Sri Lankan Parippu — Coconut and Red Lentil Curry

Other Fast Without Oil Published June 13, 2026

Parippu is the dal that appears on every Sri Lankan table — red lentils simmered soft in coconut milk, perfumed with turmeric, curry leaves, pandan, and a whisper of cinnamon. It is gentler and more fragrant than its North Indian cousins, creamy from the coconut and bright with green chili. Soured slightly, salted well, and spooned over rice, it is comfort and sustenance in one bowl, and it cooks itself with almost no attention.

This version is built for strict no-oil days: the lentils and coconut milk carry all the richness, and the spices go straight into the pot rather than into a hot tempering. On an oil day, finish it with the optional fried tempering in the notes for a deeper, smokier edge.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast Without Oil (oil-day tempering in notes)
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup (200g) red lentils (masoor dal), rinsed until the water runs clear
- 2.5 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green chili, slit lengthwise
- 15 fresh curry leaves
- 1 small piece (5cm) cinnamon stick
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- Steamed rice, to serve

METHOD

1. Put the red lentils, water, and turmeric in a pot. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes.

2. Add the onion, garlic, green chili, curry leaves, cinnamon stick, cumin, and fenugreek seeds. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are completely soft and broken down.

3. Pour in the coconut milk and add the salt. Simmer gently for 5 minutes more — do not let it boil hard, or the coconut milk can split. The dal should be loose and creamy; add a splash of water if it is too thick.

4. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust salt and acid. Remove the cinnamon stick. Serve hot over rice.

NOTES

- For oil days, make a tempering: fry 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, a sliced shallot, a dried chili, and a few curry leaves in 2 tablespoons coconut oil until the shallot is golden, then stir it through the finished dal.
- Pandan leaf (rampe), if you can find it, adds the authentic Sri Lankan aroma — drop in a knotted strip with the spices.
- Red lentils need no soaking and cook fast, which makes this a true weeknight fasting dinner.
- Thinner with extra water it becomes a soup; thicker it becomes a side. Both are correct.