Dhal Curry

Dini Kodippili’s selected Sri Lankan Dhal Curry uses split red lentils and coconut milk. She describes this as a familiar family preparation and records several spellings of dhal, while offering an optional spice tempering.

The lentils are washed in separate water. Main cooking water, sea salt, green chili, sliced yellow onion, garlic, sugar and the selected ground spices join them in a saucepan; the chosen fenugreek seeds are ground before adding.

The mixture boils and then simmers until the lentils are cooked, with more of the same water added if needed. Full-fat coconut milk is stirred in and the same curry is briefly simmered to a loose, creamy consistency.

For the selected tempering, a separate onion portion sautés in coconut oil. Black mustard and cumin seeds follow, then broken dried red chili and curry leaves; the whole tempering is stirred into the hot lentil curry.

Chopped coriander is selected as a final garnish, with the offered squeeze of fresh lime. White bread is the chosen accompaniment; the author’s leafy-green, broth and other vegetable variations remain separate versions.