This creamy and savory dhal curry with coconut milk is a filling and comforting dish from Sri Lanka. It is made with a few signature ingredients such as curry leaves and mustard seeds and is topped with tadka. The name “tadka” refers to quickly tempering spices and aromatics in oil – a very popular technique in Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines. Dhal curry is really easy to cook and is a great, soft introduction to Sri Lankan flavours if you haven’t experienced them yet.
The Flavour Affair:
Lentils + Curry Leaves + Onions + Garlic + Curry Leaves + Mustard Seeds + Turmeric + Green Chili + Coconut Oil
*not shown: green chili, salt, oil
Lentils: use small red Masoor lentils in this recipe. They don’t need soaking like most of other types and cook real quick.
Curry Leaves: an essential ingredient in Sri Lankan curries. Curry leaf has a firm, meaty flesh and a dark green color:
Its strong, unique aroma becomes more prominent during cooking. It is reminiscent of bay leaf, but without bay leaf’s sweet, slightly spicy, eucalyptus-like notes. These days curry leaves are easy to find in large or specialized grocery stores. And if you live in Dubai, you may have a curry tree growing on your street or in the garden!
Onions and Garlic: likewise, in Sri Lankan cuisine onions ans garlic are an integral part of meat and vegetable curries. They add a warm pungency and create an inviting aroma.
Mustard Seeds: you can use either yellow or black mustard seeds. I mostly use yellow because they are easier to come across. Mustard seeds are sharp, slightly bitter and a bit tangy. When added to hot oil, they soon start popping like crazy – so always have an oil splatter nearby!
Turmeric: turmeric powder has a deep orange colour and an intense flavour with very dominant earthiness. Use sparingly as turmeric can be super quick to overpower the dish.
Chilies: you can use whole chilies or chili flakes. Sri Lankan cuisine is spicy, and they commonly add a generous amount of fresh green chilies to meat and vegetable curries. I suggest you start with a small whole chili to test your levels of heat tolerance. You can always add some dry chili flakes to tadka in the end.
Coconut Milk: creates a thick, creamy texture that takes credit for the comforting nature of the dish. Its sweet, coconut-y notes tone down the heat from the chilies and balance the savory elements of the dhal.
Preparation tips for Dhal Curry with Coconut Milk and Tempered Spices:
- Although masoor lentils don’t need soaking, they do require thorough rinsing. Place them into a large bowl and fill with water, then use your hand to softly massage the lentils and discard the foamy water. Repeat until the water is clear.
- This recipe involves a lot of tempering. In the beginning, the aromatics and spices are fried before adding the lentils. In the end, the same selection (save for the green chili) is quickly tempered again, this time to pour the hot fragrant oil with everything in it over the dish. For a smooth process, I like to prepare all ingredients beforehand and keep them separate:
When I start with the curry, I only allow the aromatics to cook just a little before adding the lentils. They then release more of their flavour during cooking. I keep the heat on medium and sauté the onions until they just turn translucent. Then add garlic, curry leaves and mustard seeds in one go, and as soon as mustard seeds start popping, the lentils go in. Pour in the water, pop in the chili and leave to simmer:
The lentils typically need about 15 minutes to cook. Once they have absorbed the water, pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine:
For the finishing, I like my onions and garlic brown and crispy. They burn really fast though so I am literally playing with fire here. This is my process with the timings recorded:
- Heat oil to medium-high;
- Add onions and fry for 1 minute 30 seconds;
- Add garlic and curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds;
- Add mustard seeds and turmeric and fry for 30-40 seconds until the seeds start popping;
- Use immediately or transfer to a bowl to avoid burning.
Dhal curry with coconut milk is one of the most comforting vegan dishes I have ever tried. It makes a quick and delicious lunch or dinner.
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Dhal Curry with Coconut Milk and Tempered Spices
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- 1 medium pan
Ingredients
For the lentils:
- 250 g red masoor lentils
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1/2 large red onion thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 10-12 Curry leaves thinly sliced
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds divided
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder divided
- 200 ml water
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1 whole green chili
- 150 ml coconut milk
For the finishing tadka:
- 1/2 large red onion thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 10-12 curry leaves thinly sliced
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Instructions
- Place the lentils into a large bowl, fill it with water and gently massage them. Discard the foamy water and repeat until the water remains clear after massaging the lentils. Drain and set aside.
- In a pot, heat 2 tbsp cooking oil until medium. Add the sliced onions (1/2 of a large onion) and fry until they turn translucent.
- Add sliced garlic (3 cloves), sliced curry leaves (10-12 leaves), 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
- Once mustard seeds start popping, add the lentils and stir to combine.
- Pour in 200ml water. Add 1/3 tsp salt and a whole green chili.
- Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the lentils have softened, stir in 150ml coconut milk. Allow to simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Check for consistency and add more coconut milk if you would like it creamier.
- Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.
To prepare tadka:
- Heat 3 tbsp of oil to medium high.
- Add sliced onions and fry for 1-1.5 minutes until they start to turn golden.
- Add sliced garlic and curry leaves and fry for 30-40 seconds.
- Add 1 tbsp mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
- As soon as the mustard seeds start popping, remove from the heat, pour over the dhal and serve.
Notes
- Dhal will thicken after cooking. So if you like it really creamy, add a little more coconut milk.
- You can add a few red chili flakes to tadka for a stronger kick.
