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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Acorn Squash Curry
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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.
My new go to recipe for lentils!!!
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!
Can you swap brown lentils for red?
You can! They’ll cook a little faster so you’ll want to reduce the water and time. š
I ended up doubling this recipe and using a bag of lentils and a bag of split yellow peas. Of course I went with the Cayenne, and wow I love how you can taste all the individual distinct spices in this!! I will definitely be making this again, everybody loved it!
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!
Is there supposed to be curry in this recipe?
No there is no curry powder in this recipe. š
I always add curry to this recipe. I googled āCurry Lentil Recipeā and got this, so itās only right I add curry lol.
Haha that always throws people off! Lots of curries don’t have curry powder in them. But it’s a delicious spice so you can’t go wrong adding it!
Loved it!
Hooray!!
My go to curry recipe. Like any curry it gets better with time, so the leftovers are often better than the first day. I’ve made this recipe countless times.
So happy to hear you like the recipe!
Hi Kristen, I’ve noticed a few people saying that their lentils never softened. This might be because it says to salt the curry before cooking the lentils. Salting lentils before they are fully cooked can cause them to go tough. Hope this helps.
Thank you so much for the tip!
YUM – wow, this hits the SPOT when you need some hot curry but don’t want the calories of Indian take out, I even added a dash of honey to bring out a little sweetness from the coconut milk, and added onions and broccoli just for kicks.
But I’m sad to say that after nearly 2 hours of simmering, my lentils never got soft!! WHAT on earth did I do wrong? I used green lentils from Trader Joes but even the package said they took 40 mins to cook. I kept adding liquid too so they could soak it up.
Going to try them again today again, hoping they got softer overnight. š
Were the lentils you used new? Or had you bought them a while ago? They only time I’ve had trouble with lentils not softening is when I’ve used lentils that have been sitting in my pantry a while.
They were new! Also, do you know how many days you can keep this in the fridge and still eat it safely?
It will keep for 5-6 days. š
Really good! We loved it. Makes a lot for lots of leftovers.
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
Hey there!
My partner and I LOVE this recipe! I make a big batch on Sundays for dinner and he takes it for lunch almost all week, can’t get enough! Coriander seeds are a revelation, and we roast up some cauli rice in coconut oil – it’s an absolute dream.
I’m wondering if this would work in a slow cooker at all?
Thanks so much š
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit! And yes, it works great in a slow cooker. I have the crock pot version here. š
Hi Kristen, great recipe, I added a few potatoes for the hungry hubby.
Such a great idea!
We have been on a strict budget so this recipe was perfect for budget. AND unexpectedly absolutely DELICIOUS. Although I will mention that we tried the coriander seeds the first time but used ground coriander subsequent times- which we actually liked more. I make a big batch and dish up dinner and then thicken the rest with a little flour and use as cob loaf filling and itās AMAZING!
I’m so happy to hear you like the recipe! And such a great way to use the leftovers!
Amazing flavor, very easy to make and consistently good each time I’ve made it.
I use split red lentils because I couldn’t find brown, they cook nicely in 30 minutes. I’ve also done it twice now with a diced onion and diced carrot in the oil, cook it on medium until close to translucent then continue with the recipe steps (coriander seeds, garlic, etc.).
Doesn’t feel like you’re missing out on meat in this dish, it’s seriously tasty and filling. And cheap, holy man…lentils are dirt cheap!
That’s so great to know about using split red lentils. There have been a few questions here about that. Thank you for letting us know!
Delicious dish! Even my husband loved it This will become one of our faves. Thank you.
I’m so happy to hear the recipe was a hit!
OMG!! This recipe is amazing. My house smells wonderful, and I just ate two bowls of the soup. Canāt wait to share it with my family. The only change I made was reducing the salt. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
This is absolutely delicious!!!
Thank you so much ?
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!