Spicy Split Peas with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 4 cups water 
• 1 cup peas dried split yellow
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 2 tablespoons coconut or shredded flaked
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 
• 0.5 teaspoon fenugreek leaves 
• 1  cinnamon sticks 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.1 teaspoon ground pepper red (cayenne)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 3 medium carrots diced
• 2 medium zucchini diced
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 small eggplant diced
• 2 tablespoons water 
• 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp 
• 2 cups rice hot cooked
• 1 serving cilantro leaves fresh chopped

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• mortar and pestle

Directions

1. Heat 4 cups water and the split peas to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 45 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook coconut, coriander, fenugreek and cinnamon stick, stirring constantly, until coconut is light brown.
3. Remove from heat; stir in salt and red pepper. Crush coconut mixture with mortar and pestle until finely ground; set aside.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook carrots, zucchini, onion and eggplant in oil, stirring occasionally, until tender.
5. Stir 2 tablespoons water into tamarind pulp until softened. Stir tamarind mixture, coconut mixture and peas into vegetable mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary until consistency of thick soup, until hot and well blended.
6. Serve over rice.
7. Garnish with cilantro.