Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry
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This easy-to-make creamy coconut lentil curry is a healthy vegan recipe that makes a perfect meatless Monday dinner recipe. It takes less than an hour (mostly hands-off time) to make and is packed full of delicious Indian flavors. Make extras and you'll have a giant smile on your face at lunch the next day.
If you love lentils, also try our black lentil curry and our crockpot lentil curry!
You guys, this is what curry dreams are made of. This beauty is made in one pot and it'll be less than an hour until you are in coconut curry HEAVEN!
We eat this curry year-round. It doesn't matter how hot it is outside, it's always a good time for a bowl of hot curry. It's stinkin' hot in India and peeps there eat curry all the time. They must be onto something.
Years ago while backpacking around India for a few months, the locals would always say that eating hot food on a hot day would cool you down. Whether or not that's true, if you put a bowl of hot curry in front of any one of us and it's a bazillion degrees outside, we'll still eat it. And really, how could you not?
Ingredients needed
- Coconut oil – for sautéing the flavor components.
- The flavor – cumin seeds, coriander seeds, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, and sea salt.
- Crushed tomatoes – just open a can and pour it in!
- Lentils – the star of the show! We use brown lentils, but green lentils work just as well.
- Coconut milk – this is what makes the lentil curry wonderfully creamy.
- Cherry tomatoes and cilantro – these get stirred in at the end for even more flavor.
This coconut lentil curry recipe is ridiculously simple to make. Five bucks says that you're going to look at the recipe and think, “No way THIS recipe could be one of the BEST curry recipes.” But it is. For real. It's so simple to make that we made you a video so you can see just how easy it will be for you to sit down in front of a big bowl of lentil curry.
Watch the lentil curry video
The original recipe
The original recipe comes from a well dog-eared cookbook called, Vij's at Home. We've made a few changes to the original recipe so it suits our taste:
- Coconut oil replaces the cooking oil (and we use MUCH less of it)
- Coriander seeds replace ground coriander as we love the little pop of crunch they give.
- Crushed tomatoes replace fresh tomatoes (so we can be lazy and not blend them)
- Harder to find mung beans take a hike and are replaced with brown lentils
- Cilantro gets piled on high.
- Cherry tomatoes get thrown in during the last few minutes of cooking (because heck, why not?)
Storage and freezing
This is one recipe that tastes even better the next day AND it freezes excellent. We'll often make a double batch just so we can freeze half of it. And if you have little ones at home, freezing small portions of this curry is a great way to have quick and healthy meals on hand.
In the fridge – This curry will keep well for up to 4 days in a sealed container in your fridge.
In the freezer – Transfer the cooled curry to freezer proof containers and keep it in your freezer for up to 4 months.
To reheat – We like to reheat this curry on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of water as it thickens overnight. But you can also warm this up in the microwave.
What to serve with lentil curry
Like most curry recipes, this one is great served with basmati rice. You can also serve it with cauliflower rice to get some extra veggies on your plate!
And while this is absolutely a one-pot dinner, if you'd like a side dish, try one of these:
Recipe FAQs
Can I use red lentils to make this curry?
Red lentils cook much faster than green lentils. If you'd like to use them instead, reduce the water to 1 cup and simmer the lentils for half the time.
Can I use canned lentils?
Since canned lentils are cooked, you can simply add them to the recipe, omit the water, and warm them up.
What do the whole cumin and coriander seeds taste like?
We don't notice the cumin seeds, but you can definitely taste the coriander seeds. They give a little pop of flavor in your mouth when you bite into them. If you're worried that the flavor will be too strong, you can use ground cumin and ground coriander instead.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
After getting several requests, we've now created a crockpot coconut lentil curry recipe for you! While this original version still wins (in our books) the crockpot version is delicious and so great to come home to after a long day at work.
Can I add some vegetables to the curry?
Absolutely! Many people who have made this recipe have commented that they've cooked their favorite veggies right in the pot of lentils. You can try potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, or spinach.
Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon each: cumin seeds and coriander seeds
- 1 head garlic (chopped (10-12 cloves))
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons ginger (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 cup dried brown lentils
- 1-2 teaspoons cayenne powder (optional)
- 2 cups water (see notes)
- 15 ounce can coconut milk
- A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and toast until they start to brown, about 45 seconds. Add the garlic to the pot and let it brown, about 2 minutes.1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 tablespoon each: cumin seeds and coriander seeds, 1 head garlic
- Add the can of crushed tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, and sea salt to the pot and cook, stirring the pot a few times, for 5 minutes. Add the lentils and, if using, the cayenne powder, and the water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Stir the pot a few times to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom. If the curry starts to look dry, add an extra ½ – 1 cup of water.28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons ginger, 1 tablespoon turmeric, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 1 cup dried brown lentils, 1-2 teaspoons cayenne powder, 2 cups water
- Once the lentils are soft and the curry is thick, add the coconut milk and cherry tomatoes and bring the pot back to a simmer. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cilantro.15 ounce can coconut milk, A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, 1 cup chopped cilantro
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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For more inspiration, check out all of our curry recipes!
Omg this was so easy, so cheap but tasted amazing. All 4 kids and hubby asked for seconds. This being our first lentil meal gives me the confidence to try more lentil recipes.
Fabulous, a definite keeper!!! My daughter’s friends asked for the recipe. I left the salt till the last step, after the lentils were soft. Spanish lore says lentils stay tough if salt is added sooner.
I’ve never heard of that before! So happy to hear you like the recipe!!
Do you have tips to adapt this to a slow cooker?
I haven’t tried it in a slow cooker before, but I do know that most recipes can’t be directly transferred over to your crock pot. I would guess that you would need to reduce the amount of liquid a little so it doesn’t get too runny. Also, the lentils might be quite cooked and turn a little mushy. It wouldn’t affect the taste, though!
This recipe calls for one head of garlic, chopped. Is that supposed to be one clove or am I really chopping an entire head of garlic?
Hey Kristen! Great name, btw. 🙂
It is a whole head of garlic. Trust me, it’s worth the effort. 🙂
The easiest way to chop lots of garlic is to cut the ends of each clove, Smash each clove with the flat side of your knife, pull away the skin, then do a quick chop of them all at the same time.
This was amazing! Loved it so much, and it as so easy! I’m making it for the second time today 🙂 thanks!
xx
I’m so happy to hear you like it! I love it, too. 🙂
Im indian, by the way, and even my very very indian parents loved it 🙂
What a nice change!
R
xx
Whoa that’s a great compliment! Horray!!
Could you use red lentils as well? Or any other lentils?
You definitely could, although you might have to adjust the liquid. I would check to see the lentil to water recommended ration recommended for the lentils you have and tinker with the recipe based on that. 🙂
This is one of the best curries I’ve ever eaten!! So amazing!! I’ll be frequenting your blog for new recipes for sure 🙂 cilantro. Garlic. Tomatoes. Dang tasty!!
I’m so happy to hear you liked it! Yay!!
Shoot! I was looking forward to eating this but I was stupid enough to use canned lentils! It is waaaay to runny! Booh.
Tomorrow we’ll try again but the right way!
Oh no! I’m going to make a note to use dry lentils in the recipe. 🙂
They do not have dry lentils in New Zealand, so I had to buy them canned! I’m making this recipe for my house tomorrow, so should I simply reduce the water added to make it less runny? Or not even add the after at all?
I would leave out the water entirely. You can always add a little if it’s needed!
Would this recipe work with ground coriander & cumin? If so, would you use the same quantities?
Looking forward to trying this tonight!!!
It sure would! I would use the same quantities. 🙂
If I don’t have cumin or coriander seeds, could I use powdered cumin and coriander? If so, how much? I’d love to try this recipe. Thank you.
You definitely can! I would use the same amounts. 🙂
I made this for the third time this evening, and it won’t be the last. Thank you for the great recipe!
I’m so happy to hear you like it! I could eat it all the time, too. 🙂
Getting ready to make this, but wondering if you could please clarify if the ginger is fresh or powdered? Many, many kind thanks!!
I always use fresh ginger and mince or chop it. 🙂
Followed this to the tee except half the salt but it still came out soupy and bland….
Cutting out half the salt is why it tasted bland! Salt helps to bring out the flavors of all the other ingredients. If it is too runny for you a quick boil with the lid off would help.
Haha I was in Vietnam recently and it is exactly the same concept- hot bowls of pho for breakfast when it is 35°C outside – I didn’t think it would work until I was happily slurping down that bowl of steaming noodles. This curry looks amazing too, all the spices on the coconut base sound lovely 🙂
It’s such a weird concept, isn’t it? I haven’t been to Vietnam yet, but it’s on my list. Count me in for steaming bowls of hot noodles!
So delicious!!!! Will become part of my meal rotation. I was skeptical about all that garlic but the flavor is phenomenal.
I’m so happy to hear you like the recipe! It really is one of my personal favorites. 🙂
Kristen: Just wanted to make sure…an entire head of garlic?
Hi Kristen: I went ahead and made the recipe with several cloves of garlic (we love garlic). This recipe was sooooo good – definitely a keeper’ we used 1 teaspoon of cayenne powder and it was plenty hot enough to suit both my husband and I. The complex flavoring of spices was really special. I did have to add more lentils (I used sprouted – so I don’t know if that made the difference), because it was pretty soupy otherwise. Thanks for another great recipe.
I love to hear when a recipe is a keeper! I’ve never cooked with sprouted lentils before, but I would assume they would absorb less liquid than dried lentils. That’s probably why you had to add more. 🙂
It seems like a lot, but it’s so tasty. 🙂
There is never a bad time for such a beautiful delicious curry!! You have me craving some now!
I totally agree! I could eat curry everyday. 🙂