Lemongrass Coconut Curry Dal

I was seduced by the bright color and myriad uses of the Lemongrass-Turmeric Curry Paste that Heidi Swanson posted recently. Once I finally got my hands on some lemongrass, I threw the paste together and have enjoyed using it in stir fries, coconut milk-based curries, etc. But my favorite use so far has been this stupidly easy ad hoc dal I made using yellow split peas. If you already have the paste on hand (which you should!), the active prep time on this is nearly nil.

Lemongrass Coconut Curry Dal

Ingredients
olive oil
1/4 c lemongrass-turmeric curry paste from 101 cookbooks (prepare using virgin coconut oil)
1 c yellow split peas, rinsed
water
salt

Instructions
1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Sautee curry paste over medium heat until very fragrant.
2. Add split peas and a few cups of water. Bring to a boil, then decrease heat and simmer, adding water as needed and stirring occasionally, until split peas are very soft (40 min?). Add salt to taste. Serves 3-4.