Caramelized Onion Tart with Spiced Lentils — Sri Lankan Dhal and Caramelised Onion Tarte Tatin
A Sri Lankan-French original, a French upside-down tart built with caramelised onions and a Sri Lankan red lentil dhal base so the slow-cooked onion sweetness and the turmeric and coconut milk lentils are layered structurally beneath a golden shortcrust lid.
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Thinly slice 3 large onions. Rinse 100g red lentils. Finely grate 1 garlic clove, finely chop 0.5 small green chilli. Have coconut milk, stock, spices, curry leaves, yoghurt, coriander, and pastry sheet ready.
Saute
Melt 40g butter with 1 tbsp oil in a 20cm ovenproof frying pan over medium-low heat. Add onions, 1 tsp sugar, and 0.5 tsp salt. Cook 30–35 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until deeply caramelised and jammy.
Simmer
While onions cook, combine lentils, 200ml coconut milk, 150ml stock, 0.5 tsp turmeric, 0.5 tsp cumin, 0.5 tsp mustard seeds, 8 curry leaves, garlic, chilli, and 0.5 tsp salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer uncovered 15–18 minutes until lentils are soft and mixture holds its shape.
Build
Preheat oven to 200°C. Spread dhal evenly over caramelised onions, pressing gently to compact. Drape shortcrust pastry over top, tucking edges down inside the pan around the filling.
Bake
Bake 25–28 minutes until pastry is deep golden and crisp. Remove from oven and rest 3 minutes until the tart has set slightly.
Invert and plate
Place a plate larger than the pan firmly over the top and invert in one confident move. The tart releases cleanly with caramelised onions on top. Spoon 80g yoghurt alongside, scatter 5g coriander over the tart, and serve with lime wedges.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.