Sri Lankan · lunch, dinner, side

Sri Lankan Dhal Curry (Parippu)

Sri Lankan Dhal Curry (Parippu) — from island smile's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 6:39

Video by island smile on YouTube · Open on YouTube

30 minServes 4320 kcal a serve
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Nut-free

Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Red lentils cook in about 12 minutes and give each serve about 12 g of protein and 6 g of fibre, and make it rich in folate and iron. Coconut milk gives the Sri Lankan creaminess without dairy.

Printable PDFA4

The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.

Ingredients 14

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Slice the onion, garlic and green chillies. Set aside half of the onion, garlic, curry leaves and turmeric for the tempering. 1:46
  2. Wash the lentils well and put them in a pan with ½ cup water, the green chillies and the other half of the onion, garlic, curry leaves and turmeric. Cook on medium for 10–12 minutes until soft. 2:22
  3. Pour in the coconut milk, season with salt and cook on low for at least 3 minutes. Set aside. 3:29
  4. For the tempering, heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the reserved onion, garlic, curry leaves and turmeric on low-medium for about a minute, until the onion turns golden. 4:11
  5. Add the chilli powder, chilli flakes and whole dried chillies for 10–12 seconds, then the mustard seeds for another 15 seconds. 4:33
  6. Put the dhal back on the heat and stir in the tempering gradually, swirling a spoonful of dhal around the frying pan to collect every bit. Taste for salt and serve warm. 5:06

Tip. Serve with rice. Add up to ½ cup more water if the lentils stick, or up to 1 cup of coconut milk. Keeps 2 days in the fridge; to freeze (2 weeks), freeze before adding the coconut milk and add it with the tempering when reheating.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 4

Energy320 kcal1,340 kJ
Protein12 g25% of a day
Fibre6.5 g23% of a day
Carbohydrate32 g25 g net · 4.5 g sugars12% of a day
Fat17 g6.6 g saturated22% of a day
Sodium590 mg26% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 33%
  • Protein 16%
  • Fat 51%

For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Omega-3 High62%

1 g a serve, mostly from oil (93%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Folate High49%

196 µg a serve, mostly from red lentils (92%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Iron High29%

5.2 mg a serve, mostly from red lentils (64%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin B6 Source19%

0.3 mg a serve, mostly from red lentils (56%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Zinc Source17%

1.9 mg a serve, mostly from red lentils (78%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin E Source16%

2.4 mg a serve, mostly from oil (73%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Magnesium Source14%

58 mg a serve, mostly from red lentils (62%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Potassium Source13%

600 mg a serve, mostly from red lentils (66%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Vitamin C Source10%

8.6 mg a serve, mostly from onion (43%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin K Source10%

12 µg a serve, mostly from oil (61%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Selenium Source10%

5.6 µg a serve, mostly from red lentils (53%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Show the other 4
Calcium4%

51 mg a serve, mostly from red lentils (36%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin A3%

27 µg a serve, mostly from red chilli flakes (45%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin D0%

0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin B120%

0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

You might also like

Browse all 953 recipes

Recipe and video by island smile; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.