Spring Pea and Ramp Dal with Wild Garlic Tadka and Crispy Curry Leaves

Ingredients

• ▸200 g red masoor dal (split red lentils), rinsed until water runs clear
• ▸150 g fresh or frozen spring peas, divided
• ▸8 ramp bulbs with stems, thinly sliced (greens reserved separately)
• ▸30 g wild garlic leaves (ramsons), roughly torn, divided
• ▸3 tbsp coconut oil, divided
• ▸1 tsp black mustard seeds
• ▸1 tsp cumin seeds
• ▸12 fresh curry leaves
• ▸2 dried Kashmiri red chillies, broken in half
• ▸1 tsp ground turmeric, divided
• ▸1 tsp ground coriander
• ▸0.5 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• ▸1 tsp raw cane sugar
• ▸2 tbsp tamarind paste
• ▸700 ml cold water
• ▸1.5 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• ▸1 small preserved lemon, rind only, finely minced
• ▸2 tbsp coconut cream
• ▸1 tsp black sesame seeds, toasted, to finish
• ▸Flaky sea salt, to finish

Instructions

1. 1

   1. Soak the rinsed masoor dal in cold water for 15 minutes while you prep everything else — this cuts cook time and keeps the lentils from going glue-like in the wok.

2. 2

   2. Heat your wok over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add 2 tbsp coconut oil and swirl to coat. Add the sliced ramp bulbs and stems (not the greens yet) and stir-fry hard for 3–4 minutes until they blister and char slightly at the edges. You want caramelisation, not steaming — keep the heat savage.

3. 3

   3. Add 0.5 tsp turmeric, the ground coriander, and asafoetida. Toss for 30 seconds until the spices bloom and coat the ramps. The hing will smell alarming — this is correct and beautiful.

4. 4

   4. Drain the soaked dal and add it directly to the wok. Stir-fry with the ramps for 2 minutes, letting the lentils toast very lightly in the residual oil and spice.

5. 5

   5. Pour in 700 ml cold water and add the remaining 0.5 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, tamarind paste, and raw cane sugar. Bring to a vigorous boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the dal is just tender but still holds a little structure.

6. 6

   6. Add 100 g of the spring peas (reserving 50 g for the tadka finish) and the ramp greens. Stir through and cook for 3 minutes. The peas should be vibrant green — if they go grey, your heat is too low and you've lost the will to live. Stir in the minced preserved lemon rind and coconut cream. Adjust salt. The dal should be thick and porridge-like, not soupy. Keep warm on low.

7. 7

   7. Now the tadka — this is the moment. Wipe the wok, return it to the highest heat you have, and add the remaining 1 tbsp coconut oil. When it shimmers and barely smokes, add the mustard seeds. The second they begin to pop (5–10 seconds), add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, and dried Kashmiri chillies. Stand back — curry leaves in hot oil spit with genuine hostility and will absolutely get you.

8. 8

   8. After 20–30 seconds, when the curry leaves are crisp and translucent and the mustard seeds have gone quiet, add the reserved 50 g raw spring peas and half the wild garlic leaves. Toss for exactly 45 seconds — the peas should blister and the wild garlic should wilt just enough to release its allicin perfume without cooking out.

9. 9

   9. Pour the entire tadka — oil, spices, crispy leaves, blistered peas, and all — directly over the surface of the warm dal. Do not stir. The sizzle and crackle is the point.

10. 10

    10. Scatter the remaining raw wild garlic leaves and toasted black sesame seeds over the top. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt and serve immediately from the wok, with the crispy tadka layer intact on top for maximum drama and textural contrast.

Variations

• ◆Swap masoor dal for chana dal (split chickpeas) for a nuttier, more toothsome base. Increase water to 900 ml and cook time to 25 minutes. The ramp-chana pairing is even more aggressively strange, in exactly the right way.
• ◆Stir in 2 tbsp white miso paste with the tamarind for a Japanese-Indian fermented collision that doubles down on the funk and makes the whole dish taste like it's hiding something.
• ◆For smoke, char a whole ramp bulb directly over a gas flame until blackened, then blend it into the dal cooking water before adding to the wok. It's a deliberate burn that completely changes the dish's personality.