Today I am excited to bring you one of my inspirations from my amazing trip to Sri Lanka last summer. It really was a Beauty Detox paradise as they had so many options of amazing organic, plant foods to eat! Below is a picture of a typical assortment of “vegetable rice and curry” I ate almost every single day I was there. This generic term for a dish always entailed rice, dahl (stewed lentils) and a wide variety of vegetables- chef’s choice!
You may or may not know that the name for lentils in general is ‘dahl’. It is very interesting that most Indian recipe names are not fancy dish names, but the literal translation for the items in the dish! An example of this would be a dish called Alu Gobi, which means Potato Cauliflower, and you guessed it: it is made with those ingredients.
There are countless ways to prepare dahl and this dish is inspired directly from my experience in Sri Lanka.
You can make Dahl with red, green or black lentils. I use red lentils in this recipe, which turn yellow upon cooking. They are by far my fav!
Be sure to gather all your herbs and spices! This dish uses mustard seeds, whole cumin seeds and turmeric powder.
When the lentils are almost cooked through, heat the coconut oil in a separate pan. Add the mustard seeds, allowing them to “pop” and burst open for about a moment, as you mix them. Next, add the cumin seeds, onion and garlic, cooking until translucent. Stir in the turmeric and coconut milk until heated, then add into the lentils. Mix all together and season with sea salt. Adjust seasonings as desired.
Enjoy! (Here is a version where I made the same recipe but with green lentils).
Warming Sri Lankan Dahl
Ingredients
- 1 cup masoor dhal red lentils, preferably soaked overnight
- 4 cups water
- 2 carrots sliced (optional)
- 2 tsp. coconut oil
- 2 tsp. mustard seeds
- 1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
- 1/2 of a white onion sliced
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the lentils well and rinse, then add to a pot with water, bringing to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until soft, about 30 minutes or so. Throw in the carrots (if you choose to use them).
- When the lentils are almost cooked through, heat the coconut oil in a separate pan. Add the mustard seeds, allowing them to “pop” and burst open for about a moment, as you mix them. Next, add the cumin seeds, onion and garlic, cooking until translucent.
- Stir in the turmeric and coconut milk until heated, then add into the lentils.
- Mix all together and season with sea salt. Adjust seasonings as desired. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was on Instagram!
Let me know how you enjoyed this recipe in the comments below, and be sure to use #beautydetoxrecipe. I always enjoy hearing your thoughts and feedback on making your own creations at home.
Love,
Kimberly
I was excited to try this recipe. I liked it, but found it a bit watery. I think it may be due to the type of coconut milk I used. What brand of coconut milk do you recommend?
Hi Laura — I am sorry to hear you thought it was a little watery! You can try using a little less coconut milk next time. I rotate brands depending on where I am, I always make sure to get a BPA free can if it comes in a can or a carton and that it is organic.
Kimberly, can I use red split lentils and would you skip the soaking for the split ones?
Hi Susanne! You can use red lentils for this recipe. I would still soak them even if they are split. :)
Love love love this recipe! The lentils I used to make before were so boring. This recipe has so much flavor.
Thanks Crystal for giving this recipe a try and so happy you liked it. Keep up the great work! ;)
Made this for dinner yesterday and it was so easy and sooo good!! I Made it while my daughter (3) and baby boy (6 months) was playing on the floor :-) Made it with chick peas since my daughter loves that and it tasted so good with these spices! Guess this wil be ok to eat for my baby soon to? Without the salt :) You are a big inspiration to me! Thank you :-) Love from Norway!
Hi Kimberly! This looks delicious- can’t wait to try it out. The last photo shows additional dishes – did I miss a separate post featuring those? One looks like it might be pb&e (so yummy), and there’s something on the left that looks like a soup? Thank you!
Hi Jaime and thanks for checking out this new recipe. The other dishes are just other side dishes I’ve made or leftovers I just ate with my dahl. Let me know if you get a chance to try out this recipe and what you think. Sending lots of love! ;)
Hi Kimberly,
What are the rest of the foods in this blog, specifically what looks like cabbage and/or cucumber? They look delicious and a great compliment to the lentils. I think another blog post on those side decisions would be great :)
So delicious and easy to make! A staple in our house!❤️ Thank you!
Wonderful…so happy to hear your feedback. Sending lots of love! ;)
How much water is usually left after the lentils are cooked? Do you drain the lentils after they are cooked?
Hi Prudence and thanks for checking out my recipe. When you cook the lentils, you will do so until most of the water is evaporated but not dried out. You won’t be draining the lentils. Let me know how it turns out for you and if you like the flavors. Sending you lots of love! ;)
Hi Kimberly!
I love your Facebook live cooking videos #kimcookslive. I noticed today you added the cinnamon stick and ginger today.
Thank you for the variations an I absolutely love the Facebook cooking vids.
Will you have these on the same days?
Lots of love : )
I have been wanting to try this recipe for a long time. I finally made it today and it is delicious! I made some additions with celery for veges and red pepper because I like it spicy! I also like it as a soup so I added extra water and coconut milk.
That’s great Carrie…thanks for sharing and sending you lots of love and continued support! ;)