Ingredients
- 250g red lentils/ dahl (washed)
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic (crushed, peeled and roughly chopped)
- 5-6 curry leaves (ripped)
- 3cm of cinnamon (broken into thinner sticks)
- 1 ½ tsp. curry powder
- ½ tsp. chilli flakes (optional, double this amount for a Sri Lankan level of spice)
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp. fenugreek mix
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 can of coconut milk (add more to taste if you prefer)
- big pinch of salt
Method:
Mix the lentils and other ingredients into a suitable sized saucepan; reserving the coconut milk and salt.
Add water to cover the lentils (if one cup isn’t enough add a little more) and place on a high heat to boil.
Reduce the heat to simmering. If the water is absorbed and the lentils still aren’t cooked, add a little more to ensure they don’t burn.
Cook until the lentils are soft and the water has been absorbed. Add the salt and coconut milk, returning to a higher heat for a further couple of minutes.
Once lentils are soft, take off the heat and allow to rest before serving.
Notes:
You can be a little bit liberal with the spices, I usually end up adding another 1/2 teaspoon of each