Spicy Sri Lankan chilli dhal fry.
Give your usual dhal with coconut milk a break, try a spicy version for a change.
gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, low carb.
Don’t be surprised if this dhal fry is actually spicy from your usual milky dhal curry. The stir-fry is full of onions, green chillies, extra chilli flecks that give it more heat.
Unless we are spending holidays with him, I don’t get to cook for funny man very often as he lives far away from us but I can easily imagine him liking the dish because this is what he craves, chilli flavor.
His taste buds are immune to feeling any kind of heat that will have a normal human being reaching for a glass of water or milk. so if you have anyone in your family like him then this dhal fry is ideal for him/her.
Mixed reactions and a heads up…
I can’t in good conscience include a recipe and say everyone loved it, even if I don’t ask the kids, I get a few direct hits from them.
So when I made the dhal fry which they are usually used to having with a milky gravy made up of coconut milk, the younger two were not happy and were utterly confused about why I had to make it so spicy.
You might find the same happening, with some liking it and some not but do give the dish a try. you can always go back to the usual way of cooking the lentils if you don’t like it.
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A note on not overcooking the dhal.
One of the pitfalls to avoid in this recipe is not overcooking the dhal, if you add too much water and overcook the dhal, you might end up with a paste. try not to mix the dhal too much when you are adding the tempered ingredients as well.
recipe-Spicy Sri Lankan chilli dhal fry(vegetarian, vegan).
Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.
Ingredients
Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
1 cup dhal
1 large Onion sliced fine
3 garlic cloves finely sliced
1 green chilli
a handful of curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli flecks
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 and 1/2 cup water
Salt to season
4 tablespoons of oil
Method
Wash the dhal and add it to a medium-sized cooking pan with water.
Add turmeric, a few slices of onion, curry leaves and garlic slices.
Cook the dhal until water evaporates and they become soft, try not to overcook them and turn them too soft, you still want them to hold their shape.
Set aside the cooked lentils.
In a separate small pan sauté curry leaves, onions, garlic. cook until the onions turn slightly translucent.
Add chilli flecks and mustard seeds and sauté for a minute over low fire.
Once the tempering is done, place the cooked dhal over low fire and add the tempered ingredients to it, season with salt while combining the ingredients. try not to stir it too much as mixing can easily turn the dhal fry into a paste.
Serve warm with rice and curry.
Spicy Sri Lankan chilli dhal fry(vegetarian,vegan).
Give your usual dhal with coconut milk a break, try a spicy version for a change.
gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, low carb.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dhal
- 1 large Onion sliced fine
- 3 garlic cloves finely sliced
- 1 green chilli
- a handful of curry leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon chilli flecks
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 and 1/2 cup water
- Salt to season
- 4 tablespoons of oil
Instructions
Wash the dhal and add it to a medium-sized cooking pan with water.
Add turmeric, a few slices of onion, curry leaves and garlic slices.
Cook the dhal until water evaporates and they become soft, try not to overcook them and turn them too soft, you still want them to hold their shape.
Set aside the cooked lentils.
In a separate small pan sauté curry leaves, onions, garlic. cook until the onions turn slightly translucent.
Add chilli flecks and mustard seeds and sauté for a minute over low fire.
Once the tempering is done, place the cooked dhal over low fire and add the tempered ingredients to it, season with salt while combining the ingredients. try not to stir it too much as mixing can easily turn the dhal fry into a paste.
Serve warm with rice and curry.
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