Sri Lankan Coconut Dal
Soft red lentils cooked with coconut milk, turmeric, green chilli and cinnamon, finished with a sizzle of mustard seeds, curry leaves and golden onion.
makes 18 blocks, about 21p each
- Time
- 40 min10 min prep · 30 min cook
- Makes
- 18 blocks
- Cost per blockPer block
- 21p
- Calories per blockCalories
- 110 kcal
- Spice
Ingredients
- 300gred split lentils (dry), rinsed
- 1 × 400ml tincoconut milk
- 700mlwater
- 1 (150g)onion, finely sliced
- 4 cloves (20g)garlic, sliced
- 2 (20g)green chillies, slit lengthways
- 2g (1 tsp)turmeric
- 1 stickcinnamon
- 4g (1 tsp)black mustard seeds
- 2g (1 tsp)cumin seeds
- 20 leavescurry leaves
- 20mlrapeseed oil
- 15mllime juice
- 1 cubevegetable stock cube
Allergens: Mustard. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.
Nutrition
estimated| 1 block | 3 blocks | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 110 kcal | 330 kcal |
| Protein | 4.7g | 14.1g |
| Carbs | 11.2g | 33.6g |
| Fat | 5.3g | 15.9g |
| Fibre | 2.3g | 6.9g |
| Salt | 0.27g | 0.81g |
Method
- Step 1: Put the lentils, water, stock cube, turmeric, cinnamon, green chillies and half the onion and garlic in a large pan. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes until the lentils are soft.
- Step 2: Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes more, stirring often, until creamy. Remove the cinnamon stick.
- Step 3: Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and the rest of the onion and garlic, and fry for 5 minutes until golden.
- Step 4: Tip the sizzling onion mixture into the dal, add the lime juice and season with salt.
- Step 5: Cool and freeze in 70g blocks.
Hotter: add 2 dried red chillies to the frying onions, or chop the green chillies instead of slitting them.
Serve it
Rice with a coconut sambol and a vegetable curry · With roti or flatbread · Alongside Sri Lankan Jackfruit Curry
| kcal | protein | carbs | fat | fibre | salt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per block | 110 | 4.7g | 11.2g | 5.3g | 2.3g | 0.27g |
| Per 3 blocks | 330 | 14.1g | 33.6g | 15.9g | 6.9g | 0.81g |
Cook’s notes
- Light coconut milk works and makes the dal lighter, though a little less rich.
- The dal thickens a lot as it cools. If it looks stiff before it goes into the trays, stir in a splash of hot water.
Serve it
Rice with a coconut sambol and a vegetable curry · With roti or flatbread · Alongside Sri Lankan Jackfruit Curry.
Freeze, reheat and serve
- Freeze
- Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
- Reheat
- Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
- A portion
- 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 330 kcal and 14.1g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.
Sri Lankan Coconut Dal questions
Why fry the onion and spices separately at the end?
The final fry, called a tempering, toasts the mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves in hot oil so they stay bright and aromatic. Stirred in last, it adds a layer of flavour that simmering alone can't give.
Can I use a different lentil?
Split mung beans (moong dal) work well and cook in about the same time. Yellow split peas need around 45 minutes and 200ml more water before the coconut milk goes in.
What can I use instead of curry leaves?
Dried curry leaves work, using twice as many. Otherwise leave them out; the mustard seeds and cumin still give the tempering plenty of flavour.
Sauces that go with it
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Updated . Nutrition, costs and yields are estimates. Gluten-free assumes gluten-free stock cubes.