serves
8
prep
15 minutes
cook
25 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
8
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
25
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 250 g (1¼ cups) red lentils, rinsed, drained
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp Maldive fish pieces (see Note)
- 1 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder
- 6 fresh curry leaves
- 1 long green chilli, sliced
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 500 ml (2 cups) coconut milk
- 60 ml (¼ cup) coconut cream
- steamed rice, coriander leaves, coconut sambol and Jaffna goat curry (optional, see Note), to serve
Temper
- 80 ml olive oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 5 fresh curry leaves
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
Drink Kingfisher Lager ($15 for a six-pack)
Instructions
Place all ingredients except the coconut cream in a saucepan with 250 ml water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender and broken down; add more water if necessary. Season with salt.
Meanwhile, to cook the temper for the dhal, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes or until onions are soft and browned. Remove from the heat and set aside until the lentils are ready.
Stir the temper into the lentils, then add the coconut cream, stirring to combine. Serve with rice, coriander, coconut sambol and Jaffna goat curry, if desired.
Note
• Maldive fish is dried fish pieces, available in packets or tins from Sri Lankan and selected Indian food shops; grind any bigger pieces in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
• Coconut sambol is available in jars from Indian food shops.
• Search the website for Peter Kuruvita’s Jaffna goat curry recipe.
As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 11, pg67.
Photography by Derek Swalwell.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
