# Sri Lankan Dhal Curry

**Description:** A comforting and classic Sri Lankan Dhal Curry made with tender Mysoor dhal simmered in rich coconut milk. Infused with aromatic spices, pandan, and curry leaves, this dish is finished with a fragrant tempered oil mixture of mustard seeds, crispy onions, and a touch of chili for a deeply savory flavor.
**Prep Time:** 10m | **Cook Time:** 20m | **Servings:** 4

## Ingredients
* 1 cup Mysoor Dhal
* 1 cup Water
* 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
* To taste Curry Powder
* 2 tsp (divided) Chili Powder
* Chopped (divided) Garlic
* 1/4 large, chopped Onion
* To taste Mustard Seeds
* To taste Mustard Paste
* Divided Rampe (Pandan) Leaves
* Divided Curry Leaves
* To desired consistency Coconut Milk
* 1 to 3 tsp Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
* 1 tsp (plus extra to taste) Salt

## Instructions
1. **Boil the Dhal**: Wash the dhal thoroughly. In a main pot, combine the washed dhal, water, turmeric, curry powder, 1 tsp of chili powder, the mustard paste, a portion of the garlic, some rampe leaves, curry leaves, and 1 tsp of salt. Boil until the dhal is nearly soft.
2. **Add Coconut Milk**: Once the dhal is almost fully cooked, pour in the coconut milk.
3. **Temper the Spices**: In a separate pan, heat 1 to 3 tsp (depending on how much oil you need in the curry) of oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and fry until they reach a light brown color (leaving them raw will make the curry too sweet). Add the remaining garlic, mustard seeds, remaining rampe, and curry leaves. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, taking care not to burn the mixture.
4. **Bloom the Chili**: Add the final 1 tsp of chili powder to the tempering pan and fry for just 10 to 20 seconds. (If you use only a little oil and cook it for too long, the chili will burn. However, adding more oil allows you to cook it longer, which makes the curry much tastier).
5. **Combine**: Spoon a little bit of the cooked dhal from the main pot into the tempering pan, mix it with the fried spices, and then pour the entire mixture back into the large pot of dhal.
6. **Simmer**: Let the combined curry cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the salt to your preference and serve.

## Notes / Tips
* Fry the onions until they are light brown during the tempering stage; leaving them raw will make the dhal unexpectedly sweet.
* When blooming the final teaspoon of chili powder, watch it closely. More oil provides a buffer so it can toast and release maximum flavor without burning. 
* To save this recipe to your notebook, you can copy it directly into your file named Recipee.

## Tags
#SriLankanCuisine #DhalCurry #ComfortFood #Vegan #SideDish