Ingredients
- 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil
- 1 red onion, very finely chopped
- 10 dried curry leaves (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
- 1 green chilli, very finely chopped
- 1 lemongrass stick, cut in half on an angle
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
- 150 g of red lentils
- 400 ml of coconut milk
- 1.75 tsp of salt
- 2 lime, juiced to make 1½tbsp of juice
- 40 g of desiccated coconut
- 1 red chillii, very finely chopped
- 100 g of cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 0.75 tsp of ground turmeric
Method
Step 1
First, make the dal. Put the oil into a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat and add three-quarters of the onion (reserve the rest for the sambol), the curry leaves, garlic, chilli, lemongrass and cinnamon. Fry for 5 mins, then stir in the lentils and turmeric. Add the coconut milk and 400ml of water (fill up the empty coconut tin to measure this). Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for around 20-25 mins, until the lentils are no longer chalky and are tender to the bite. Add more water if it’s too thick, then season with 1¼ tsp salt and ½ tbsp lime juice.Step 2
While the dal is cooking, make the sambol. Place the desiccated coconut into a heatproof bowl. Pour in 3 tbsp freshly boiled water and stir to mix. Add the reserved onion, chilli, tomatoes, remaining tbsp lime juice and ½ tsp salt. Mix, taste, and add more salt to balance if need be.Step 3
To serve the dal, fish out the cinnamon stick and lemongrass pieces if you wish. Serve with rice or paratha, with the sambol over the top or on the side.