Sri Lankan Tomato-Pepper Dhal (Parippu)

About This Recipe

Parippu, red lentils simmered with coconut milk, turmeric and a curry leaf-mustard seed tempering, is one of the most common and beloved everyday dishes across Sri Lanka, served at nearly every meal alongside rice or roti. This version adds tomato and a generous hit of black pepper, both genuine elements of Sri Lankan cooking, giving the dhal a slightly tangier, sharper edge than the most basic version while staying fully within Sri Lankan flavor traditions. The lentils cook down naturally into a creamy dhal, helped along by a portion of coconut milk added partway through cooking rather than all at once, which keeps the dish from becoming too rich too early and lets the lentils fully break down first. Chopped tomato added with the lentils softens into the dhal as it simmers, adding a gentle tang, while a generous amount of cracked black pepper — one of Sri Lanka's most significant historical spice exports — gives the dish real warmth. The final tempering of mustard seeds, dried chile and fresh curry leaves fried in coconut oil and poured sizzling over the top is the step that makes parippu unmistakably Sri Lankan rather than dhal from any other regional tradition.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.5 cupsred lentils(rinsed)
• 3 cupswater
• 2tomatoes(chopped)
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 1 tspfreshly cracked black pepper
• 1green chile(slit)
• 1 cupcoconut milk
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 3 tbspcoconut oil
• 1 tspblack mustard seeds
• 10fresh curry leaves
• 2dried red chiles
• 1onion(thinly sliced, for tempering)

Instructions

1. 1

   Simmer the lentils

   Combine lentils, water, chopped tomato, turmeric, black pepper and green chile in a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 18-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have mostly broken down.

2. 2

   Add the coconut milk

   Stir in the coconut milk and salt. Simmer 8-10 minutes more until creamy and thickened, mashing any remaining whole lentils with the back of a spoon.

3. 3

   Temper the spices

   Heat coconut oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds until they pop, then add curry leaves, dried chiles and sliced onion, frying 3-4 minutes until the onion is golden.

4. 4

   Finish

   Pour the sizzling tempering over the dhal and stir gently to combine, or leave it on top for visual and textural contrast.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.

Variations

• •

  Extra heat: leave the green chile whole and slit, or chop it finely and stir it directly into the dhal for more heat throughout.

• •

  Simpler version: skip the tomato for a more classic, basic parippu if you prefer a milder, less tangy dhal.

• •

  Vegetable-added: stir in a handful of chopped spinach or diced pumpkin in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water or coconut milk, as it thickens considerably once chilled.

Frequently Asked Questions