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 ā for sautĆ©ing the flavor components.
- The flavor ā cumin seeds, coriander seeds, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, and sea salt.
- Crushed tomatoes ā just open a can and pour it in!
- Lentils ā the star of the show! We use brown lentils, but green lentils work just as well.
- Coconut milk ā this is what makes the lentil curry wonderfully creamy.
- Cherry tomatoes and cilantro ā 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, āNo way THIS recipe could be one of the BEST curry recipes.ā 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 withĀ 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 ā This curry will keep well for up to 4 days in a sealed container in your fridge.
In the freezer ā Transfer the cooled curry to freezer proof containers and keep it in your freezer for up to 4 months.
To reheat ā 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 aĀ crockpot coconut lentil curryĀ 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 Ā½ ā 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.
Hi! Love this recipe. Was wondering if you’ve ever tried to make this in the crockpot?
I have! Here’s the recipe: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/crock-pot-coconut-lentil-curry/
I just made this for dinner. It was amazingly delicious. Thank you so much, will be a go to meal from now on!
I’m so happy to hear you like the recipe!
Love this recipe! I’m a vegetarian, and always looking for new healthy yet filling recipes. This one has become a go to because of the bold flavor!
I’m so happy to hear you like it!
Hi. This recipe looks absolutely amazing! If I donāt have coriander will the recipe taste the same? I LOVE lentils/soup and really want to make this but didnāt realize I forgot the coriander.
It will still be great without it. š
This was AMAZING!!! It was so easy and I loaded tons of veggies in the pot and it still had TONS of flavor. Well done!!
Good call on the extra veggies!
I made this for my family tonight and they all loved it! It was easy and the flavors are amazing. I’d never used whole coriander seeds before, so I wasn’t sure how that would go. But, even the boys liked the way they crunched and the burst of flavor from them. Thanks so much for the recipe. We’ll be enjoying this one again soon!
I’m so happy you like the coriander seeds! They’re my favorite part. š
We loved this! Thank you. We added cherry tomatoes and roasted garlic (instead of choppped) and added sour cream to serve. We had Naan instead of rice. Based on another post, we will try adding Swiss chard or kale the next time. We will definitely make this again! Thank you!
Naan is my favorite with this, too!
I keep coming back to this recipe every once and a while (few times a month) and so I absolutely declare this a family favorite, kid approved too! If I add too much heat the kids just mix in yogurt, they love having leftovers at school in a thermos too so I always double the recipe since we are 5
I serve with cilantro lime rice and homemade naan ?
I’m so happy to hear it’s a hit! And I bet it’s delicious with some yogurt mixed in!
I am a meat eating, gluten loving, non organic cook. But oh my word…..this was delicious! I used green lentils and added frozen spinach and topped with yogurt with a side of naan. I will be making this again…and again….and again!
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!!
Delicious and super easy. Itās now a staple recipe for us.
Thank you so much!!
Hello! I canāt find brown lentils anywhere – I can only find red, green, black and then thereās a general ālentilā thatās a beige color. Any advice as to which to use for this recipe? Thanks!!
I suspect the general lentil is probably what you want. Brown lentils are more of a dark beige color. Green lentils will also work in this recipe. If you use red lentils, you’ll need to reduce the liquid and cooking time as they cook faster. š
I made this in my instant pot. I added 1 tsp Garam masala one Kashmiri pepper and a few fresh curry leaves from my tree.
2 cup water rather than 3, and 25 minutes at normal pressure. Fabulously delicious!
That’s so great to know! I just got an Instant Pot so will use your timing to make this!
Wow, somehow stumbled upon this little gem of a recipe and OMG !! The flavours are pure heaven making you want more and more. My friends loved this fish and itāll be with me forever I look forward to trying more of your recipes however I think itāll take a lot to top this one.
In the recipe I am yet to add coriander seeds so will source some and I use larger skinned tomatoes cut into quarters – delicious!!!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
Would love to make this but not sure about cup measurements, could you tell me what they are in grams.
I’ve never measured the ingredients in cups. I would suggest googling the weight of the ingredients you are curious about. It’s also not a recipe you need to be exact with so if you used an 8-ounce water glass to measure that would work just fine. š
What would the measurements be if using ground coriander and ground cumin?
You can use the same quantities. š
The whole house smells like haven! I cant wait for my husband to get home so we can eat this lovely dish!
Yay!!