Malaysian Dhal Curry with Mint Yogurt

About This Recipe

Dhal is a staple of Malaysian Indian cooking, brought by South Indian immigrants and adapted into countless mamak-stall and home-cooked versions, typically built on split yellow lentils (toor dal or moong dal) simmered until soft, tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried chiles fried in hot oil. This tempering step, called tadka or tempering, is what gives Malaysian dhal its distinctive fragrant, slightly nutty aroma right before serving. Turmeric gives the lentils their characteristic golden color as they simmer, while a splash of coconut milk stirred in near the end adds richness without making the dish heavy. A finishing dollop of mint yogurt, while not classically Malaysian-Indian in this exact form, provides a cooling contrast against the warm, earthy spices, a pairing common across South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking traditions. Served with roti canai or rice, this dhal is comfort food found daily on mamak-stall menus across Malaysia.

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 1.5 cupsyellow split lentils (toor dal)(rinsed)
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 5 cupswater
• 1onion(diced)
• 2tomatoes(diced)
• 0.5 cupcoconut milk
• 3 tbspvegetable oil(divided)
• 1 tspmustard seeds
• 1 sprigcurry leaves
• 2dried red chiles
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 cupplain yogurt
• 0.25 cupfresh mint leaves(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Simmer the lentils

   Combine lentils, turmeric and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then simmer uncovered 25-30 minutes until soft and mostly broken down.

2. 2

   Cook the onion base

   Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet. Cook onion and garlic until softened, then add tomatoes and cook until they break down, about 8 minutes total.

3. 3

   Combine

   Stir the onion-tomato mixture into the cooked lentils, then add coconut milk. Simmer 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Temper the spices

   In a small pan, heat remaining oil until hot. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried chiles, frying until the seeds pop and everything smells fragrant, about 1 minute.

5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Pour the tempered spices over the dhal. Mix yogurt with mint and serve alongside the hot dhal with rice or roti.

Variations

• •

  Use red lentils (masoor dal) for a faster-cooking, slightly different textured version.

• •

  Add curry leaves directly into the main pot for extra fragrance throughout the cooking process.

• •

  Skip the mint yogurt for a more traditional, purely spiced dhal without the cooling accompaniment.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight container; the flavor deepens over time. Reheat on the stove with a splash of water to loosen, since lentils thicken considerably as they sit.

Frequently Asked Questions