• 2 cups red lentils
• 2 cups thin coconut milk
• 1 dried red chili, broken into pieces
• 2 teaspoons pounded Maldive fish
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon or oil
• 6 curry leaves
• 2 medium onions, finely sliced
• 5 cm (2 inch) strip pandan leaf
• 5 cm (2 inch) stick of cinnamon
• small stalk lemon grass or strip of lemon rind
• 1/2 cups thick coconut milk
• salt to taste

Remove and discard lentils that float on the surface of the water or any that are discolored.

Put drained lentils in a saucepan with the thin coconut milk, chili, Maldive fish and turmeric.

Bring to the boil, then cover and cook slowly until lentils are soft. In another saucepan heat the oil and fry the curry leaves, onions, ramped cinnamon and lemon grass until onions are brown.

Reserve half the onions for garnishing the dish and turn the lentil mixture into the saucepan.

Add thick coconut milk and salt to taste, and simmer uncovered until lentils are very soft and the consistency of runny porridge.

Serve with rice and curries.

  -- Kosher Asian

Cooking Tips:   Pandan leaf

pandan leaf. Almost every kitchen garden in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand boasts a pandanus plant, the leaves of which are used in both savoury and sweet dishes.

A strip of leaf about 10 cm (4 in) long is dropped into the pot each time rice is cooked, to perfume it.

Two or three strips are simmered with curry.

 Kosher Cuisine can come from any culture and any part of the world (Kosher Chinese food or Kosher American food) as long as it follows the kosher laws. Consult your Rabbi if you have questions.