied with your website.All comments and articles are very useful and very good.
Your blog is very attention-grabbing. I am loving all of the in turn you are sharing with each one!…
Spices
Anonymous says
Great, I also had some spinich in mines (bhagie).. taste yummy.
Maria Stahl says
I also love the Hazel Atlas Criss-Cross mixing bowl you started out with. 🙂
Anonymous says
How many cups of split peas goes into this recipe? Thank you!
Alica says
Hi Anonymous, 3/4 cups as stated above, enjoy! 🙂
Oracle DBA says
Should I boil the peas covered or uncovered? Thanks! Great recipe.
Alica says
Hi there,
Boil the peas uncovered. If you cover it, it will flow over the pot. Thanks for visiting!
Alica
Amelia Harrichandra says
I'm not sure what it was like in your household, but in mine, my parents did all of the cooking up until I was about 20 or 21, I'm now 25. My parents work magic in the kitchen, especially my dad, he could prepare food for the Gods, and this isn't just me being biased, our family and friends love his cooking. I seem to have inherited some of his talent [ahem]. However that may fall a little short when it comes to the Art of Dhal-Making. Just as you think your mom's is the best, I also think my dad's is the best, even my mom requests that he make it. If I may, he's the MC Hammer where Dhal is concerned [You can't touch this! lol ;)]
I've been wanting to try it for a while now, but I have been petrified! Needless to say, this fear stems from me trying to live up to dad's dhal standards. I've tried a few of your recipes before, with great success, so thank you! It's often difficult to find Guyanese recipes that incorporate traditional methods and ingredients. So essentially, there's some level of trust here and I will be trying your recipes, with a few tweaks of my own [including letting it boil slowly and using a dhal 'gutney'], but using your general guideline. Thanks a million again and keep your fingers crossed for me! lol 😀
P.s. Nice name, how do you pronounce that?
Daal House Girl says
Wonderful blog. From my Bengali 'sister' I found out that "chunkay-ing" is the equivalent of "to choonk" in her culture. From her and another 'sister' from Kerala I have picked up many tasty variations of Indian dishes also made in Guyana.
Michelle Owens says
How do you use this receive using a pressure cooker? How are the ingredients added and how long should it cook for? Thank you.
Julia says
I am so thrilled to find your blog. My husband is from Guyana and I surprised him and my in-laws with a full Guyanese lunch on the weekend, mostly using your wonderful recipes. Everything was so delicious! I made pholourie, fried fish, chicken curry, mango sour, roti (they turned out more like pita bread but I know, it takes practise!) and this delicious dhal. Really appreciate the detail of your recipes, and your lovely writing.
Alica says
Hi Amelia,
Sorry it took me so long to reply, I totally understand where you are coming from on all accounts! I think it's great that you are trying and still learning. However I can help, please let me know 🙂 Also, thanks for your compliment- my name is pronounced as, Ah-lisa.
Alica says
Hi Michelle,
My dad cooks this in a pressure cooker sometimes, I will ask him and reply to you!
Alica says
Hi Julia,
Wow! Your husband is lucky to have such a wonderful wife that will make a dinner spread like that all in one night! I hope your in-laws enjoyed the food along with your effort! I don't even know if I can cook all that in one day lol. I am glad I was able to help, thanks for taking time to write me a message 🙂
Melanie n Izaak says
I to am an American-Guyanese. I grew up eating these wonderful foods and learned how to make them without a recipe. Learning that way worked for a while but after not cooking for a certain dish for some time you forget measurements. Its nice to have your blog as a go-to. It also helps with the consistency of the food. I have YET to master anything with dough – especially my most favorite food, roti. Kneading is just not my thing. But, I'll continue to try. Thank you for painstakingly putting together each of your recipes along with photos. To those that don't steal other peoples work, it is greatly appreciated.
Alica says
Hi there,
Thanks so much. I'm glad you are enjoying the site. Even I come back to some of the recipes to see measurements because I also forget after a certain amount of time! Yea, people just like to take the easy way out and steal other people's photos, unfortunately it is something common that happens in the digital world. Thanks for stopping by!
vanita says
haha i don't have a pressure cooker either. and though hubby can cook really well, his dhal, and mine, not so great. i will try your recipe for sure girlfriend!
Oursimplecupoftea says
Great blog. You've made me hungry!
Rod Odell says
This is a brilliant recipe. I have used it several times now and my family loves it.
Flapn Blab says
You dont put Tomatoes into dahl
But this will get deleted, because this blogger did not grow up cooking and recently learned to cook. She feels threatened when people comment and tell the truth
Time teller says
She said one of her East Indian friends suggested to add tomatoes and she did and she liked it. I tried it and i loved it. Its nothing wrong with tweeking a. Recipe.
Alica says
Hi there,
You are correct I did not grow up cooking as much as I do now. I did help my mom a lot in the kitchen, but it wasn't because I wanted to, I didn't have much of an interest until I moved away from home. This is my mom's way of making dhal and it is fantastic to me. Every Guyanese person cooks differently. If you ask 10 different people to cook chow mein, all 10 dishes will taste different because people have different methods and that's the beauty of cooking. Recipes in general are just a guide, ingredients can be added or removed based on preference, I'm sure you can agree right? This recipe contains a very small amount of tomato so it doesn't taste like tomato soup, it's a background flavor. Try it you might like it :)! Thanks for taking time to leave a comment!
Take care,
Alica
Devika says
Trying this recipe now, thank you for sharing!
Trish says
This sounds exactly like the dhal made by a Guyanese friend from Toronto who was visiting a few months ago. I am headed to the Carribbean market for the geera. I will let you know once I have prepared it!!!
Lisa Shadir says
we never put tomatoes in dhal in Guyana either, but later years someone suggested it and I tried it and liked the contribution 😉 – it does give a subtle acidic background to the pot
sankarsocialbeat says
Nice, i'm a food lover, i love to eat different variety of mouth watering foods with spices
Kamal says
I believe the technique is sometimes more important than than the ingredients
Kamal says
So easy, simple yet so tasty, it's like the authentic recipe
Unknown says
I am regretting not learning these from my Mum but hope your recipe will work for me what are the quantities in grammes/ ounces? Please help as using U.S recipes don't usually work for me!
Saarah says
Do you know the directions for the pressure cooker? How much water? How long to cook?
Alica says
Hi Sarah,
I’ll get measurements next time I make it in the pressure cooker and post here.
Saarah says
Thanks
Sharda says
I cooked the dhal with a stovetop pressure cooker today and it came out great. I pressured the dhal for about 15 minutes and I used 7 cups of water. I also did not add the pepper until after I pressured the dhal because I did not want the pepper to burst and make it too spicy. Then I chunkey the dhal.
Bibi says
Your recipes are really good and yes my
Mom does add tomato in her Dahl
Grandma Jo says
Alica thank you for your recipes. It’s my go to site for everything Guyanese. My kids now think I’m a genius cook. From your fried rice, chow mein, pepperpot to your dhal. All truly yummy.
Alica says
Hi Grandma Jo,
Thank you so much! I’m so happy your family loves your cooking, you’re creating wonderful memories for them! <3