Sri Lankan Red Lentil Curry (Parippu Kirata)! Red lentil curry (Parippu Kirata) is one of the most commonly consumed staple curries in Sri Lanka with all forms of rice and bread, almost every day and a favorite of all generations irrespective of young and old, and considered a timeless classic. It’s a simple easy-to-make curry recipe that takes less than 30 minutes.
What is Parippu Kirata
In Sinhalese, ‘Parippu‘ is a generic word for all lentils.
This lentil curry is locally known as ‘Parippu Kirata‘ (පරිප්පු කිරට)
‘Parippu’ = Lentils and ‘Kirata’ = Milky or cooked in coconut milk, put together mean lentils cooked in coconut milk.
It’s also known as ‘Parippu Hodi ‘(පරිප්පු හොදි), Parippu Kari (පරිප්පු කරි), or Parippu Vyangjanaya (පරිප්පු ව්යංජනය).
‘Hodi‘ = Gravy and ‘Vyangjanaya‘ = Curry
Sri Lankan Red Lentil Curry
A mild & milky curry
Sri Lankan cuisine is best known for its hot and spicy delicacies prepared with many spices and exotic flavors. However, there are also many dishes that are mild and do not need too many spices, hot chilies, and oil. This red lentil curry is one of them. It is not loaded with spices and is cooked in a generous amount of coconut milk. So, it is well known for its mild and milky flavor.
How about serving Sri Lankan Red Lentil Curry with Sri Lankan Coconut Roti?
BEST Sri Lankan Coconut Roti (Pol Roti)
SRI LANKAN RICE & CURRY!
Rice and curry is the Sri Lankan staple. A variety of cooked rice is served with a variety of side dishes commonly called curries. There are typically two/three (or more) different curries served along with the rice. The curry could be made up of a variety of things like meat, seafood, lentils, and vegetables. Common accompaniments to rice and curry include sambol (a Sri Lankan-style relish), mallum (chopped leaves with coconut), achcharu (pickles), and fried crispy papadams.
What to Serve With Lentil Curry
Well, without a doubt, the best side dish to serve with any curry is rice. Plain rice can go with any curry, but it goes particularly well with curries that have a lot of gravy. The gravy seeps into the rice, forming a match made in heaven. But, rice is not the only thing that goes great with this egg curry. You can serve it with slices of bread, roti, or naan. My favorite way to serve egg curry is with a piece of bread.
Red lentil curry is a part of almost every meal!
In Sri Lanka, red lentil curry is a part of almost every meal and is served with rice or various types of bread. And it also goes well with appa, indiappa, roti, or naan.
Ingredients Used In Lentil Curry
Most of the ingredients for making this lentil curry are regular items for anyone who likes curries. But it also involves some specific ingredients which may only be available in Sri Lankan/Indian/Asian groceries or online stores.
RED LENTILS
Red lentil is also known as Egyptian lentil or Masoor dal and is made from splitting whole brownish-red lentils. It is called parippu (පරිප්පු), rathu parippu (රතු පරිප්පු) or maisoor parippu (මයිසූර් පරිප්පු) in Sinhalese.
Sri Lankan curry powder (Thuna Paha)
If you like Sri Lankan-style curries, I would highly recommend you make your own Sri Lankan curry powders for authentic flavor and taste. In this recipe, I used Sri Lankan basic curry powder (aka 3-spice curry powder) locally known as ‘Thunapaha’ or ‘Thuna Paha’. It just contains 3 spices; coriander, cumin, and fennel, and is widely used for making mild curries.
Sri Lankan Basic 3-spice Curry Powder (Thunapaha) with whole spices.
Sri Lankan 3-Spice Curry Powder
Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder (Thunapaha) with store-bought ground spices.
Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder
If you are looking for a recipe for making Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder (Badapu Thunapaha, බැදපු තුනපහ), try this recipe.
Coconut Milk (Pol Kiri, පොල් කිරි)
Coconut milk is one of the key ingredients of this recipe. Coconut milk adds richness and a creamy texture giving the authentic Sri Lankan flavor. You can either use canned coconut milk or freshly squeezed coconut milk. However, being in Japan, I use canned ones as freshly squeezed coconut milk is not available here. You can also use coconut milk powder dissolving it in warm water. You can also use full-fat fresh milk if you don’t have coconut milk.
In Sri Lanka, freshly squeezed coconut milk is commonly used.
Exotic Herbs & Ingredients
Curry Leaves (Karapincha, කරපිංචා)
Fresh curry leaves are an essential ingredient in Sri Lankan cooking that has a distinctive, flavor and fragrance. Fresh or frozen curry leaves are preferred for the best flavor and aroma. If you cannot find curry leaves, just skip them as there is no substitute. Curry leaves are edible and have many health benefits.
Pandan ((Rampe, රම්පේ)
Pandan leaves are widely used to flavor curry dishes along with curry leaves. Fresh or frozen pandan leaves are preferred for the best flavor and aroma. If you cannot find pandan leaves, just skip them as there is no substitute. Pandan leaves are not edible, so remove them before serving.
Green Chilies (Amu Miris, අමු මිරිස්)
In Sri Lanka, green chilies are widely used as a cooking ingredient. They add a milder heat and enhance the flavor of the curries beyond just pure heat. Skip green chilies if you like a milder curry.
Fresh Ingredients
Onion or Shallots
In Japan, I usually use onion for making curries and everything else as it is commonly available. However, in Sri Lanka, shallots (eschalots or French shallots) are typically used for making curries.
Garlic
An essential ingredient in Sri Lankan dishes to flavor the curries. I prefer using thinly sliced garlic for mild flavor instead of finely chopped garlic or garlic paste as they add a strong flavor.
Ground Spices & Whole Spices
CINNAMON
Cinnamon is one of the must-have spices in Sri Lankan cooking. I usually use a cinnamon stick because it adds a mildly aromatic, spicy, and sweet flavor to the dish. You can probably use ground cinnamon but make sure to add a small amount (about 1/8 teaspoon) to avoid giving the dish a strong flavor.
I prefer using Ceylon cinnamon for its mildly aromatic, sweet, and delicate taste.
ROASTED FENUGREEK SEEDS
Fenugreek seeds are also one of the staple spices used in Sri Lankan cooking to flavor curries and stir-fry dishes. You can dry roast the seeds in a hot dry pan for about 2-3 minutes until it changes slightly in color and turns fragrant.
It can be incredibly bitter when eaten raw, but you’ll get a sweet, nutty flavor out of fenugreek seeds by dry roasting them.
Turmeric powder
Turmeric powder is an essential ingredient in Sri Lankan cooking. It has many health benefits as well as it adds a nice yellowish color to the curry.
Turmeric powder is an essential ingredient in Sri Lankan cooking.
Red chili powder
This lentil curry is not a spicy curry, so, adding chili powder is optional.
Water
I used water to cook the lentils until soft. You can also use thin coconut milk instead of water.
USEFUL INFO
COOKING CURRY IN A CLAY POT
In Sri Lanka, curries are traditionally cooked in clay pots, and curry cooked in clay pots tastes so good. So, I usually cook all my curries in clay pots and highly recommend using clay pots for cooking curries.
The bubbles during cooking (I googled it)
The foam on top of a pan of lentils is created by ‘saponins’ within the lentils, which form a frothy white mass of bubbles in the water. You can skim it off the top of your lentils if you like, but it’s totally fine to leave it too as it’s safe to consume.
ADJUST THE CONSISTENCY OF CURRY GRAVY
The consistency of curry gravy is completely your choice. If you want your curry to have a thicker gravy, you can reduce the amount of liquid used, or simmer your curry until it becomes thicker. And you can add some more coconut milk or water to make a thinner gravy.
HELPFUL tips
- Buy the freshest lentils possible.
- Red lentils do not require soaking like other lentils.
- Be sure to use a large enough saucepan/pot as the lentils will double or triple in size.
- To cook lentils, bring to a boil, cover lightly, reduce heat, and simmer until they are tender.
- For fresh/good red lentils, cooking time is typically only about 10 to 15 minutes. Some lentils require much longer to cook and sometimes don’t soften at all. Adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Make sure to season with salt or lemon juice after cooking – if salt/lemon juice is added while cooking, the lentils will become tough.
- Another secret for making flavorful curry is resting time. After cooking, just leave the curry in the pot for about 30 minutes or so before serving it.
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Easy! Mild Red Lentil Curry Made With 3 Spices & Fresh Milk! This is a beginner-friendly simple easy-to-make mild red lentil curry recipe that you can make with only 3 powdered spices (Coriander, Cumin, and Turmeric) and fresh milk. It is also a kid-friendly mild curry recipe that will please little ones and parents alike.
SRi Lankan red lentil curry (Parippu kirata)
step-by-step recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 to 6
Ingredients
100 g red lentils (Masoor dal)
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
4 to 6 curry leaves
1-inch pandan leaves
2 fresh green chilies, whole or cut
1-inch cinnamon
1 teaspoon Sri Lankan basic curry powder (Thunapaha)
1 teaspoon fenugreek
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, optional
500 ml water, adjust as needed
200 ml coconut milk, adjust as needed
Salt to taste
Instruction
Buy the freshest lentils possible. Older lentils require a much longer time to cook and sometimes don’t soften at all.
Wash the lentils by changing the water a few times.
Prepare the fresh ingredients; onion, fresh green chilies, curry leaves, pandan, and garlic.
Prepare the spices; curry powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, fenugreek, cinnamon, and salt
In a deep pot, add washed lentils, fresh ingredients, and spices except for salt. Mix well.
Add water and mix well.
Bring to a rapid simmer.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover lightly and simmer until they are tender for about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the lentils at regular intervals.
Check if the lentil is cooked. Each type has a different cooking time, so make sure to cook them until fully cooked adjusting time as needed. Add more liquid as needed until the lentils are done.
Now, add coconut milk and mix well. Add salt to taste.
Cook on low flame for about 5 minutes while stirring at regular intervals.
Sri Lankan-style red lentil curry is ready! serve & Enjoy!
Sri Lankan red lentil curry (Parippu Kirata)
Printable recipe
Sri Lankan Red Lentil Curry (Parippu Kirata)
Ingredients
- 100 g red lentils Masoor dal
- 3 cloves of garlic sliced
- 4 to 6 curry leaves
- 1- inch pandan leaves
- 2 fresh green chilies whole or cut
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Sri Lankan basic curry powder thuna paha
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder optional
- 500 ml water adjust as needed
- 200 ml coconut milk adjust as needed
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the lentil by changing the water a few times.
- In a deep pot, add washed lentils, fresh ingredients, and spices except salt. Mix well.
- Add water and mix well.
- Bring to a boil, cover lightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender for about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the lentil at regular intervals.
- Check if the lentil is cooked. Add coconut milk and salt to taste. Stir well.
- Cook on low flame for about 5 mins. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Serve with rice or bread.
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