Cook With Us: Sri Lankan Dhal Recipe
Dhal curry is an absolute staple in Sri Lanka & is outrageously delicious, we have to apologise in advance for the cravings you’ll be getting after you’ve eaten this dish!
Eat it like a local and scoop up the dhal with a roti (or naan bread), or you can eat it with rice. Sri Lankan dhal is similar to Indian dhal but uses curry leaves & coconut milk, giving it a creamier and softer texture. This is hands down one of our favourite meals & bonus – it’s vegetarian & vegan!
SRI LANKAN DHAL RECIPE
- 150g lentils (soaked or boiled prior to cooking)
- 1 tsp curry powder
- Dry chilli pod
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp chilli powder (optional)
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
- Half a large onion
- ½ inch ginger root
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 can coconut milk
- Coriander (to garnish)
Process:
- We recommend soaking your lentils for a few hours, or boiling with some salt prior to cooking to make sure they become soft without overcooking the curry.
- Chop/grind the following ingredients: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, garlic and ginger (you can use a mortar and pestle)
- Chop the onion into thin slices. In a hot pan, fry the curry leaves in hot oil before adding the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and onion
- Once the onions are golden brown, add the chopped paste from step 1 and saute with the dried chilli
- Add the lentils, coconut milk, chilli powder, turmeric powder & curry powder
- Allow the curry to boil and simmer until lentils are soft (add water if necessary)
- Add salt to taste, garnish with coriander & enjoy! We’ll see you in Sri Lanka when the borders re-open 😉
