Sri Lankan Red Dahl — a plant-based Indian recipe by BOSH!
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Sri Lankan Red Dahl

This Sri Lankan Red Dahl is one we keep coming back to again and again. There's something about the combination of creamy coconut milk, warming turmeric and cinnamon, and that smoky temper poured on top that just feels like a proper hug in a bowl. The lentils go silky and rich after their simmer, and then the sizzling temper hits them with all that fragrant onion and garlic goodness. It's on the table in 30 minutes and tastes like you've been cooking for hours. Honestly, if you're not making this tonight you're missing out.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Blender
  • Large pan
  • Medium frying pan

Ingredients

  • 400ml water
  • 800ml coconut milk
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 lemon
  • 320g red lentils
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ onion
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 Handful of curry leaves
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bunch of fresh coriander
  • lemon
  • Handful of crispy onions
  • coriander leaves
  • chapati
  • green chilli sliced

Method

1

For the dahl

  • Drain the lentils and transfer to a large pan with water, coconut milk, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne, and simmer on a low heat uncovered for 25 minutes
  • Don’t add any salt at this stage as this will harden the lentils 
2

Meanwhile, make the temper

  • Finely dice the onion, garlic and coriander stalks (reserve the leaves for garnish)
  • Heat the coconut oil in a medium frying pan
  • Once it starts to smoke add the fresh curry leaves if you have them, plus the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry powder, diced onion and garlic
  • Fry while stirring until the seeds start to pop and the onions start to soften
  • Set aside until needed
3

Finish the dahl

  • Once the lentils are cooked, turn off the heat and add the sea salt and zest of a lemon
  • Blend half the dahl in a blender, add the blended mix back in the pot and mix through (this will make the dahl extra creamy)
  • Finish with a squeeze of lemon to lift up the goodness and season to perfection
4

To serve

  • Spoon the dahl into serving bowls, drizzle the temper mix over the top, and serve the tempered dahl with crispy onions, fresh green chilis, the reserved coriander leaves and a chapati or pitta on the side

Tips & Variations

  • Don't rush the simmer: We know it's tempting to crank the heat, but keeping it low and slow for those 25 minutes is what gets the lentils properly creamy. Worth the patience.
  • Spice it your way: The cayenne gives it a nice gentle heat, but if you want more of a kick, Ian always adds a dried red chilli or two to the temper. If you're cooking for little ones, just dial it back or leave it out.
  • Serve it properly: We love this with fluffy basmati rice and some warm flatbreads for scooping. A big dollop of coconut yoghurt on top works brilliantly too if you want to cool things down a little.

Why This Works

The real magic here is the temper. Heating the coconut oil until it just starts to smoke and then adding your aromatics creates this incredible sizzling, fragrant oil that you pour right over the dahl at the end. It's a classic Sri Lankan technique and it completely transforms the dish. Also, trust us on this one, don't add salt while the lentils are cooking. It keeps them tender and creamy, and you can season properly at the end.