Parippu Curry | Kerala Parippu Curry Recipe

Kerala parippu curry also known as Nadan parippu curry is a Kerala staple dish in Onam sadya menu. This simple lentil dish is made with cooked moong dal, coconut, garlic, chillies, cumin seeds, a final tempering of shallots, mustard and curry leaves in coconut oil elevated this humble dal to a whole new level. Learn how to make the delicious Kerala parippu curry with step by step pictures and video. 

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Kerala Parippu Curry

This simple parippu curry which has a Keralan touch to it. It goes well with hot rice with a drizzle of pure desi ghee, totally delicious. I have shared lots of dal curry on my blog.

This one is super easy and super tasty. The seasoning is what makes it unique. Also try to make seasoning in coconut oil for maximum taste.

About Kerala Parippu curry

Parippu curry also known as paruppu curry is a popular lentil dish made across Kerala and other parts of South India. There are thousands of recipes using lentils | dal made across India. Every region in India have their unique way of cooking dal. 

This Kerala Parippu curry is basically moong dal or lentil curry cooked with coconut, green chilli and cumin seed paste. This paruppu has a good amount of coconut added which makes it unique to South India. This curry gets its unique flavour from the tempering which is made with coconut oil, mustard, urad dal, dry red chillies, shallots and curry leaves.

Even though this recipe is a speciality of Kerala, we make this very often at home. Specially mom makes katti paruppu which is similar to this but she uses toor dal instead of moong dal. It is a favourite at home and kids love it for sure. This is one of the important dish served in onam sadya feast.

Few important things you have to remember for making the best parippu curry is to roast the dal, not to over cook the moong dal and make sure the tempering is made with coconut oil. For delicious lunch serve this parippu curry with thoran, vendakkai mezhukkupuratti, kerala red rice and puli inji. 

Similar Dal Recipes

Moong Dal for Roti

Vegetable Dal

Panch Phoron Dal

Bitter Gourd Pitlai

Tomato Dal

Watch Kerala Parippu Curry Video

Parippu Curry Ingredients

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Moong Dal – make sure to dry roast moong dal before cooking this parippu curry for flavour and taste. Also I prefer to cook moong dal in open pot since it cooks faster. But you can pressure cook for just 1 whistle to retain some of the texture. 

Coconut Paste – a simple coconut paste is made with coconut, green chillies, garlic and cumin seeds is added to cooked moong dal.

Coconut Oil – make sure you use good amount of coconut oil for tempering. Like all Kerala recipes, coconut oil is the preferred oil for choice. 

Tempering Spices – mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies and asafoetida are the basic spices added in the coconut oil for the flavour.

Shallots – one of the main ingredient in the tempering is shallots | sambar onions | pearl onions. If you don’t have that you can use chopped onions. Make sure to cook them till golden brown in the coconut oil. 

Curry leaves – a good amount of fresh curry leaves adds to the flavour.

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Kerala Parippu Curry without coconut

Kerala Parippu curry is basically moong dal or lentil curry cooked with coconut, green chilli and cumin seed paste. This paruppu has a good amount of coconut added which makes it unique to South India. .

Even though fresh coconut and coconut oil is important ingredient in this parippu curry. Some people prefer to avoid it because of health issues. In that case you can easily make this dal curry without coconut. I have shared a basic seasoned moong dal curry already in this blog.

You can make parippu curry without coconut two ways. You can just skip the entire coconut masala paste and just temper the dal. Or you can grind cumin seeds, dry red chillies, garlic till coarsely ground and add that into the moong dal. Both ways, it taste great. 

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Parippu Curry that Everyone Loves, Even Kids!

Even though this dish is very simple and easy. Here are few of my tried tips and techniques for making the best tasting parippu curry.

Moong Dal – use the best quality split yellow lentils. Make sure to dry roast moong dal before cooking this parippu curry for flavour and taste. 

Cooking Dal – cooking lentil properly is very important. I prefer to cook moong dal in open pot since it cooks faster and you get the better texture this way. But you can pressure cook for just 1 whistle to retain some of the texture. 

Coconut Oil – To get the authentic taste of this Kerala parippu curry, cook everything in coconut oil. If you can find the authentic coconut oil, then it is great. 

Pearl Onion | Shallots – make sure you use shallots instead of onions. Shallots tends to be sweeter and more aromatic in flavour. 

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How to Make Parippu Curry (Stepwise Pictures)

Roasting Moong Dal

1)Take moong dal in a pot. Dry roast on medium heat till the dal gets toasted slightly and gets aromatic.

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2)Now the dal is roasted till golden brown. Wash the dal in multiple changes of water.

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Cooking Moong Dal

3)Cover moong dal with water. We are cooking in open pot method. You can add more water as needed.

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4)Add in turmeric powder. Mix this well and bring it to a full boil.

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5)Cover the pot leaving a small space in the pot. Cook on medium low heat till dal is completely cooked. It will take around 15 minutes.

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6)Mash the dal slightly using a spoon or whisk. The dal should have some texture.

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Coconut paste

7)Take coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds and garlic in a blender. Make it into a coarse mixture.

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8)I didn’t use any water when grinding. Make the mixture slightly coarse.

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Making Parippu curry

9)Add the coconut paste into the cooked dal and mix well.

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10)Simmer the dal for few minutes on low heat and turn off the heat.

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Tempering spices

11)Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add in mustard seeds, urad dal, asafoetida, dry red chillies, and let them sizzle.

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12)Add in shallots, curry leaves and fry this till golden brown.

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13)Now onions has turned golden brown.

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Making kerala parippu curry

14)Pour the tempering into the curry and mix well.

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15)Serve with rice.

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Pressure Cooker Parippu curry

Even though I prefer to cook moong dal in open pot for better texture, sometimes you have to use pressure cooker for faster cooking. Cooking lentils | dals in pressure cooker is a popular Indian method which is preferred in most of the household. 

The one thing you have to note is the cooking time and whistle. Moong dals tends to cook faster. I like to cook mine for 1 whistle which gives the perfect texture every time. 

1)Take moong dal in pressure cooker, cover with water. Pressure cook for 1 whistle.

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2)Now the dal is cooked perfectly, not so mushy. Just the right texture.

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3)Once dal is cooked, add coconut paste and cook further for few more minutes.

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4)Season with salt and mix well.

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5)Once it is simmered for few minutes, take it off the heat.

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6)Make tempering. heat coconut oil, add mustard, urad dal, dry red chillies, asafoetida, curry leaves and shallots. Let them get golden brown in colour.

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7)Add in tempering to finish pressure cooker parippu curry. 

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8)Serve over rice.

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Instant Pot Parippu Curry 

Coconut Paste – Grind coconut, with green chillies, cumin seeds and garlic to a coarse paste. Set aside till needed. 

Making Tempering – Set instant pot to saute mode, add in coconut oil. Once oil gets hot, add in tempering spices mustard, urad dal, dry red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Let them fry for 30 seconds. Now add in shallots and cook till golden brown. 

Cooking Dal – Now add in moong dal and roast for few minutes till aromatic. Add in turmeric powder, salt and water. Cover the instant pot, set the instant pot to pressure cook mode. Set the timer to 3 minutes. Let the dal cook. Once it is cooked, let the pressure release by itself.

Parippu Curry – Open the instant pot and change the mode in the instant pot to boil or soup mode. Add in the coconut paste which we prepared earlier. Mix well and cook on low and let it simmer  for 2 minutes. Serve hot. 

Expert Tips

• Dry roasting moong dal enhances the flavour of the dal which makes the curry tasty.
• Don’t skip shallots in tempering, it adds a sweet aroma and flavour to the curry. If you don’t have shallots, use onions instead.
• You can make the curry thin or thick as per your requirement.
• If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use ghee.
• Fresh coconut can be substituted with frozen or desiccated coconut.
• You can add one shallot with the coconut when grinding. Also green chillies can be substituted with dry red chillies. 

Serving & Storage

Kerala parippu curry taste great with steamed Kerala red rice. You can add this as a part of your Onam sadya menu with thoran, poriyal and pachadi. 

Leftover parippu curry can be stored in fridge and reheated before serving. This stays for 2 to 3 days in fridge. You can reheat this on stove top medium flame till bubbly or in microwave. 

FAQ

1)What is parippu curry made of?

This Kerala Parippu curry is basically moong dal or lentil curry cooked with coconut, green chilli and cumin seed paste. This paruppu has a good amount of coconut added which makes it unique to South India. This curry gets its unique flavour from the tempering which is made with coconut oil, mustard, urad dal, dry red chillies, shallots and curry leaves.

2)What are the health benefits of Parippu Curry?

Lentils | Dal are rich in protein, fibre and other nutrients. A bowl of dal consumed daily is best for a balanced diet. It has numerous health benefits. 

More Dal Recipes to Try

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