How to make a Bengali split pea curry with tenderstem broccoli and caramelised shallots

Swapping heat for flavour, this curry is a much healthier option than a weekend-treat takeaway from your favourite curry house

Love me tender: broccoli adds a burst of nutrients and split peas are protein-packed

Bengali split pea curry with tenderstem and caramelised shallots

Making a curry from scratch can seem a daunting task, but this is recipe easy enough to make on a Friday night without causing any stress.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

Serves 4

1 large onion, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2cm piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
200g yellow split peas
200g tenderstem broccoli, sliced into 3cm pieces
Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt

For the spice mix

2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp nigella seeds
1-2 tsp dried chili flakes, to taste

For the caramelized shallots

300g shallots, peeled and cut into thin slices
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Make the spice mix by dry frying the all the spices together for a minute or so. As soon as you smell their aroma wafting up strongly from the pan, tip them into a pestle and mortar and roughly grind. Set aside. Puree the onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor until smooth, adding a tablespoon or so of cold water to help this process along if necessary.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan and gently fry the onion, garlic and ginger purée until soft and translucent. This should take around 10 minutes. Add the ground spices and fry for a further couple of minutes before adding the split peas. Pour in enough boiling water to cover the peas by about 3cm and bring up to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes stirring from time to time. You may need to add a little more water towards the end if it is looking a little dry.

While the curry is cooking, caramelise the shallots by stir frying with the oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Cook until golden and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Set aside. Stir the tenderstem broccoli through the curry and continue to cook for around 5-8 minutes or until it is tender but with a little bite.

Serve the curry topped with the caramelised shallots and sprinkled with the coriander. Great served with plain rice or naan bread.

For more recipes, visit tenderstem.co.uk