Parippu Curry (Sri Lankan Coconut Lentil Dal Recipe)
This is a simple, no oil, one pot easy curry using red lentils (masoor dhal/split lentils/parippu). This dhal recipe doesn’t use any oil and has a very short cooking time of only 20 minutes. In addition to being packed with proteins and dietary fiber, lentils also have vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. I buy my parippu from Indian shops in the US, and prefer the Laxmi brand. Read my post on cooking red lentils for more details on the nutritional value of lentils.
How to Cook a delicious Parippu Curry (Short Version)
To cook this dal curry recipe, onion, garlic, and green chilies, dhal and spices are cooked in water until dal is cooked halfway (lentil color changes from orange to yellow). Then coconut milk is added and cooked until the dhal is fully cooked. This results in a creamy lentil curry flavored with spices and coconut milk. Curry leaves are ESSENTIAL to add flavor to the parippu curry.
What Ingredients do you need for this Parippu (Dhal) Curry Recipe?
For this parippu curry recipe, you need the following ingredients (including curry spices) :
- Red lentils (also called masoor dal or parippu)
- Onions
- Garlic cloves
- Green Chillies
- Coconut milk
- Curry leaves (ESSENTIAL)
- Turmeric
- Red Chilli powder
- Salt
Tips and Tricks to cook the perfect Parippu Curry
- I use coconut cream (full-fat coconut milk) in this recipe, but you can use either coconut cream or diluted coconut milk from the dairy section of the grocery store. Coconut cream can be used without diluting to get a thicker curry, or cooked with some water according to your preference. Coconut milk is usually diluted, so don’t add water to the curry if you use coconut milk
- Ginger-garlic paste is a good option to use in place of chopped garlic
- MAKE SURE there is always some liquid in the curry. Add more water / coconut milk if the curry levels go down while cooking.
- This recipe can also be used to cook any type of split dal such as yellow moong dal (split yellow lentils), or split green gram dal without additional steps.
- To cook other types of dal (such as whole moong dal, or kadala parippu), they need to be soaked in water for 4-5 hours. Drain the water, wash the dal, and the follow this recipe to make any dal curry
Side dishes to Serve with this Sri Lankan Parippu Curry
(Dhal Curry)
In Sri Lankan cuisine, Parippu curry is generally served on a bed of hot rice, with bread or string hoppers (indiappam). Since this parippu curry is spicy, it pairs well with any mild or sweet dish. Other Sri Lankan side dishes you can serve with a parippu curry are:
Beetroot Curry – This is a sweet Sri Lankan curry, and will pair well with the parippu curry
Fried shrimp – Sweet and sour shrimp will pair well with this creamy red lentil curry
Mallum/Sambola – Any side dishes cooked with using shredded coconut will pair well with this vegan curry. Try these cabbage leaf mallum, gotu kola mallum or pol sambola dishes. These side dishes are also vegan and will pair well to create a healthy, delicious meal.
Appetizers – Add this tuna fish cutlets for a crispy addition to your meal! Or add an egg omelette for more protein.
Creamy and mild lentil curry
Ingredients
- 3 cups Water
- 2 cups Dhal masoor dhal/split lentils
- 1 cup Coconut milk Goya
- 15 Curry leaves use more if you like curry leaf flavor
- 4 Garlic cloves chopped
- 1 Green chillie chopped
- 1/2 Red onion chopped
Seasoning
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric
Instructions
- Add dhal, chopped onions, garlic, chillie, curry leaves, water and seasonings to pan
- Cover pan and cook for 5 mins on medium heat
- Dhal should be half boiled and color changed to yellow now. If not, cook for few more minutes
- Add coconut milk, mix well, cover pan and cook for 10 minutes on low heat
- Turn off heat and open cover to stop dhal from cooking further
How to cook a Red Lentil (Parippu) Curry step by step with pictures
Ingredients for a simple and easy parippu dhal curry – Red split lentils, chilli pepper, red onion, garlic cloves and a sprig of curry leaves. Wash the lentils in water 2-3 times and drain the water before starting to cook.
Add the washed lentils, chopped onions, garlic, chillie, curry leaves, water and seasonings to a pan. Cover pan and cook for 5 mins on medium heat.
Dhal should be half boiled and color changed to yellow now. If not, cook for few more minutes until the color changes and look like the picture below. MAKE SURE there is enough water to cover the lentils (or at the same level of the lentils) or they will not boil evenly.
Add coconut milk, mix well, cover pan and cook for 10 minutes on low heat until the curry boils and the lentils are cooked through. Keep stirring the curry every 1-2 minutes. If you cook for a longer time, the lentil will overcook and become mushy (still a tasty curry!)
Turn off heat and open cover to stop dhal from cooking further. Add salt to taste and enjoy 🙂
