As part of this month's Secret Recipe Club I was assigned the blog Ilke's Kitchen. Ilke is a lovely Turkish lady who has moved to the southern United States. She writes recipes for Turkish food and other dishes that she makes at home. I was engrossed by her inventive ideas, beautiful pictures, and engaging stories.
I made this split pea dip to form part of a casual tapas meal with friends. It's smooth yet chunky, kind of like the best hummus you have tasted. It's got a spicy edge but not sharp. It's a simple recipe that I'm bound to adapt again.
Spicy Split Pea Dip
makes 1 1/2 c
adapted from Ilke's Kitchen
1 c yellow split peas
2 T olive oil
2 c chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t cumin seeds
2 T tomato paste
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 t paprika
Place the split peas in a pan with lots of water to cover. Boil until the peas are soft. This may take 45 minutes. Add extra water to make sure the pan does not boil dry.
Drain any extra water.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and gently fry the onions, garlic, and cumin seeds until soft.
Combine the split peas, onions, and all the other ingredients in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
Serve the dip with veggies, crackers, or whole wheat pita bread.
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