Coconut Black Lentil Curry (vegan dal makhani)
Coconut Black Lentil Curry is a creamy and crazy delicious vegan curry recipe. Using coconut milk instead of heavy cream keeps this buttery dal makhani dairy free without losing any of the richness you crave.

I've got more lentils coming your way!!
You guys, you've completely surprised me. If you had asked me a year ago what the most popular recipes on this blog would have been, I NEVER would have guessed lentil recipes. I love lentils, but I thought I might have been the only one. My only regret is not finding out sooner that you love lentils as much as I do.
There was always these thoughts in my head that went something like this:
Lentils are soft and creamy and delicious. They're also brown. They're mushy. They're kinda weird. They're not exactly food blog raving material. Except … it turns out they totally are.
This time, I've made us a vegan dal makhani. It's rich and creamy, just like the dal makhani from your fav Indian restaurant. The only difference is that this black lentil curry is made with coconut oil and milk instead of the usual loads of butter and heavy cream.

I've got a story about black lentil curry that makes me laugh every time I think about it. Years ago (so many years ago that it makes me feel old. gahh.) I was traveling around India doing the whole early twenty-something, slightly dirty, broke ass backpacker thing. I was living off of 25 cent bowls of roadside curry, and dal makhani was always my fav. I came to think of myself as a bit of a dal makhani expert, even though I had never in my life made a pot.
One day at my hostel rooftop restaurant in Varanasi, I ordered dal makhani. What came out was a tasty, creamy sauce with these weird hard lumps of things in it. I called the waiter over and explained that something was not right.
If you've ever been to India before, you'll be able to imagine how well that went.
If you haven't been to India before, there are two things you should know:
- A man is never wrong.
- White people are the dumbed down version of super smart Indian people. ā I had nearly that exact phrase said to me so many times.
So this waiter tried to tell me that everything was ok and that I should just keep quiet and eat this hard, lumpy thing that kind of resembled curry. Being the feisty twenty-year-old that I was, that didn't sit so well with me. After voices were raised and I tried to convince the waiter to take a bite of the curry to see for himself how inedible it was, I marched the curry into the kitchen and proceeded to tell the chef how to make dal makhani.
Remember, I had never in my life made dal makhani.
I ended up getting a new bowl of some other kind of curry and am sure I added plenty of fuel to the ‘white women don't know their place in the world' fire. Ha!

Back to THIS black lentil curry …
I'd be lying to you if I said it tasted exactly like regular dal makhani. Coconut milk has a strong flavor, and it comes out in the curry. There is no way around that, and it's not a bad thing.
All my attempts to try and make this authentic tasting without the cream failed. While black urad lentils are very creamy on their own, they lacked the intense creaminess I was looking for. Adding coconut milk gave the richness I was looking for but did change the flavor. I think the flavor change is for the better.
This curry is made using urad lentils, which are a little different than the red, brown, or green lentils you are probably accustomed to. They look like tiny black beans and can be found online or in the Indian section of well-stocked supermarkets.
What is awesome about them is that they don't break down and turn to mush like other lentils. While they cook in about a half hour, they can keep cooking for hours without falling apart. They're very forgiving.
Whole black urad lentils also much creamier than other lentils, which makes them perfect for curries. When you're looking for them, you may find that they are called Sabut Urad dal, Kaali dal, or Black Gram. So many aliases! š

Popular Lentil Recipes
- Lentil Curry
- Coconut Red Lentil Peanut Soup
- Lentil Bolognese
- Crockpot Coconut Lentil Curry
- Tomato Lentil Soup

Coconut Black Lentil Curry (vegan dal makhani)
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried whole urad dal
- ¼ cup dried black chickpeas, see notes
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 large onion, finely minced
- 2 inch piece ginger, finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds
- 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric and chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 15 ounce can coconut milk
Instructions
- Place the urad dal and black chickpeas in a pot and cover with a few inches of water. Set aside to soak for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.1 cup dried whole urad dal, ¼ cup dried black chickpeas
- Drain the water from the pot and add fresh water. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover the pot, and let it cook until the chickpeas are soft, about 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add the cumin seeds and coriander seeds to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until the oil begins to glisten, about 5 minutes.1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 large onion, 2 inch piece ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, 2 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds, 3 medium tomatoes
- Add 1 cup of water, the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and the cooked urad lentils and black chickpeas to the pan and stir. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric and chili powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Using the back of a spoon, mash a few of the lentils. Stir in the coconut milk and heat through. Taste and add more salt if you'd like.15 ounce can coconut milk
Notes
Pair with steamed basmati rice or cauliflower rice


I have just come back from India and was missing dal makhani. And this turned out really great!!! The awesomeness is close to what I had in India!! I did some modifications though – changed the order of the spices, added only one teaspoon of coriander seeds, and omitted garam masala. My Indian husband was impressed!
Thank you!
I had a bag of black lentils in my cupboard and a nagging curry craving, so I gave this recipe a go. I had all necessary ingredients on hand except fresh tomatoes, so I swapped a 14.5oz can of unsalted diced tomatoes. I also omitted the chickpeas based on preference. I like my curries with kick, so I minced a pair of Thai chiles and tossed them in the pot. So simple and delicious.
This has become a regular dinner special and mid week healthy lunch in work.Ā
Gets 5 stars from guests every time š¤©
This is the yummiest ever dal makhani – and Iām not a vegan or vegetarian! The coconut milk makes all the difference. Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
DeliciousĀ
This recipe was introduction to lentil curries and I am completely addicted. The first time I made it, I used brown lentils, but I did not have coriander or cherry tomatoes, but it was still tasty. The second time, though, I had everything I needed, but I used matpe beans. They took a bit longer to cook. The finished dish checked off all the boxes – warm, delicious, meat-free, filling, and easy! I also noticed that the brand of coconut milk makes a huge difference, too. The first brand I used was kind of water, but it was tasty. The second brand of coconut milk was so thick and creamy, I thought I’d opened up coconut cream by accident. Nope, it was thick and creamy coconut milk that was the tiniest bit sweet, and it made the texture of my curry thick and creamy. I am so happy I doubled the recipe because the Husband likes it too.
Love this recipe…I’ve made it 3 times and it turns out perfectly …I always get great compliments..will be making it again soon!!
Hello,
If using all black lentils, would I use 1 1/4 Ā cups and follow the rest of the recipe?
That should work!
Perfect prepared exactly or improvised with this as great guidance. Ā beautiful food. Ā Thank you.
Absolutely delicious āeven though made without the chickpeas. I didnāt have curry either so used extra tumeric and cumin and added fennel caraway seeds. Ā Will make this often.Ā
I love this dish! The cumin seeds make this so flavorful and delicious. I used regular chickpeas; Iāve done it with dried and canned and both curries turned out great!
Wonderful dish. Our teenage boys approved of it.
Thank you!
You’re very welcome!
Delicious recipe! I have to admit I modified it a fair bit partly based on what I had or didnāt have in the pantry and partly because I generally always use recipes as a starting point! I didnāt have the chickpeas so I just used more of the black lentils. I also left out the curry and chili powder and instead included a chopped jalapeƱo when I sautĆ©ed the garlic and ginger. I also included some butternut squash because I had it and added kale with the coconut milk and cooked a few minutes longer. The end result was very tasty and quite flavorful and satisfying over brown basmati rice. Thank you!
It sounds like we cook the same way. š
This recipe is amazing I used brown lentils as a sub cause thatās what I have and even my daughter enjoyed a meatless vegan meal . I made the roti too
I’m so happy to hear that, Yolanda! Yay!
Absolutely delicious recipe! We did think it need some acid at the end, so we added juice from half a lemon. The flavors popped! Served with fresh cilantro on top over lemongrass rice. Just perfect!
That lemongrass rice sounds fantastic!
I loved it! Will definitely be a staple in our house now. Thank you for sharing!
You are very welcome!!
Amazing!!! Great recipeĀ
Thank you!
I bought a ton of black lentils off the clearance shelf at my super market and needed a recipe since I am new to cooking with dry beans. I made this tonight and it was amazing! The flavors were subtle, but delicious. My husband even liked it and curry dishes are not his thing.
It wasn’t too hard to make (although it did require some planning because I had to soak the beans and buy some ingredients I didn’t have on hand).
After dinner, I froze the left overs, too. This seems like it will freeze well which is nice.
I will definitely be making this again. It is so nice to find a tasty vegan dish!
I’m so happy to hear you love the recipe!
It turns out I mistaked the Urad beans for beluga lentils, and I followed this recipe with beluga lentils instead of urad beans š I skipped the chickpeas because I forgot to soak them, but otherwise the recipe works great with black beluga lentils as well, I just creamed it up a bit with stand blender in the end.
Overall the taste is to die for so everything turned out well, but I’ll look out for actual urad beans and repeat the recipe!
I’m so happy you liked it! Beluga lentils are so good too. š
Aren’t they the same thing?!?
They are similar but not quite the same thing. š
Ha, loved the “Indian argument” story. and yes I know exactly how that would have gone down. Silly white people know nothing! I was told the same when I made the mistake of commenting on some Indian history.
Any way, love the recipe and the idea of adding coconut was great, like a Southern Indian version of Dal Makhani. I made it for a vegan mate of mine and he loved it..
Hahaha well I’m happy to hear I’m not the only one!!
This was delicious! I used coconut milk yogurt that I made (too runny to eat as yogurt)…but yum in this.
I’m so happy you liked it!!
thank you very much <3
You’re so welcome!
I found the beluga lentils in a health food store and made this recipe tonight. It is absolutely amazing! My new favourite lentil dish.
That’s so great to hear!
We just moved to a new area and while looking around, found an Indian grocery. We bought black lentils on a whim. I searched for recipes and found this one – it is simmering away right now making the house smell yummy! We canāt wait to eat tonight!
It was meant to be! Don’t you just love it when that happens?!!
So yum! We left out the chilli so it would be mild for the kids and we all loved it. – so flavoursome and deliciously creamy. Will definitely be making again, thank you!
just realised I used 15oz coconut cream instead of milk – no wonder it was creamy haha
I bet it was even better!!
Just made this and boy oh boy is it tasty! Mine turned out a bit looser than I expected but still very very good. This one’s a keeper!
I’m so happy you liked it!
Do you mean 1/2 inch of ginger or really 2 inches? thank you. I love lentil, and want to try your reciepe soon!!
Nope … a full 2″ piece. Nice and gingery. š
I made this recipe today and it didn’t turn out. I followed the recipe exactly although I didn’t use chick peas or the coconut milk. There was something strong in there that we didn’t like – maybe the coriander seed? not sure but was very disappointed.
Leaving out the coconut milk would have a big impact on the flavor of the dish. It’s one of the key components! You would definitely want to reduce the spices if you don’t use coconut milk.
this looks so tasty. I am so gonna try this. thanks for sharing this.
Lots of love!
You are so welcome! I hope you like the recipe as much as I do!
Delicious! I made it with a pack of precooked puy lentils so it took no time at all and they have a great consistency Natco sell canned kala chana which you can get in most asian supermarkets in East London š
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! And what a great time saving tip!
How long would you cook this in an instant pot? Thank you!
I’ve never cooked with an Instant Pot so I’m really not sure. I would look for an Instant Pot lentil recipe online and base the cooking time off of that. š
The way you have made this in the video is completely different to the recipe in the text. Which do you prefer?
The video is a different lentil curry recipe I have. (Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry) Both recipes are delicious!
This was delicious thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Hooray!!
Hi Kristen! This curry looks so rich and creamy. I once bought a bag of black chickpeas on a whim and now I know what to do with them! Thanks for sharing š
That’s awesome! I do the same all the time – buy weird ingredients and then keep them in my pantry for ages. Hope you love the recipe as much as I do!
This is beautiful. I’ve eaten something similar to this (and loved it) but never knew it had a name. This recipe looks fantastic- I’m going to have to search down urad dal now!
Thanks, Allyson! It really is delicious. š