Curried Dal Soup with Sri Lankan Pol Roti

Satisfying and nourishing dals and curries are synonymous with Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine. This is a heavenly spiced, dal-like soup you may get with a meal in southern India or northern Sri Lanka. Pol roti (Sri Lankan coconut flatbread) is an unleavened flatbread made of wheat flour (atta), salt, freshly grated coconut, and water that is rolled out into a circle and cooked on a hot cast iron skillet. It’s a wonderful accompaniment to this saucy lentil dish. You can find packages of frozen grated coconut and fresh curry leaves at Indian markets.

This recipe originally appeared on alive.com as “Curried Dal Soup with Sri Lankan Pol Roti.”

Curried Dal Soup with Sri Lankan Pol Roti

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Servings

4

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Ingredients

Dal

• 1 1/2 cups red lentils
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup red onion chopped
• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes chopped
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
• 2 inch piece gingerroot peeled
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp ghee or butter
• 1/4 cup fresh curry leaves
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds

Roti

• 1 cup whole wheat flour or atta
• 1/2 cup thawed, fresh shredded coconut finely chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion finely chopped
• 1/3 cup cilantro finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients Dal 1 1/2 cups red lentils 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup red onion chopped 2 vine-ripened tomatoes chopped 2 garlic cloves peeled 2 inch piece gingerroot peeled 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 Tbsp ghee or butter 1/4 cup fresh curry leaves 2 tsp black mustard seeds Roti 1 cup whole wheat flour or atta 1/2 cup thawed, fresh shredded coconut finely chopped 1/3 cup red onion finely chopped 1/3 cup cilantro finely chopped 1/2 tsp salt

Servings 4 Print Recipe

Instructions

1. In large saucepan, place lentils, coriander, turmeric, salt, onion, tomato, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until lentils are tender and beginning to break up.
2. Using mortar and pestle, pound garlic, ginger, and cumin seeds into a paste.
3. In skillet, heat ghee or butter over medium-low heat. Add curry leaves, mustard seeds, and garlic paste and cook for 4 minutes, or just until seeds begin to pop and mixture starts to brown. Stir spice mixture into lentil mixture; simmer for 5 minutes.
4. To make roti, to a medium bowl, add flour, coconut, onion, cilantro, salt, and 1/2 cup water and mix well, using your hands or wooden spoon. The mixture should be just slightly sticky. If mixture is too dry, add 1 Tbsp of water. Knead slightly into a ball. Separate into 4 smaller balls and set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.
5. Sprinkle flour on work surface and use rolling pin to flatten balls into discs about 1/4 inch thick.
6. Heat cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer a roti onto heated skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bottom starts to develop brown spots. Flip roti over and cook other side for 2 to 3 minutes, until brown spots appear also on that side. Place cooked roti on wire rack to cool. Repeat with remainder of the roti. Serve alongside dal.