Recipe: Sri Lankan Dal Curry (Parippu)
CeylonBlends Editorial··⏱ 5 minrecipecurryvegetariandallentilssri-lankan
Sri Lankan dal curry is the island's great comfort food — creamy red lentils cooked with spices and finished with a tempered coconut milk.
Parippu — Sri Lankan dal — is comfort cooking at its finest: silky red lentils cooked with aromatic spices, finished with a coconut milk tempering, and served at almost every Sri Lankan meal. It is simple, deeply satisfying, and the quality of the spices makes all the difference.
Serves: 4 | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 25 min
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) red split lentils (masoor dal), rinsed
- 2 cups water
- ½ tsp CeylonBlends Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp CeylonBlends Curry Powder
- ½ tsp CeylonBlends Chilli Powder
- Salt to taste
- For tempering: 2 tbsp coconut oil, 1 small onion (sliced), 1 sprig curry leaves, 2 green chillies, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ cup coconut milk
Instructions
- Combine lentils, water, turmeric, curry powder, chilli powder, and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer 15–18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft and creamy. Add more water if needed.
- Tempering: Heat coconut oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and let them pop. Add onion slices, curry leaves, and green chillies. Fry until onion is golden, about 5 minutes.
- Pour the tempering over the cooked lentils. Stir in coconut milk. Cook together for 2–3 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
- Serve hot with steamed rice, roti, or bread.
This dish improves significantly when reheated the next day as the spices have more time to develop.
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