Warm Pigeon Pea Salad With Roasted Butternut Squash and Spiced Onions Recipe (2024)

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This filling pigeon pea salad is rich with sweet morsels of roasted butternut squash, gently cooked spiced onions, and a simple dressing.

ByNik Sharma

Updated November 07, 2023

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Why It Works

Turmeric lends a vivid yellow hue and deep earthy flavor to the spiced onions.
Adding salt to the pigeon peas while they soak and cook seasons them more evenly andhelps ensure more even cooking.
A touch of honey in the dressing rounds out the sharp flavors of lemon juice and Dijon mustard and pairs well with the warm spices in the onion.

Split pigeon peas, or toor dal, are traditionally used to make dals and South Indian sambhar, a lentil and vegetable stew served with dosas. But their ability to retain their structure well during cooking makes them an excellent legume to use in salads. One example is this hearty and filling pigeon pea salad that's rich with sweet morsels of roasted butternut squash, gently cooked spiced onions, and a simple dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of Dijon mustard and honey. It pairs wonderfully with thin slices of grilled steak, roast lamb, or chicken, but can also be eaten alone as a one-bowl vegetarian meal.

Warm Pigeon Pea Salad With Roasted Butternut Squash and Spiced Onions Recipe (2)

Preparing the Pigeon Peas

Pigeon peas, like other beans, contain pectin, a fiber that contributes to their firmness. The key to cooking pigeons peas so that they're tender but not falling apart is to salt both the soaking and cooking water. As I’ve written previously, beans harden when they undergo two enzymatic reactions: first, when calcium and magnesium attach themselves to pectin, and second, when an enzyme called pectin esterase modifies the pectin and makes it even more difficult to dissolve. When salt comes into contact with the calcium and magnesium attached to the pectin inside the peas, it takes the place of calcium and magnesium and makes the pectin more soluble, resulting in a more tender bean.

Though you may be tempted to add the baking soda I also recommend in my bean-brining article, this is one case where I'd suggest avoiding it, as the peas may become mushy and no longer retain their distinct texture in the final salad. The salt alone is enough.

Roasting the Butternut Squash

Roasting butternut squash caramelizes the gourd’s sugars, bringing out its natural sweetness. I dice the squash fairly small here—about 1/4-inch—so that it melds nicely with the peas and onions in the salad. Because it's so small, we want to brown it as quickly as possible to avoid overcooking the squash to the point of being mush. I accomplish this two ways. First, I use a relatively high oven temperature of about 425ºF. On top of that, I preheat the baking sheet so that the squash starts to sizzle as soon as it hits the pan.

Warm Pigeon Pea Salad With Roasted Butternut Squash and Spiced Onions Recipe (3)

For the Onions and Dressing

To infuse the salad with sweet and warm spices, I gently sauté diced onion until very tender, then add a medley of spices for the last minute, just long enough to bloom their flavor in the oil. Red chile flakes add a baseline heat, while allspice adds a well-rounded warm-spice profile, and turmeric infuses the onions with both a beautiful yellow color and earthy notes that pair well with both the squash and the pigeon peas.

Warm Pigeon Pea Salad With Roasted Butternut Squash and Spiced Onions Recipe (4)

The dressing for this dish is very simple—just fresh lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a bit of honey to round out the sharp flavors of lemon and mustard. I prefer the smoothness of Dijon over grainy varieties of mustard, as I find that the more coarse texture doesn’t work as well here.

Recipe Details

Warm Pigeon Pea Salad With Roasted Butternut Squash and Spiced Onions

Cook3 hrs

Soaking Time8 hrs

Total11 hrs

Serves4to 6

Ingredients

For the Pigeon Peas:

Directions

For the Pigeon Peas: In a medium bowl, cover pigeon peas with at least 2 inches water and add a large pinch salt. Let soak at room temperature for at least 8 and up to 24 hours. Drain.
In a medium saucepan, bring the split pigeon peas, 4 cups (950ml) water, and 1 1/2 tablespoons salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until peas are tender but not falling apart, about 2 to 3 hours; add boiling water as needed to maintain liquid level during cooking. Keep warm.
For the Squash: Preheat oven and an empty rimmed baking sheet to 425ºF (220ºC). Toss squash with olive oil and a large pinch salt, then arrange in an even layer on the preheated baking sheet and roast, turning pieces 2 or 3 times with a thin metal spatula during cooking, until squash is tender and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
For the Onions and Dressing: In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and garlic along with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until onions are very tender but not browned, about 8 minutes. Srir in red pepper flakes, allspice, and turmeric and cook for 1 minute longer. Season with additional salt, if needed, then remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, and a pinch of salt. Whisk in remaining 6 tablespoons (90ml) olive oil.
Drain pigeon peas. In a large bowl, combine pigeon peas with butternut squash, onions, and scallions. Stir gently to combine, then serve warm or at room temperature.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The pigeon peas, squash, and onions can all be prepared up to 2 days ahead and then combined and refrigerated in an airtight-container until ready to serve. Rewarm and fold in scallions just before serving. Note that cooked beans will often become more firm once refrigerated, and won't fully soften again upon rewarming; therefore, if making the pigeon peas ahead, be sure to cook them until fully softened throughout (but not falling apart).

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
315	Calories
23g	Fat
26g	Carbs
4g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	315
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g	29%
Saturated Fat 3g	16%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 233mg	10%
Total Carbohydrate 26g	10%
Dietary Fiber 6g	22%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 18mg	90%
Calcium 69mg	5%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 485mg	10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)