Smaller than split peas, split red lentils cook down quite quickly into thick soups or curry. Like split peas, they are good cooked with a ham bone or bacon, with carrots, onions and celery. These are also good with caramelised onions, garlic, mustard seeds, turmeric and cumin. In south India they are most often cooked with fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and tamarind, while in Maharashtra they are likely to be flavoured with green chillis, tomatoes and fresh coriander (US: cilantro). They have a green skin.
