Recipe of the week: Trini split pea dhal with spinach and okra
Craig and Shaun McAnuff add mango chutney, spinach and okra to this special dish

Owing to the massive influence India has had on the island, Trinidad is home to some of the best veggie curries, say Craig and Shaun McAnuff – and you’re getting just that with this special dhal.
We’ve added mango chutney, spinach and okra to give that EXTRA FLAVA! It’s best to soak the peas for a few hours (or overnight) to plump them up a bit, but it’s not necessary if you don’t have time.
Serves four people
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 350g dried split peas
- 1.7 litres water
- 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground pimento (allspice)
- 1 tbsp mango chutney, plus extra to serve
- handful of spinach
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 okra, sliced lengthways
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Firstly, wash and drain the split peas two or three times, until the water runs clear. Add them to a large pot with the water and bring to the boil.
- Now season di ting with the onion, scotch bonnet, turmeric, ground cumin, pimento, mango chutney, and salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for 40 minutes until the peas are tender.
- Use a stick blender to blend until mushy but not completely smooth. Add a likkle more salt and black pepper to taste, stir in the spinach to wilt, take off the heat and allow to rest – the liquid will soak into the peas, thickening it. Add a little more hot water if it needs loosening.
- In a frying pan, heat the oil and add the garlic, cumin seeds and bay leaves. Fry for 3-4 minutes until sizzling and fragrant, being careful not to burn them, then dash them into the curry.
- In the same frying pan, pan-fry the sliced okra and serve alongside the curry, with rice and flatbreads.
- Serve extra mango chutney and hot pepper sauce on the side.
Taken from Natural Flava by Craig and Shaun McAnuff, published by Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) at £22. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £17.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Film reviews: Sinners and The King of Kings
Feature Vampires lay siege to a Mississippi juke joint and an animated retelling of Jesus' life
By The Week US
-
Music reviews: Bon Iver, Valerie June, and The Waterboys
Feature "Sable, Fable," "Owls, Omens, and Oracles," "Life, Death, and Dennis Hopper"
By The Week US
-
Susan Page's 6 favorite books about historical figures who stood up to authority
Feature The USA Today's Washington bureau chief recommends works by Catherine Clinton, Alexei Navalny, and more
By The Week US
-
Book reviews: 'The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World's Most Coveted Microchip' and 'Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service'
Feature The tech titan behind Nvidia's success and the secret stories of government workers
By The Week US
-
Mario Vargas Llosa: The novelist who lectured Latin America
Feature The Peruvian novelist wove tales of political corruption and moral compromise
By The Week US
-
Exploring the three great gardens of Japan
The Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
By The Week UK
-
One-pan black chickpeas with baharat and orange recipe
The Week Recommends This one-pan dish offers bold flavours, low effort and minimum clean up
By The Week UK
-
G20: Viola Davis stars in 'ludicrous' but fun action thriller
The Week Recommends The award-winning actress plays the 'swashbuckling American president' in this newly released Prime Video film
By The Week UK