Noelita's Dhal Curry - Yum Yum

picture from: http://tamarindindian.com/uploads/dhal.jpg

I was brought up in London in a Sri Lankan immigrant family. Sri Lankan Dhal Curry was the first curry I learnt to cook at age 11, by watching my mother and father prepare it in the kitchen. It is really so simple, that a child can do it...


Ingredients

• Red Lentils (1 cup)
• 1 Onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 Teaspoon tumeric
• Garlic - 1 or 2 pips, chopped 
• 3 Red dried chillies (or green chillies if you don't have)
• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Cumin, 1tsp
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig - optional
• 1/2 Cup coconut milk (if you don't have it, use cow's milk)

Method

• Soak lentils in water for an hour.
• Wash + drain a few times until water is clear. 
• Put in pan + cover with water. 
• Boil medium heat, until they just open up. 
• Add 1/4 teaspoon tumeric 
• Add coconut milk + salt. Turn off heat and set aside. 
• Heat oil in frying pan, add curry leaf + onion + garlic and fry for a while. 
• Add tumeric, cumin, mustard seed + dried chillis. Fry until onions golden. 
• Add this mix into lentil curry, bring to boil. 

[Serve with brown/white rice and some other Sri Lankan goodness]

Tips: 
This can be frozen (and is easy to make in large batches!) and will last in the fridge for 3 days.


Recipe with thanks to Noelita