Ingredients
- 250 g red lentils, rinsed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 green chilli, slit lengthways
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 600 ml water
- 400 ml tin coconut milk
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Juice of ½ lime
For the tempering
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 12–15 curry leaves (fresh or dried)
- 1 dried red chilli, broken (optional)
Method
- Simmer the lentils: put the lentils, onion, garlic, chilli, turmeric, cinnamon and water in a pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, until the lentils are soft.
- Add the coconut: stir in the coconut milk and salt and simmer for 5 minutes more, until creamy. Remove the cinnamon stick and add the lime juice.
- Temper: heat the coconut oil in a small frying pan. Add the mustard seeds and, when they pop, the onion, curry leaves and chilli. Fry until the onion is golden and the curry leaves crisp.
- Serve: pour the tempering over the dal and serve with rice and a green salad or sambol.
Why it's good for you: Red lentils provide protein and iron and cook in minutes, while coconut milk makes this dal rich and satisfying. Curry leaves, a staple of Sri Lankan and South Indian cooking, have long been used in traditional medicine for digestion. A soothing, gentle dish.
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