Red Lentil (Dhal) Curry

Ingredients

1 cup Red lentils

1 cup coconut milk (dilute if you're using canned)

2/3 cup finely chopped shallots or onions

2 sliced green chilis

4 finely chopped garlic cloves

1 sprig of curry leaves

1 inch pandan leaf

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp chili powder (add more if you like spicy)

1 tsp Sri Lankan unroasted curry powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

add salt to your liking

Method

Add lentils into a container and wash it well till the water runs clear. Keep about 1 cup water and drain the rest. You could also use a colander and keep the lentils to drain and then add 1 cup water into the saucepan. Let the lentils soak for around 30 minutes.

Add all the ingredients except coconut milk to the saucepan. Cook covered on medium heat until lentils become tender and there aren't any uncooked lentils left. Turn over once so that the lentils cook equally. If the pan is drying out too quickly add a little warm and lower the heat.

When lentils are cooked, add coconut milk and gently stir. You can adjust the amount of coconut milk you use to your preference. For a creamier flavour use thicker coconut milk or add diluted coconut milk for lighter curry. Slowly bring the curry to simmer and turn it off. Adjust salt if needed.

NB: Do not over stir as the lentils can turn mushy!! You could also make this a red curry instead of a yellow curry by adding chili flakes and chili powder and spluttering some mustard seeds at the beginning with a bit of oil.