A Sri Lankan rice-and-curry meal built as a balanced plate: steamed rice, creamy parippu dhal, pumpkin curry, tempered green beans and fresh coconut pol sambol.
“Rice and curry” in Sri Lanka is not a single curry poured over rice. It is a meal composed of rice surrounded by several contrasting dishes—soft and crisp, mild and spicy, rich and acidic. This version is plant-forward and entirely from scratch.
- Prep
- 45 minutes
- Cook
- 55 minutes
- Total
- 1 hour 40 minutes
- Serves
- 6
- Cuisine
- Sri Lankan
- Course
- Main Dish
The recipe
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Before you start
Cook each component separately so every curry keeps its own texture and seasoning, then assemble the meal around hot rice.
Ingredients
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Rice pot paid link
- Two saucepans paid link
- Skillet paid link
- Mixing bowl paid link
Method
-
Cook the rice with water and salt until tender; rest covered 10 minutes.
-
For dhal, simmer lentils with water, onion, chili, turmeric, cinnamon and curry leaves for 18 minutes. Add coconut milk and salt and cook 5 minutes more.
-
For pumpkin, cook half the remaining onion in 15 ml oil. Add turmeric and curry powder, then pumpkin, coconut milk and salt. Cover and simmer until tender but intact.
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For beans, heat remaining oil. Temper mustard seeds and curry leaves, add remaining onion and beans, season and stir-fry until just tender.
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For pol sambol, rub coconut, onion, chili flakes and salt together by hand or with a spoon. Mix in lime juice immediately before serving.
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Arrange rice with separate portions of dhal, pumpkin, beans and pol sambol.
Chef’s notes
- Keep each curry separately seasoned; the contrast is important.
- Do not overcook the green beans.
- Use fresh coconut for the best pol sambol texture.
Tips and variations
- Add a fish, chicken or egg curry when serving a non-vegetarian meal.
- Roasted Sri Lankan curry powder is darker and more aromatic than standard curry powder.
- Serve small portions of several curries rather than one oversized portion.
Serve with
Serve with papadum, lime pickle or a simple cucumber salad.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked curries separately for up to 3 days. Make pol sambol fresh or keep chilled for no more than 1 day.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
- 610 kcal
- Calories
- 17 g
- Protein
- 102 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Fat
Allergens
No major allergens are inherent in the basic recipe. Coconut labeling requirements vary by jurisdiction.
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Questions
Is Sri Lankan rice and curry one recipe?
It is better understood as a meal composed of rice plus several curries, sambols and accompaniments.
