Red Lentil Curry (Sri Lankan Dhal Curry)

Onions – You can use any type of general purpose onion. I use yellow onions, but white or red onions work as well. Shallots are also fine.

Green chili – We use green chili for flavor and heat. If you don’t want it spicy, then I recommend using jalapeno, OR removing the seeds in the chili before adding it. You can also omit the green chili altogether, but I do recommend adding some, if possible.

Garlic – Optional, but adds flavor.

Salt and a touch of sugar – For seasoning. If you want your lentils to hold their shape, add the salt AFTER cooking. But I like to add it at the start because the lentils are seasoned well as they cook, and the salt also helps to soften the lentils further.

Spices – These are the ground spices I use for my standard lentil curry that I make weekly at home. You can also substitute the cumin and coriander with my Sri Lankan curry powder, or even use garam masala if you like.

• Cumin – Adds a smoky flavor.
• Cinnamon – Adds sweetness.
• Coriander – Earthy flavor.
• Turmeric – Color and adds earthy warmth.
• Chili powder – Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne pepper works. Make sure it’s not the Mexican chili powder spice mix.
• Hing – Also known as asafoetida. This is South Asian “MSG”. It adds a savory flavor that is honestly hard to describe! Hing also aids with digestion which is very helpful for some people. But if you don’t have it, you can leave it out.
• Fenugreek – An optional ingredient. A bitter, pungent flavor. Just a little fenugreek goes a long way! I prefer using fenugreek leaves (methi leaves). Be careful not to use too much, especially if you have never had it before. It does have a very pronounced bitter flavor if you use too much.

Coconut milk – Adds a lovely nutty creaminess to the lentil curry! This ingredient is what makes this incredible lentil curry an authentic Sri Lankan parippu curry (or dal curry). Most Indian dhal curries (excluding South India), and even Bangladeshi dhal curries do not add coconut milk. But Sri Lankans tend to add full-fat coconut milk to theirs. I absolutely love the flavor that it yields!

Lime juice and fresh cilantro – These are only added at the end, and they are also optional.

Tempering mixture

Tempering spices in oil is a popular technique in authentic curry recipes in South Asia. This technique allows the full extraction of flavors from the spices while toasting them. Adding this to the curry is a fantastic way to introduce smoky, spiced flavor in an instant.

This is an optional step. Growing up, we didn’t add tempered spices to our dhal curry that we regularly ate at home, but only for “special” occasions, or when we had some extra time. However, I absolutely love the explosion of flavor that it adds, so I temper my lentil curry almost always now!

• Coconut oil or any other neutral oil
• Thinly sliced onions – optional
• Mustard
• Whole cumin seeds
• Curry leaves
• Dried chili

Instructions

Step 1

Prep all the ingredients for the lentil curry. The red lentils must first be washed to remove excess starch. Wash the lentils 2 – 4 times until the water runs fairly clear.

Step 2

Start cooking the lentils. To do this, place the washed lentils in a saucepan, along with water, salt, garlic, and spices. Cook the lentils over medium heat.

First bring the water to a boil, while frequently stirring the lentils. Then lower the heat and simmer the curry until the lentils have softened.

You can simmer the dhal curry with or without the lid on, but keep an eye on the water level and add more hot water if the water evaporates too much. This can take about 10 – 15 minutes. Make sure to frequently stir the curry.

Step 3

Add the coconut milk. When the lentils have softened, add the coconut milk to the curry and stir it in to mix. Heat until the dhal curry simmers for a minute or two.

You can add more water if the dal curry is too thick, or leave it as is. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Now, the lentil curry can be eaten just as is! This is the parippu curry we used to eat almost daily as kids. However, if you want to take the flavor to a whole other level, then you can also temper the dhal curry. This is step four, which is optional but recommended!

Step 4 (Optional)

emper the lentil curry. For this final step of tempering, heat the oil in a small pot or pan. If you’re using onions, then add the onion to the oil before it gets too hot.

Sauté the onion until the onions start to turn a light golden color. Then add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and keep sautéing until the mustard seeds start to pop.

Immediately add the dried chili and curry leaves and let it fry for about 30 seconds. Then add the tempered spices to the hot dal curry and stir to combine.

Before serving, sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top, OR stir it into the red lentil curry. You can also stir in a squeeze of fresh lime juice to your taste, but this is optional.

That’s it! How easy was that? That’s why this lentil curry is such a staple in our meals!

Step 5

This is another optional addition to my lentil curry that I make at home. That is to add some leafy greens. Spinach is my choice. Just add the spinach and stir it into the curry (while on medium heat) until the spinach wilts into the dhal curry.