Chef-tested recipe
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.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 45 minutes
- Cook Time
- 55 minutes
- Total Time
- 1 hour 40 minutes
- Cuisine
- Sri Lankan
- Course
- Main Dish
- Best Served With
- Serve with papadum, lime pickle or a simple cucumber salad.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ingredient and equipment links marked “paid link” may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Equipment
- Rice pot paid link
- Two saucepans paid link
- Skillet paid link
- Mixing bowl paid link
Ingredients
Rice
- 500 g samba or medium-grain rice paid link
- 750 ml water
- 6 g salt paid link
Parippu dhal
- 250 g red lentils paid link
- 500 ml water
- 200 ml coconut milk Shop paid link
- 80 g onion, sliced
- 2 green chillies
- 4 g turmeric
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 curry leaves
- 8 g salt paid link
Pumpkin and beans
- 500 g pumpkin, cubed
- 300 g green beans, cut into 4 cm pieces Shop paid link
- 150 ml coconut milk Shop paid link
- 100 g onion, sliced
- 3 g turmeric
- 5 g roasted Sri Lankan curry powder paid link
- 1 tsp mustard seeds paid link
- 10 curry leaves
- 30 ml coconut oil paid link
- 8 g salt paid link
Pol sambol
- 180 g fresh grated coconut
- 50 g red onion, finely sliced
- 8 g chilli flakes
- 30 ml lime juice
- 4 g salt paid link
Preparation Overview
Cook each component separately so every curry keeps its own texture and seasoning, then assemble the meal around hot rice.
Method
-
Cook the rice with water and salt until tender; rest covered 10 minutes.
-
For dhal, simmer lentils with water, onion, chilli, 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.
-
For beans, heat remaining oil. Temper mustard seeds and curry leaves, add remaining onion and beans, season and stir-fry until just tender.
-
For pol sambol, rub coconut, onion, chilli flakes and salt together by hand or with a spoon. Mix in lime juice immediately before serving.
-
Arrange rice with separate portions of dhal, pumpkin, beans and pol sambol.
Beginner Technique 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.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked curries separately for up to 3 days. Make pol sambol fresh or keep chilled for no more than 1 day.
Nutritional Value
Approximately 610 kcal, 17 g protein, 102 g carbohydrate and 17 g fat per serving.
Allergen Notes
No major allergens are inherent in the basic recipe. Coconut labeling requirements vary by jurisdiction.
Frequently Asked 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.
