A Simple Homey, Coconut-y Red Lentil Dal

We have made this for so many years and always make a big batch to freeze. It has been one of our kids first meals and they have enjoyed it ad much as much as we have, from 6months old. Thank you for a great recipe! Have never changed a thing.

I’ve made this a number of times and always have the ingredients on the shelf. I often add potatoes, cauliflower or green beans if I want to bulk it up, and sometimes Italian parsley or cilantro for color. Great recipe.

I don't change a thing. It is like a hug in a bowl.

This is on regular rotation through cool weather season— with our without curry leaves, it’s perfect, literally perfect, just as written. We are redoing our kitchen at the moment and I’m going to try it with just an instant pot tonight!

I almost never make the same recipe twice, but this recipe is a constant for me. I return to it over and over again when I want a sense of comfort and a huge burst of flavor in an extremely simple and affordable meal. I just relocated across the world and this is the first thing I’m making myself. Truly exquisite.

Delicious, even without curry leaves. Don’t have those in these parts!😊

delicious easy and cheap!!!

One of the best soups I've ever had! Wow

Finally I made a dahl from scratch that tastes as it should, it was delicious! And easy to make too. The quantity was quite large though, could feed about 30 people so next time I will cut the recipe in half. I highly recommend this recipe.

Revisit this old favourite today and added massive amount of chopped ginger and plenty of okra. Very delicious addition especially since the thick texture of the stew hide the sliminess of okra very well.

I made this last week after returning from Israel and craving Indian food!! I kept it super simple and skipped step two altogether. (left our the oil and tempered spices) added a big pinch of curry powder and some extra ground cumin. Making it again, same way for a couple of good friends. Thank you for sharing this so that I can share as well!!

Best dal recipe!! I was looking for a recipe for dal, found this one, and never looked back. Simple to make and so delicious (especially with some homemade naan). I've made it multiple times and guests love it!

One of my favorite soup recipes! I always make a double recipe because my neighbors love it, too!

I loved and this recipe in 2014 and I still love it. I always have the ingredients in my pantry so I can make it anytime. My only tweak is to amp up the heat - typically with crushed red pepper (another staple in our house).

This looks like how I make Sri Lankan dhal curry! It's the best! :)

This is one of the best recipes I've come across off this website...it's super flavorful! I wouldn't skip the curry leaves, they add so much flavor to the dish! I add a few lime leaves as well.

Might I add that this is a Sri Lankan dish and not necessarily an Indian one? The dhal curry as we call it, is a Sri Lankan staple served in almost every household, wayside eating joint and etc for breakfast, lunch and dinner. True that Sri Lankan cuisine has Indian influences but if you look closely, you will see that
a) Using coconut milk in savory dishes is not very popular in India, except for maybe Kerala. On the other hand, coconut milk is used regularly in Sri Lankan cuisine. In fact, it is hard to find a recipe that does not use it!
b) The use of curry leaf is also a very Sri Lankan thing to do. While we Sri Lankans use the curry leaf for almost every curry in sight, Indians use it sparsely, and rely instead on other spices instead.
It really is a pity that Sri Lankan cuisine is often mistaken with Indian cuisine. We have in possession many rare gems of culinary excellence which remains to be unveiled to the world :)
In any case it is a delicious dish. And thank you for sharing it :)

Thanks Nicholas- I've made this twice now [both times without the curry leaves as they are scarce in my parts (East Los Angeles, I know, I could find 'em if I was willing to drive across town for lentils, I'm not)]. Both times I have halved the recipe and it does not seem to suffer at all. I serve it over coconut rice, fresh cilantro for garnish and add a few good dollops of "Melinda's Naga Jolokia" pepper sauce at the end as I like my food spicier than my friends do. So satisfying...brilliant even. Thanks!

This was the best soup I've ever had! Be sure to search for the curry leaves, what they add is inexplicably delicious!

I made this soup today , and it is real good..very yummy.