Fiji Dhal Recipe: Everyday Indo-Fijian Dhal Soup
, by Domalco, 2 min reading time
The thin, golden dhal served with rice and roti in almost every Indo-Fijian home, finished with a sizzling chhonk (tempering) of garlic and jeera (cumin).
Photo: Kamakshi subramani / Unsplash
If there's one dish on the table at nearly every Indo-Fijian meal, it's dhal (lentil soup). Fiji dhal is thinner than many Indian dals, closer to a soup, and it's poured over bhaat (rice) or scooped up with roti. The magic is in the chhonk (tempering): garlic and jeera (cumin seeds) sizzled in hot oil or ghee and poured into the pot at the end.
Fiji Hindi words in this recipe
- dhal (lentils, and the soup made from them)
- masoor (red lentils)
- arhar or toor (yellow pigeon-pea lentils)
- haldi (turmeric)
- chhonk (tempering: spices sizzled in hot oil and poured over)
- jeera (cumin seeds)
- lehsun (garlic)
- ghee (clarified butter)
- bhaat (cooked rice)
Ingredients
Serves 6 · Prep 5 min · Cook 35 min
- 1 cup masoor (red lentils) or arhar (yellow split lentils), washed
- 6 cups water
- ½ tsp haldi (turmeric)
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 small tomato, chopped (optional)
- 1 green chilli, slit (optional)
For the chhonk (tempering):
- 2 tbsp oil or ghee
- 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
- 4–5 cloves lehsun (garlic), thinly sliced
- ½ small onion, thinly sliced (optional)
- A few curry leaves (optional)
Method
- Boil the dhal. Put the lentils, water, haldi, tomato and chilli in a pot. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then simmer partly covered for 25–30 minutes until the lentils are completely soft.
- Whisk. Whisk the dhal hard (or use a hand blender) until smooth. Add more hot water if you like it thinner; Fiji dhal should be pourable. Add salt.
- Make the chhonk. In a small pan, heat the oil or ghee until hot. Add the jeera; when it crackles, add the garlic (and onion and curry leaves) and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Watch it closely so the garlic doesn't burn.
- Pour it in. Tip the sizzling chhonk straight into the dhal (stand back, it will spit), cover the pot for 1 minute, then stir.
- Serve hot with bhaat (rice), roti and a curry.
Pressure cooker method
Cook the lentils, 4 cups of water and the haldi for 3 whistles (about 10 minutes). Release the pressure, whisk, add hot water to thin, then add the chhonk as above.
Frequently asked questions
Which lentils are used for Fiji dhal?
Red lentils (masoor) are quickest and most common. Yellow split lentils (arhar / toor) or yellow split peas give a thicker, nuttier dhal but take longer to cook.
How long does dhal keep?
Up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. It thickens as it cools, so add a little water when reheating.
Cook it with Domalco
Find pots, pressure cookers and the full Indian kitchen range at our Ba and Lautoka stores, or shop online with free delivery on orders over $100.
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