Season Kitchen · Chefs we like

Caribbean black-eyed pea daal

Recipe by Nathan Collymore, Jam Delish

A Caribbean black-eyed pea daal, built on coconut milk, thyme and scotch bonnet - with jerk oyster mushrooms, fried plantain and broccolini to pile on top, or not. The peas go soft, the coconut and pimento do most of the work, and the heat is yours. The scotch bonnets go in whole, so you can lift them out or leave them. Make it on a weeknight as it is, or lay the toppings out and make a feast of it.

Serves 4-6 Prep 1 hour Cook 2 hours

You'll need

Aromatics & base

1onion, finely chopped
3 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
1 bunchspring onions, finely chopped
8 sprigsthyme, leaves picked
2scotch bonnets, whole

Main ingredients

4tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
500mlcoconut milk
800mlvegan stock
1kgblack-eyed peas, cooked and strained
2 tbspground pimento
2 tspall-purpose seasoning
1 bunchfresh coriander
1 bunchfresh parsley

Method

Prepare the base

In a large pot over low heat, add a splash of oil and gently sauté the finely chopped onion, spring onions, garlic and thyme for 2-3 minutes, until the onions start to soften and become translucent.
Add the tomatoes

Stir in the deseeded, diced tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes until they begin to break down.
Build the flavour

Pour in the coconut milk, add the ground pimento and all-purpose seasoning, and stir well. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Add peas and stock

Add the black-eyed peas and cover with the vegan stock. Gently place the whole scotch bonnets into the pot - you can remove them later if you want to control the heat.
Simmer

Reduce the heat and let the daal simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the peas are soft and the flavours have melded together. Stir occasionally.
Final seasoning

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove the scotch bonnets if desired. Finish with freshly chopped herbs and serve warm.

Optional toppings

Add any or all. Each one is good on its own; together they make something worth gathering around.

Jerk mushrooms

Season oyster mushrooms with jerk seasoning and a pinch of ground pimento. Let them marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Heat a frying pan with a little oil, add the mushrooms and sear until golden on both sides. Transfer to a preheated oven at 180°C fan / 200°C conventional and roast for 20 minutes until slightly crispy at the edges.

Fried plantain

Dice the plantain and add to a hot frying pan with oil. Pan-fry until golden and caramelised on the outside.

Broccolini with salsa verde

In the same pan used for the plantain, sauté broccolini until tender-crisp. Finish with a spoonful of salsa verde for brightness.

Roasted cherry tomatoes

Halve cherry tomatoes and place cut-side up on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 20-30 minutes until soft and golden.

Crispy roti

Heat a pan with a little butter. Place the roti flat in the pan and toast over medium heat until both sides are golden and crispy.

Created with

Season Shallow Casserole

Made for this kind of cooking. The cast iron holds heat and spreads it evenly, so the base sautés gently and the daal simmers without catching. The lid is dimpled underneath, so steam gathers and falls back as it cooks - it bastes itself and keeps everything moist. And the wide, low shape gives the daal room to reduce and thicken.

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Season S4 chef’s knife

The knife you reach for most. A 67-layer Damascus blade around a hard 10CR core, ground to a keen edge and built to hold it - 61 on the Rockwell scale, for anyone who counts. The full tang and triple-riveted rosewood handle put the weight where you want it, so a pile of onions or a butternut squash is no trouble. Sharp, balanced, and made to last for years.

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