A Taste of Sri Lanka: Dhal Curry

Before I went off to uni 4 years ago, my mother wanted me to “observe” her cooking so that I’d be able to manage while I was away. As I watched her add this spice, and that herb, and this something and that other thing, it all seemed rather daunting and I told her no, that’s far too much work.

Little did I realize that once you actually start cooking, adding this, that and the other, becomes a breeze. At the heart of Sri Lankan cuisine are its spices; fragrant cumin, fennel and cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, spicy chillies and citrusy ground coriander. Sri Lankan cooking also uses a lot of coconut milk, the consistency depending on personal choice.

One of the most common dishes you’d find during a meal: breakfast, lunch or dinner, is dhal. Dhal is a common dish within the subcontinental region of Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, but differs in the spices used and method of preparation.

Sri Lankan dhal curry (පරිප්පු තෙම්පරාදුව) is traditionally made using the red-orange Mysore dhal variety, and is one of the easiest dishes to make and add to your Sri Lankan repertoire.

Dhal Curry

1/2 cup of dhal (red lentils), washed and soaked for half an hour
1 sprigs of curry leaves
1 medium onion, sliced/ chopped
1 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Salt to taste
2-3 dried red chillies, chopped (optional)
1/3 cup of coconut milk (you may add more/ less, depending on your choice)
Optional: handful of chopped coriander

In a skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the onions and garlic and ginger paste, until fragrant. Then add the mustard and cumin seeds, frying until they begin to “pop”. Add in the curry leaves, dried chillies, turmeric, chilli powder and fry for about 30 seconds. Add in the soaked lentils and add enough water to just cover the dhal. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until most of the water has been absorbed and the dhal is tender.

At this point, add in the coconut milk and mix well. Cook uncovered for about 5 minutes, until the curry thickens. You may add the chopped coriander, stir well for a minute and take it off the heat.

On a side note, here in Sri Lanka, we also tend to cook the dhal without the onions, mustard seeds and dried chillies, opting to fry those separately and add them over the cooked dhal, towards the end.

You may garnish it with a sprig of coriander and it’s ready! Simple!

If you’d like to do a version with spinach, you can use the same recipe, but add 100-150g of spinach when you add the coconut milk. Continue to cook for 5 minutes and remove off fire. If using spinach, refrain from adding coriander leaves.