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Dhal Curry

By: 👩‍🦳 Linda · · · 🗨 63 Comments

Recipe ▼

This mild and nutritious Dhal Curry consists mainly of lentils, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Heat level can be adjusted according to taste.

Dhal Curry served with roti canai.

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a good weekend. Apart from one social gathering, we had a fairly relaxing weekend. I was thankful the weather was gorgeous as it has been dull, grey, and rainy most of the week. It finally cleared up on Friday leaving the weekend with lots of sunshine and clear blue skies.

Signs of Autumn

The days are getting shorter and many of the maples trees in the neighborhood are showing signs that fall is upon us. It seems to me like the orange hues are normally the first ones to appear, followed by red, and finally yellow. We have a few mature trees in the yard and they all turn yellow. I wish the people who first lived here would have planted some trees with leaves that would turn orange or red.

Signs of autumn with leaves turning color.

Moving to WordPress

Enough of the weather but before we move on today’s recipe, I would like to let you in on some changes that will be coming up soon. Roti n Rice will be moving to WordPress in the next few days. She will have a new look and her own domain. Hopefully the move will go smoothly and my next post will be on the new platform.

Mild and Nutritious Dhal Curry

And now let’s get back to the Dhal Curry…..

Dhal curry is a very mild and nutritious curry made up mainly of lentils, tomatoes, and chilies. Sometimes potatoes and gourds are added. Very few spices are used and the heat level can be adjusted by using more or less dried chilies. This curry is very kid friendly as it can be made relatively mild.

Mild and nutritious Dhal Curry.

Malaysia’s Popular Breakfast

In Malaysia and Singapore, Dhal Curry is often associated with the ever popular Roti Canai (roti pratha) and is usually eaten during breakfast. If you wish to make your own, please check out my recipe by clicking on the picture below.

Crispy and fluffy homemade Roti Canai (Roti Paratha) with step-by-step instructions. Delicious eaten with dhal and chicken curry. | RotiNRice.com

Otherwise you can purchase frozen ones from the Asian and Indian grocery stores. It only takes 2 to 3 minutes to fry up one of these delicious flat breads.

Store bought roti canai/paratha.

Different Versions of Dhal Curry

There are many versions of Dhal Curry out there. This one is the one I am most familiar with. It has all the ingredients found in the version served in most Malaysian Indian restaurants. I have made it thicker but you can certainly thin it out by adding more water if preferred.

Sometimes, I like to add eggplants (brinjals) into the curry. To see what that looks like, please check out my Dhal and Eggplant Curry. There is a video in this post and you can see exactly how this dish is made (same steps) in the video.

The other vegetable that I have seen and may be used in Dhal Curry is moringa oleifera, commonly known as “drumsticks”. Here is the US, I can buy frozen “drumsticks” at an Indian grocery store not far from where I live. I even managed to buy fresh “drumsticks” once at the same store and to make this Drumstick Shrimp Curry. Please do check out the post if you are curious to see what fresh and frozen “drumsticks” look like. There is a picture of the packaging of the frozen ones in that post.

Similar Utensils Used to Serve This Dhal Curry

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

La Tienda Handled Terra Cotta Cazuela Dish (9 inches wide, 2 inches deep)
9″ Coconut Shell Long Handle Wooden KitchenLadle Spoons, Set of 2
Handmade All Natural 4 Coconut Spoons, Serving wooden spoon

Dhal Curry served with roti canai.
4.78 from 9 votes

Dhal Curry

This Dhal Curry is a very mild and nutritious curry made up mainly of lentils, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Heat level can be adjusted according to taste.
Author : Linda Ooi
Course : Side Dish
Cuisine : Malaysian
Keyword : dal curry, dhal curry, lentil curry
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings : 6
Calories : 175kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup chana dhal
  • 1 inch ginger (julienned) (30g)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 dried chilies (broken into pieces)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (stem removed)
  • ¼ tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 cups water (480ml)
  • Salt to taste

For Tempering

  • 2 tbsp butter (28g)
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 onion (sliced)
  • 4 jalapeno peppers (seeded and sliced)
  • 3 tomatoes (cubed)

Instructions
 

  • Rinse and drain dhal.
  • Place dhal in a medium sized pot with ginger, garlic, dried chilies, curry leaves, ground turmeric, and 2 cups (480ml) water. Bring to a boil.
  • Season with salt, reduce heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes until dhal is soft.
  • Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, pulse several times to desired consistency.
  • In a fry pan, heat butter. Add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add cumin seeds and onion. Fry until onion is slightly brown, about 3 minutes.
  • Add jalapeno peppers and tomatoes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Transfer fried ingredients to the pot with cooked dhal. Place pot back onto stove and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
  • Serve hot with roti or rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @RotiNRice or tag #RotiNRice

Serving Suggestions

Dhal Curry is delicious served with Roti Canai (roti pratha), as mentioned previously. It is equally delicious served with plain white rice. Dhal Curry is a great side dish for a vegetarian meal.

Mild and nutritious Dhal Curry.

More Dhal (Lentil) Recipes

Here are two more dhal (lentil) recipes that may interest you. Simply click on the image to get to the recipe.

Paruppu Vadai (Lentil Patties), a popular South Indian snack prepared with dhal and spices. Deliciously crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. | RotiNRice.com Ulundhu vadai is a popular South Indian snack. It is made of urad dhal combined with chilies and spices, eaten on its own or with coconut chutney. | RotiNRice.com

NOTE: This post was updated on September 2nd, 2013 with new pictures and writeup. No changes were made to the recipe.

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Reader Interactions

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Comments

  4. Pam says

    This looks like a delicious dish, Biren! Weather is dull and gray here also with rain expected for the week. The tree is beautiful and good luck with your move to WP!

    Reply

  5. Monet says

    All of those vegetables cooking in your pan made me want a bowl of this right away! It looks too good! Thank you for sharing such a delightful recipe with us. I'm glad that the weather cleared up for you a bit…that is always such a blessing!

    Reply

  6. lequan says

    I love the colour of your Dhal curry Biren. Any curry that is kid friendly surely has my attention as these days I find myself cooking only dishes that my kiddies can enjoy too. This sounds delicious and very comforting. Parathas are my favorite thing to have with curry.

    How exciting that you're moving to wordpress. I use it and really like it. Hope all goes smoothly!

    Reply

  13. The Mom Chef says

    Curry….mmmmmm. This looks amazing. Thank you for showing us in detail how it's supposed to be done. I can't wait to try.

    Reply

  16. denise fletcher says

    Serve with roti or rice *giggle* Sorry

    Glad to hear about the impending move. I hope everything goes smooth as silk and we'll soon see your beautiful new 'home' 🙂

    I LOVE dhal and can it eat for days on end and never get bored. Yours looks absolutely fantastic. Just reading the recipe is making me imagine the smell of the onions and cumin frying. YUM!!!

    Reply

  20. Dongxing says

    Hi Biren. Dhal curry! Something I must re-introduce to my children. I remembered they loved it when they were young toddlers, minus the chillies of course. Thanks for the post, it is timely as I am thinking of introducing some "spicier" foods to the kids. Good luck with the move.

    Reply

  21. Julie M. says

    Good luck with the move Biren! Let me know if you have any questions or issues; not that I can answer them of course. lol I love the look of your dhal! so yummy!

    Reply

  22. Ivy @ My Simple Food says

    All the best on the move. Let me know how it goes! I am still on the blogger platform and tpp scared to learn wordpress. Let me know the benefits yeah.

    Reply

  23. Stella says

    Wow, Biren. This is so easy and quick. It looks like it is a delicious slow stew.
    I ate a jalapeño on a sandwich I made today though. They confuse me. Sometimes I cut into one and it is spicy but still not so much that I can't taste the wonderful flavor of the pepper. Other times, my mouth is so on fire that I seriously consider dunking my whole head in the toilet (smile). For the record, I have not done that…yet;-)!

    Reply

    • Biren says

      Yes, jalapenos are quite finicky. I have the same experience. Some are so spicy, almost like the little Thai chilies. Glad to hear that you did not actually put your head in the toilet 😉

      Reply

  33. Soh Hui says

    Do i have to pop the dhal into a blender? Or can I simply cook it for several hours in a thermal cooker? I don’t have a food processor.

    Reply

    • Linda says

      You can leave it as is as long as it is soft. It will just be chunkier than if you blend it. Even when blending, you do not want to puree it. Just pulse so that it does not become baby food.

      Reply

  34. Jen says

    This looks so delicious, but I can’t get curry leaves in my tiny Canadian town. Can I just substitute curry powder to taste, or will that completely throw the whole thing off? Thanks!!

    Reply

    • Linda says

      I am glad you enjoyed this dhal curry. Perhaps you can leave out the dried chili peppers or just use one instead of two to reduce the heat level.

      Reply

  36. Amanda Noullett says

    I have been searching for recipes for yellow split peas and came across your blog post. My father is a farmer here in Canada and sells mass amounts of yellow split peas to be exported to India, Asia. Ironically, we ourselves don’t eat them and I am trying to find recipes to use them. Green split peas are used most commonly but in one dish, French Ham and Split Pea Soup. I attempted to hull and split these dried peas and make into a dal. Are there other uses for the yellow split pea? I had a hard time even finding a name for them, perhaps matar ki dhal?

    Reply

  38. Erin says

    5 stars
    This is one of my favorite recipes ever! There is a simplicity of it, yet guests think you’ve slaved away all day! The warmth of the curry can warm you right up and is comforting as well. Even my small kids love this. Serve it with Naan from the bakery….yum! Thanks for sharing because I keep coming back for this receptive.

    Reply

    • Linda says

      Wow…thank you! Very happy to hear that you and your family enjoy the curry and recipe. It is also my youngest son’s favorite. 🙂 Happy New Year!

      Reply

  39. Helen says

    4 stars
    I found your recipe today…..promptly made it! Yummmm……….I had to sub pickled jalapeño as a ran out of fresh….and my husband thought it too spicey….prob changed the taste a bit but it was still really good! Next time I’ll turn the heat down?

    Reply

    • Linda says

      Glad to hear the recipe turned out well for you. Definitely turn down the heat by putting in less chili pepper if you find it too spicy. I love it spicy. 😉

      Reply

  40. graham says

    5 stars
    I mix in shredded coconut flesh at the end and stir in the fresh cilantro let it sit for 10 mins the cilantro infuses into the lentils.

    Reply

  41. Regina says

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe! The best dhal that I have made so far. Also my husband who is actually from India enjoyed it a lot!

    Reply

  43. Karen Adams says

    5 stars
    Best Dhall recipe ever. Only thing i dont do is stick blender bit as i like the coarser texture. Now a family recipe😁

    Reply

  44. Merle Backler (Mrs) says

    Dear Linda,

    I am so encouraged to see your reference to 2 Corinthians 12:9! Having been gifted a package of dhal and never thought to cook dhal before, your recipe for Dhal Curry resonated perfectly and for this I bless you.

    My husband generously hopped up from his computer, it having a larger screen than my cellphone.

    With kindest regards,

    Merle Backler
    Durban, South Africa

    Reply

    • Linda says

      Thank you for noticing the Bible verse and your kind words. I am glad you found a recipe on my blog to cook the dhal you received. May you and your husband enjoy the dhal curry and make it often.

      Reply

  45. Kim says

    4 stars
    This was really good. I made a few changes: set plain lentils & water on the stove to cook and added all seasonings to the tempering mixture instead. That way, the lentils cooked while I chopped the other ingredients and made the tempered mixture and both were done at about the same time. I added the ginger/garlic to the tempered mixture just before the onions were done and added the turmeric, 1/2 tsp curry powder & 1/2 tsp garam masala before adding the tomato/jalapeno mixture. I reduced the number of jalapenos to 2, left out the dried chilies because I wasn’t sure what kind to use, and added the curry/garam masala in place of curry leaves. I also added the salt at the end instead of cooking it with the lentils. Served with basmati rice and sprinkled with cilantro. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply