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.