Sri Lanka: Parippu (Lentil Curry)

Hey, Siri Lanka

Each week a country name is drawn out of a cup – and in the whole wide world, we have found ourselves going back and forth a good amount between Asia and the Balkans. I promise it’s random. So, without further ado, we are back in Asia with a recipe from Sri Lanka called Parippu. No boys, this has nothing to do with Siri like you thought it was called. But I sure wish Siri talked more about this Pearl of the Indian Ocean. And by Siri, I mean Google — we are not short of ‘Hey Google’ devices in this house. Like pop it up on the Chromecast screensaver once in a while, I have it on enough. And I’ve just lost all my other reader friends for openly admitting I’m an Android user.

But for real, Sri Lanka looks like a real gem. I mean check out these pictures, that some other lucky person got to take because they were there, probably while I was making a spreadsheet in my work at home cubicle. By pictures alone, the boys are now requesting this as this years summer vacation. While, I wouldn’t be entirely opposed, you can keep dreaming boys, Excel skills don’t pay those kind of bills.

I learned something this week though. I knew there were alot of varieties of lentils – how many when I really looked that surprised me. Maybe, it’s because I seem to perpetually be going through the grocery store at a frantic pace. Next shocker, the color often dictates the cooking time. Random fun fact for your next trivia night.

Recipe from Sri Lanka

Here’s where the boys get a little more credit for ‘Siri Lanka’. They ate this dinner, and willingly so. They don’t get an option for anything other than what goes on the table. It’s mostly paid off because they are good eaters. However, now, they scoff at the children’s menu and think I’ll let them order the crab legs and the filet mignon. That would be wrong, my friends.

I would not dream of eating any sort of curry as an eight year old. Or even an eighteen year old. I grew up eating alot of interesting things (squid jerky, anybody?) but things I wouldn’t go near – curry and hot dogs. The adulting version of Alyssa though… yes, please to both!

Recipe: Parippu (Red Lentil Curry)

Ingredients:

• 1 c. Red Lentils
• Juice from 1-2 Lime
• Curry Leaves
• 1 Onion, finely diced
• 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 6 curry leaves
• 1 tsp of each of the following spices: garlic powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, tumeric, fenugreek, cardamom, mustard powder.
• 1/2 c. coconut milk.
• Optional: Chili flakes

Directions:

1. Soak your RED lentils in about a cup of water for 30 minutes. Afterwards, add the beans to your pot, with the water and half the turmeric.

2. Cover and let this simmer for about 15 minutes or the beans are soft and turning yellow. If you like the spice, add some chili peppers here, I use them as a topping because Jake has a hard time with the heat. Remove the lentils from the heat and keep in a bowl.
3. Now sauté the onion and garlic with the remaining spices. When the onions turn soft add the lentils back in. Add the coconut milk and lime juice. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for several minutes.

Serve over some rice or with some warm roti bread!

File: Sri Lanka; Parippu