This was my first go with the new Sri Lankan cookbook Rambutan (see my post from 1/17/23 for more details). I was going for something simple and healthy, reserving the more impressive dishes that interested me for future dinner parties. The dish ended up being light and nutritious, and my intuition was well founded, not really something for a dinner party. More of an everyday affair. It is particularly recommended with dosas, but I opted for the simpler rice, which was fine.

Cooking Notes: Go light on the tamarind: a golf ball is 2.75 tbsp, by the way, but try using about 2 or a touch less, maybe. (I’m not totally sure because I substituted 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar for one of four golfballs and it was too sour; this is my best guess.) The Sri-Lankan (SL) spice is great and you can definitely go 2x-4x the specified amount if you like spicy, or just serve the curry with a dish of spice powder on the side. Also, it definitely doesn’t look nearly as pretty as in the picture. The vegetables seem to get lost in the dal, so don’t rely on this to make a pretty table setting.

Joe’s Rating: 5.5

Difficulty Rating: 4.5