Split Peas two ways – THIS SITE HAS MOVED

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Green and Yellow Split Peas Copyright Taymer Mason

I love split peas so much..I eat them once a week and I never get tired. I never get tired because there are many ways  that one can enjoy split peas. Have you tried my Green Split Pea Soup with “Ham” in Caribbean Vegan..it is one of those recipes that I am proud of because it is spot on.

Anyways these days I have been using my pressure cooker to make my 24 minute dals and mopping them up with roti or pholorie ( another split pea creation).

I actually make dal by mixing my peas with a little sunflower or coconut oil and putting the peas into boiling water and then flavouring it after before I put on the lid of my cooker. Even on busy days I can eat lunch in 35 minutes.

Here is what I ate for lunch last week: Green split pea dal with dal puri roti ( No I did not consume all those roti “skins” in one dish and curried pumpkin. All of these recipes are from my book Caribbean Vegan.

Dal Puri Roti, Curried pumpkin and Green Split Pea Dal Copyright Taymer Mason

As you see my roti “skin” or bread is very pillowy soft and stuffed with a mixture of seasoned split peas. The peas are semi cooked, cooled and dried and then ground to the size of fine cous cous and seasoned with garlic, scotch bonnets, cilantro, cumin and salt. The dough is then left to rest then rolled out and cooked on a tawa or a frying pan until just cooked.  Full recipes for roti “skins” including  buss up shut with step by step pictorial guides can be found in Caribbean Vegan.

Here is how the semi cooked split peas look before being stuffed into the roti dough. I recommend using yellow split peas because you dont want your roti looking like the Caribbean version of green eggs and ham.

Dal Puri Roti before being stuffed with split peas Copyright Taymer Mason

Now I want to go off a little tangent here. I saw  a post where an individual was airing their views about that there is no such thing as a roti skin, and why we do not call tortilla or pita’s skins as well. First of all roti is none of these things and second of all roti can be the flat bread as you see here or it can be the flat bread with curried potatoes, curried meat or veggie protein and vegetables inside and rolled up like a parcel. There was  need to differentiate between the two things so in Barbados (I do not know about any other country ) we call them skins as they were rolled thin and for people to know if we are speaking about the dish or the flat bread by itself as the flat bread is sold alone for people who do not want to make roti at home. I try to promote other islands on this blog and big up places like Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana where roti is a staple and I will continue doing so until the end of this blog. I am always sharing and receiving  info for different names of foods because, even if we are in the Caribbean as many think is a very small place it is not, EACH COUNTRY IS UNIQUE and even some Caribbean nationals seem to forget that. So, like I respect that you call the wrapped up parcel and the flat bread roti (which I stated in Caribbean Vegan) respect that I make the  difference between the two.  I am writing as a Barbadian woman and more than often I write the many names either a fruit or vegetable or dish is called throughout the region so that everyone knows what I am speaking about. Do help me if I forgot a name or, did not know one ..someone always want to have me on the guillotine. I have never spoke about this before and probably will not ever again because, really it pointless responding to some people but do want to stand by my decision! The adventures of blogging:) I like it regardless of the bickering and nasty remarks it sometimes brings. I think that all Caribbean bloggers are doing something really revolutionary may it be remaking classics on their blog or cooking with familiar ingredients and doing a twist on them. Before to find out about the food and culture you would have to travel to the countries which is a good thing but the tourist experience (food) is not the same as the local experience and that is what many of us are sharing. Our food memories and each island and each writer brings something unique to the table.

For this particular instance I was asked to crisp up my roti which is a big no no for me but my partner likes it crispy for the purpose of  dipping in dal so I couldn’t say no. I actually liked it. The next day when the dal got firm I made  dal roti which reminded me of an all potato roti without the guilt and i rubbed my skin with a bit of kuchela. That was one of the best rotis I ever had and I will not be doing any potato roti anymore but instead make the fake potato one with dal.

Green Split Pea Dahl and Crisped Roti Copyright Taymer Mason

For more recipes like this go out and get your copy of Caribbean Vegan a celebration of the beautiful and rich complex food of the Caribbean without the animal products.