Sri Lankan Red Lentil Dal
A Sri Lankan Dal (Dhal) Curry is easy and quick to make. This is a unique dal flavored with coconut milk, curry leaves and spices. It’s vegan, gluten-free and high in protein.
Dal or parippu is a staple in Sri Lankan cuisine. It’s such a simple dish but packed with flavour. It can be eaten with rice and curry, roti, naan or with toast – my husband’s favorite. It pairs with any carb.
If you are familiar with Indian dal, you’d be surprised to know that this dal is prepared the same way but with different flavors. We use coconut milk and temper with curry leaves. Just like the Sri Lankan Potato Curry, this is a “white curry” meaning it’s usually cooked in coconut milk and is mild, and complements fiery red meat or fish curries. Perfect for kids and those who prefer less heat.
If you’re looking to make Basmati rice to have with your red lentil dal, read my guide on How To Cook The Perfect Basmati Rice. It’s so easy you’ll be making it every day!
What makes a red lentil dal a great meal
- Red lentils are easy to cook with and they cook in less than 30 minutes.
- They can be eaten with almost any carb – Rice, roti, naan, toast and even with plain noodles. Dal is my husband’s favorite so he’ll eat it with anything. But seriously, they are delicious just plain. I’ve caught myself eating dal by the spoonful while cooking.
- Red lentils is low in calories and this curry is vegan and gluten free.
Ingredients
- Red lentils – Masoor dal/daal/dhal
- Onion
- Tomato
- Ginger, garlic
- Curry leaves
- Coconut Milk
- Spice powders (turmeric, chili, cumin, coriander)
- Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds
How To Make Sri Lankan Dal
- Start by rinsing the lentils. Rinse until the water runs clear.
- In a pot combine the dal, water, onion,tomato, spice powders, garlic,salt and bring to boil. Cover and cook until all the water has evaporated and the dal is cooked.
- Add coconut milk, extra water and simmer.
- We add a tempering to the the dal to bring more flavor. Heat a small non-stick pan and add oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried chili pieces. Heat until the mustard start to splutter. Add this tempering to the dal.
Tips for Cooking Dal
- Growing up, I saw dal being soaked before cooking. But after decades of making red lentil dal, I can tell you with confidence: you don’t need to soak. Just rinse and cook straight away. Red lentils are delicate enough to break down beautifully on their own.
- Can’t find curry leaves? Don’t let that stop you. Skip them and carry on — your dal will still be deeply flavourful and delicious.
- Raw curry powder is a great swap for cumin and coriander powders. It brings its own warmth and complexity, so don’t be afraid to use it.
- Always reach for full-fat canned coconut milk in curries. The lite version is too thin and won’t give you that rich, creamy finish. It really does make a difference.
- If you have leftover coconut milk from the can, pour it into an ice cube tray or small freezer bags and freeze it. Those little coconut milk cubes are a lifesaver – just drop them straight into your next curry from frozen.
Serving Suggestions
This dal is a staple in our Sri Lankan cuisine. Serve it with rice, a protein and one or two vegetables and a condiment from the list below.
Proteins:
Vegetables
Condiments
DID YOU MAKE IT? Please leave a comment and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe!
Recipe
Sri Lankan Red Lentil Dal
Ingredients
Dal
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 ½ cups water divided
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 green chili halved
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder/cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk
Tempering
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 dried chili broken to pieces
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ½ tsp red chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
For the dal
- Rinse the red lentils until the water runs clear.
- Into a pot add red lentils, 1.5 cups of water, chopped onion and tomatoes, green chili, curry leaves, minced ginger, sliced garlic, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt. Bring to boil.
- Turn the heat to medium, cover the pot and cook the lentils until all the water is absorbed and lentils are cooked through. This would take about 15 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and 1 cup of water, stir to combine. Cover and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt if needed.
Tempering
- In a non-stick pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, broken dried red chili. Cook until the mustard seeds start to splutter. Add red chili flakes if using.
- Pour the tempering to the cooked dal.
- Serve dal with rice, roti or your preferred carb.
Video
Notes
- For everyday dal, you can skip the tempering. I use tempering only for special occasions.
- You can use 1 teaspoon of raw curry powder instead of cumin and coriander powders.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
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Hi.
Can you use tinned lentils for this recipe?
Hi Trina, I’ve never used tinned lentils. But I suppose you could use them and reduce the cooking time a bit since they’re already cooked.
Wonderful recipe. The curry leaves are so good in Dahl. Will definitely make this again. I find the Dahl is even better the second and third day. Thank you for a great recipe.
Margot
Hi Margot, thanks for your wonderful review.I agree the dhal gets better with time!
love making this recipes ,it’s easy and delicious ,thank you.
Thanks Angella!