Pigeon pea (toor dal)

Pois d’Angole (toor dal)

What it is

Cajanus cajan is a woody shrub that crops for several years running, which is why it stands at the edge of compounds and field boundaries from Gujarat to Jamaica rather than in tidy rows. The English name is traced to Barbados, where the seed was grown as feed for pigeons long before European kitchens took it seriously.

In the kitchen

Unsoaked toor dal takes about 40 minutes at a bare simmer and a spoon of oil to hold the foam down. It thickens hard as it cools, so stop the pot looser than you mean to serve it.

Goes with

Coconut milk Curry leaf Tamarind paste Turmeric Asafoetida Mustard seed Thyme Rice

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