Easy Kerala Parippu Curry Recipe (Kerala Dal Curry)
Kerala parippu curry is an easy Kerala-style curry made with mung dal (split and skinned mung beans), coconut, and a few basic ingredients. Make a quick weeknight dinner with this creamy moong dal curry and rice.
Rinse mung dal and place in the instant pot. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida, and water.
1 cup moong dal, ½ teaspoon turmeric, a large pinch of asafoetida, 2 cups water
Close the lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Cooking dal in a pressure cooker
For 1 cup of moong dal, add 2½ cups of water, along with turmeric and asafoetida.
Cook on high flame for 1 whistle. Lower the flame and cook for 1 whistle. Wait for the pressure to release before opening the lid.
Cooking dal in a pot
Soak the dal for 15 minutes. Place it in a pot with 3 cups of water (with turmeric and asafoetida). Bring it to a boil, then simmer. Add a few tablespoons of hot water if it becomes too thick. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the dal is soft and creamy.
Blend coconut
Take grated coconut, cumin seeds, and roughly chopped garlic in a blender jar. Add water.Blend to an “almost” smooth paste. The paste should be creamy, with a little bit of texture.
½ cup grated coconut, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ cup water
Make dal curry
Place the cooked dal in a cooking pot. Add chili powder and salt. Mix well until combined.
1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Add hot water if the dal is too thick. Bring it to a boil.
Reduce the flame and add the blended coconut paste. Stir and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the flame before it starts boiling.
Tempering
Heat coconut oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they pop, add dry red chillies and onions. Saute until the onions start to brown.
2 teaspoons coconut oil, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 3 or 4 dry red chilies, 12 pearl onions
Add curry leaves and continue to saute until the onions are well-browned. Remove from heat.
2 sprigs curry leaves
Add the tempering to the dal. Mix and serve with rice or chapati.
Video
Notes
Mung dal can be substituted with other types of dal like toor dal, chana dal, or masoor dal. (Please read the post above for cooking instructions for each type of dal.)
Asafoetida, also called hing, adds flavor and also helps digest dal better. If unavailable, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon of grated ginger. The flavor is not the same but it serves the purpose. I recommend using it especially if you’re not used to dal/lentils.
Chilli powder: Some brands of chili powder may clump together and may not mix well when added to the curry. To avoid that, mix the chilli powder with a tablespoon of water before adding it to dal.
Grated coconut: You can use any form of fresh coconut meat since you're going to blend it anyway.
Coconut paste: DO NOT let the curry BOIL after adding the coconut paste. Boiling will reduce the authentic coconut-cumin flavor.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Kerala Parippu Curry Recipe (Kerala Dal Curry)
Amount per Serving
Calories
218
% Daily Value*
Fat
6.7
g
10
%
Saturated Fat
5.2
g
33
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.5
g
Sodium
222.1
mg
10
%
Potassium
222.9
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
30.9
g
10
%
Fiber
6.1
g
25
%
Sugar
5
g
6
%
Protein
10.6
g
21
%
Vitamin A
410.6
IU
8
%
Vitamin C
50.6
mg
61
%
Calcium
45.6
mg
5
%
Iron
2.2
mg
12
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.