Dhal is a major part of Sri Lankan everyday diet – no meal without dhal. Traditionally, Sri Lankans eat dhal for breakfast with coconut bread Rotti, but you can also serve it for lunch or dinner with rice.

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup lentils
• 2½ cups water
• 2 spoons coconut or peanut oil
• 1 chilli
• ¼ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 5-10 curry leaves
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 cm piece of cinnamon stick
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 100 g baby spinach

For spice mixture:

• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 cloves crushed garlic

 

Recipe

Put lentils in a big bowl with water and let them soak for one hour.

Boil 2½ cups of water, the spice mixture and lentils in a saucepan. Reduce the heat, remove the lid and let it cook for 5-6 minutes.

Add chopped chillies and mustard seeds into a frying pan with oil. Over medium heat the mustard seeds will pop up quite quickly. Then add the curry leaves, onion, cinnamon and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Before you add the lentils which you removed from the water, add the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes. Let the whole mixture boil before you add coconut milk and salt. Leave it cook over low heat for a while. As the very last thing add the spinach and serve while still warm.

 

Merium

 

Recipe adapted from Sri Lankan Flavours by Channa Dassanayaka.