Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry
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.
Complete the meal with some perfect basmati rice or cauliflower rice. And if you love vegetarian curry recipes, also try our coconut vegetarian korma!
It's July! It's summer! It's the season of BBQ and no cook recipes! And here I am, sharing a coconut lentil curry recipe with you. Say what!!
You guys, this is what badass curry dreams are made of. For reals. I'm talking one pot and less than an hour till you're in coconut lentil curry HEAVEN!
I don't care how hot it is outside, it's always a good time for a bowl of hot curry. I mean, it's stinkin' hot in India and peeps eat curry there all the time. They must be onto something.
When I was doing the whole right of passage, backpacking around Asia thing in my early 20s, locals would always tell me that eating hot food on a hot day would cool you down. Makes no sense to me at all, but if you put a bowl of hot curry in front of me and it's a bazillion degrees outside, I'll still eat it. I mean really, how could you not?
This coconut lentil curry recipe is ridiculously simple to make. Five bucks says 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 reals.
It's so simple to make that I 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 curry.
Watch the Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry Video:
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The original recipe comes from a well dog-eared cookbook of mine called, Vij's at Home. I've made some changes to the original recipe so it suits my taste:
- Coconut oil replaces the cooking oil (and I use MUCH less of it)
- Coriander seeds replace ground coriander as I love the little pop of crunch they give.
- Crushed tomatoes replace fresh tomatoes (so I 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?)
Since I originally posted this recipe, I've now made it around 324,000 times. That might be a little exaggeration, but I have made it many times. My daughter is a huge fan of this lentil curry, so I usually make a double batch and then freeze some in smaller portions so I have some quick and easy food for her on hand.
Making a big batch also means that we get lunches for days after. Curry is kind of like chili, it's even better the next day. Honestly, every time I make this I get a text from my handsome man the next day telling me how good his lunch is. Win!
Also, after getting several requests, I've now created a Crockpot Coconut Lentil Curry recipe for you! While the original version still wins (in my books) the crockpot version is delicious and so great to come home to after a long day at work. 🙂
Healthy Vegan Curry Recipes
- Black Chana Masala
- Crock Pot Coconut Lentil Curry
- Coconut Black Lentil Curry
- Chickpea Tofu and Eggplant Curry
- Coconut Acorn Squash Curry
- Creamy Coconut Vegetarian Korma
- Loaded Vegan Butter ‘Chicken'
Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
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
- 3 cups water
- 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, 3 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
I put less garlic and half the salt. It was really Delicious! I will make again
I made this recipe on Friday November , 2023. i don’t have the Thai curry paste, so I used curry powder and mixed it with water, and I used brown lentils, that being said, it tasted very good, I will make this recipe again. Absolutely loved it
Do you use tumeric powder? Can’t wait to try it! Sounds absolutely DELICIOUS!!!
Yes, turmeric powder!
I made this for dinner a couple of nights! I added raisins per one of the other comments I read. The lentils were a hit. Had just the right amount of heat. Also like one of the comments read the next day i was 3 pds lighter. This is definitely a great anti inflammatory.
This curry is so delicious! And super versatile – I tend to use red/green lentils and throw in an onion/any leftover veg I have knocking about and the results are lovely. Thanks for sharing!
We absolutely love this recipe. The kids love it and the neighbor’s kids love it. I’ve made it over 50 times. I use to make it in on the stove but now I use an instant pot. Both ways are great. I saute the spices, then add the rest of the ingredients and pressure cook it on 8 min. After it’s done I add the coconut milk and pressure cook it for 0 minutes. My only change is freshly chopped tomatoes. Other than that…I follow the recipe to the letter.
Made it! Loved it! My only change was canned diced tomatoes and 2 cups of water instead of 3, and I cooked it for 9 minutes in my instant pot. I added the coconut milk and cilantro after a quick release. I’ll definitely be freezing some in one cup portions for quick lunches for one. (I also freeze rice in one cup portions, so this will work nicely with that hehe) Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
I love this recipe having discovered it only a couple of months ago. I make a huge amount so I can freeze it even though we are a two person household and my husband isn’t into curries at all – he has tried this one – the first in his life and it got the thumbs up! Great reading the other commentators ideas too for little twists and variations on it, I like to add some spinach right at the end of cooking for an extra zing of health! Many thanks.
Hello i am from UK. the dry lentils i have, the instructions say you have got to soak them. if i soak the lentils at what stage can i add the lentils? or can i just cook them as per the recipe here? for those of you who add sweet potatoes at what stage do you do this? thank you
We don’t soak them. But if you want to you’ll need to reduce the water and cooking time.
This is a superb dish and the coconut oil and coconut milk added in at the end give an extra lusciousness. Brown lentils have an especially luscious quality compared to other lentils. My tip for what it’s worth: I roast four to five fresh tomatoes in addition to the canned ones and provides another level of richness but bit more effort.
So easy, fresh and absolutely delicious ♥️♥️♥️
Easy to cook, delicious and healthy. Absolutely recommended!
Haven’t made this all summer and am sitting here enjoying my first pot of this deliciousness for the season! Best lentil recipe out there in my opinion! Had it with a little brown rice and topped it with avocado just because I had a plethora of ripe ones!
This was the first lentil recipe I ever made, my family and I loved it so much it’s a regular for us! It was kind of a “gateway” recipe for me into the world of lentils and curries! Thank you for the recipe, and I also love the format of ingredients under the steps!
Forgot to ask, can this be frozen for later?
Yes! This freezes very well!
I love how you list the needed ingredients for each step. It eliminates any confusion and allows the cook to work methodically (even with interruptions!) Thank you!
This is one of my favorite comfort food recipes! I can’t express just how much I love this! It is my go to when I just need something quick, easy and delicious to fix. I’m so thankful I found your recipe! 🙌
This has become a go-to in my house. Everyone loves it. I often add in some veggies (carrots or squash or sweet potato). I’m curious if I could add raisins? Seems like a dish that would taste good with some sweetness too but I haven’t tried yet. Also appreciate the repeat of ingredients under the steps – very easy to follow.
I think that raisins sounds like a great addition!
One of my favorite go to recipes! My kids are pumped when they walk into the house after school and smell the rich flavors in the air. I sometimes add rotisserie chicken chopped up and half the amount of lentils. Delicious either way! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Could I sub green for brown lentils? I am new to cooking lentils, but I have heard the different types cook at varying lengths of time.
Green lentils may take a little longer to cook, but you can use the same amount in this recipe.
Yes I made these today and is very good . Which is I do not eat meat.
What if I don’t have access to the whole spices and only have curry powder? When would I add the curry powder and how much would you recommend?
This is a really flexible recipe and you can definitely play with the spices. I would add 2 tablespoons of curry powder.
I made this last night and everyone LOVED it! MIL, me, husband, and kids (11 & 13). I doubled the recipe and added a sprinkle of feta cheese and Mrs. Balls Original South African chutney, over Jasmine white rice. The only difference was that I reduced the garlic and only added 8 cloves of garlic instead of 10-12 cloves (or 20-22 for doubling). I just couldn’t imagine that would work well for our household. The dish was amazing!! I can’t wait to make this again! I ate my curry over a fresh spring green salad w chopped fresh fruit and veggies. It was delightful. Thanks so much! 5 ⭐️
I’m making this as I speak and just went in to stir them after they had cooked for 40 minutes and it was quite watery. I almost did the crockpot version of this but I had wanted to bloom the spices so I did it in a pot but then i noticed that in the crockpot version you had put 1 1/2 cups of lentils I wonder if this was meant to have 1.5 cups as well?
I’ll let you know how it turns out it smells wonderful!
Made this recipe tonight. Very simple and easy to follow. I was worried about the spiciness so I only put a half teaspoon of cayenne, but after I added the coconut milk I could hardly taste that spice so I will be adding at least a teaspoon if not more next time. My carnivorous housemate enjoyed it, especially when I told him how the spices and the ginger would help his cold and sore throat. In fact he had seconds. I thought about doing it but forgot, but I think a squeeze of fresh lime juice on top right before serving would be awesome and that’s what I’ll do with my next bowl.
Thank you so very much for this recipe!!!
Not only is it easy to make. Not only is it delish. But it also is a weight loss mechanism!!
I first made this a couple days ago. I used what we had : freah tomatoes, garlic seasoning, serrano pepper, red lentils and a 13 oz can of coconut milk plis avocado oil. I halved the salt and cayenne you had listed. I also started making the dish with the coconut milks, water and lentils on low heat while i added the seasonings then shopped the veggies. Then i let it all sit until it boiled to ensure the lentils were done. Omg !!! The flavor was off the charts! It came out a bit spicier than mom could take so ai made some rice. The next morning. Mom didnt say good morning. She said make more of that lentil curry! Lol! The inflammation in her legs went down and she lost 3 lbs! When i weighed i lost weight as well!!
So ma not only requested that I make more, but that I double the recipe. This time, i used green and red lentils. Halved the cayenne and salt. Then blended the left overs with the new. And put just a tad more cilantro. No rice this time to see what would happen. YUMMY! And guess what? We both lost more weight!!!
Thank you so much!
Really very unhealthy recipe. You can get away with much much less coconut water and make the meal significantly lower in saturated fat and sugar.
Coconut water has no fat…so u did not make it… 🙂
Delicious and quick. I’ve printed it out for future reference, and I’ll definitely be making this recipe again.
Do you put the cherry tomatoes in whole?
I do when they’re small. If they’re on the large side, feel free to cut them in half.
This recipe is easy to make and is delicious! I served it with Naan bread and white rice.
I started making this dish and realized that their is no curry on the recipe at all? I was scrambling to find the amount of curry to add in the recipe……..
Curry powder is simply a blend of different spices. Rather than using that, we add the whole spices.
Curry powder is a British invention (but exists in Australia too) – from when we colonised India in the 1800s. You won’t find curry powder in India, as they use the individual spices which we didn’t have back in the 1800s probably due to cost of travel
Absolutely delicious. Will make this again and again.
This was DELICIOUS!!!!!! I added cubed sweet potato and made it with brown rice. Will be making this often!!!!!! And i love how you wrote the recipe…. Ingredients under each step! So user friendly. Will post pics on Insta and tag you!! Thanks so much. X
This sounds delicious! And love how the ingredients are listed again under each step! Wondering if canned lentils could be used instead of dry? Thanks’
Canned lentils will work, but you’ll want to omit the water since they are already cooked. If the curry starts to look a little dry, you can add a splash of water. Also, you won’t need to simmer it long as you’re not cooking the lentils. 🙂
What I would do – make the sauce, cook the sauce for 35-40 minutes as written. Once the sauce is tasty (not acidic, rounder flavour, no harsh spices) and then add the drained canned lentils in the last 5-10 minutes to warm up. The cooked lentils will soak up the curry flavour overnight 🙂
Love this! Freezes so well… Mmm. Also I tried spinach in it once and it was great
I love this recipe, and the fact that it is so versatile. Tonight, for example, I added paneer (not vegan but so yummy) and roasted yams.
Thanks!
Kris
It works in the instapot!
I just made this with the addition of 1 TBS curry powder and 1 peeled and diced eggplant.
I sautéed the coriander seed and ground cumin with garlic in the instapot on sauté for 1 minute. Then I added all the other ingredients except cilantro and cherry tomatoes and cooked on high pressure cook for 14 minutes, followed by 15 natural release. Eggplant cooked down so that it isn’t noticeable ( I like it better this way!) and the lentils still have just a touch of chew to them. Added chopped cilantro when I served it.
So delicious!
I keep messing up this recipe for some reason, my mom will never let me use a 28oz can of tomatoes, she says it’s too much. Anyway the few times I managed to make it right it was really good! I’m going to keep on trying and making adjustments till I ace it. It’s worth it!
I made this curry for my partner (and I) as meal prep for a few days and he loved it. I used green lentils because I couldn’t find the brown anywhere so I’m curious to see what it’ll taste like next time with the brown 🙂 this was such a quick and straightforward recipe – thanks!
Absolutely loved this recipe served it with brown rice and made enough to enjoy for the rest of week. Will mark it as my favourite to enjoy always.
This is my absolutely favorite lentil soup recipe! I sent it to a friend and she is obsessed! Sooo good!
This was the first and best lentil curry I’ve made. I’ve tried others and they just don’t live up to that big hit of turmeric and other spices that I love about this one. Whenever I make this, I sub in 1 tsp each of ground coriander and ground cumin instead of the 1 tbsp of the seeds. I also alternate between diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes depending on what I’ve got on hand (if you use diced, I’d recommend reducing the water to 2 cups). So easy to make, so delicious, and so full of fibre and other good stuff. Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe a dozen times at home in California, shared with friends, and keep coming back for more!
Now I will be making it today on our sailboat in the South Pacific. “Kana Totoka”! ( Awesome food )
I love it so much that you are making this recipe on a sailboat on the south pacific. I bet it will taste even better there!
Absolutely delicious
This was easy to make and extremely tasty – also really like the way that the recipe is written with the quantities of the ingredients underneath each addition. A non fussy but tasty meal – oh apart from peeling all of the garlic!
I’m adding this recipe to my grocery list this week and I have a few questions. Should I really use a whole head of garlic? =o I’ve never used that much garlic in a dish? And how should I adjust if I am using ground cumin and corainder?
Yep, a whole head. It sounds like a lot but the curry isn’t overly garlicky. And you can use the same amount of ground spice as the recipe calls for.
We tried this recipe for the first time today, and we absolutely loved it. We made tiny adjustments to include ingredients already in our kitchen, like pink lentils, cayenne pepper, and ground ginger. I don’t like too much heat, especially on warm days – but this was just perfect, even with the cayenne. Five stars, and we will absolutely be making this curry again.
I needed a turnout for my lentils and this recipe was the one. Everybody loves it. Being mexican, this recipe got the right hotness and tartness for me. I’ve made this over and over again.
My go-to lentil recipe. The whole family loves it, which is a rare blessing, and it’s a great base recipe if you want to add this, subtract that, throw in what ya got! I prefer the spices ground as I don’t enjoy biting into the coriander seeds, but the recipe is perfect. Thank you for sharing it, I’ve made it at least 50 times since I first found it, and always have batches in the freezer.
That’s so awesome to hear! Thanks, Milena!!
I followed the recipe as written and it was way too gingery and soupy. The tomatoes were very tart as well. Could use some sugar to balance it out. If you are going to try it I’d recommend reducing the crushed tomatoes and ginger by half and reducing the water by 1 cup. Honestly there are way better curry recipes out there so probably best not to bother with this one.
Certain lentils absorb more water than others. I wonder if this was the case for you. I would’ve continued to let it cook if it were watery for me. I’ve made this recipe at least 50+x and I’ve never had anyone complain. I use powdered spices and only omit the cayenne. Give it another go and maybe leave out the fresh tomatoes altogether?
Love this healthy curry, fresh flavours and deeply satisfying. I can have this simmering away within 30 mins. A week day favourite!