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.
This was exactly what I was craving! I added some spinach and zucchini while it was simmering and then tossed in a couple of shredded carrots when I added the coconut milk to bulk it up even more. I topped mine with cilantro, zatar, and a side of baked crispy tofu. Hubby went in for seconds he loved it so much. Thank you for a winner recipe that will for sure be in the rotation.
Good call on the crispy tofu! Yum!
I wanted to start adding some vegetarian dishes into my family’s diet but most of the lentil recipes I have tried didn’t go down well. That is until I came across this. It now makes a weekly appearance and my meat loving hubby, 3 year old and 2 year old absolutely love it. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
That’s fantastic! Hooray!
No hyperbole here! This is fantastic and SO easy, even with pretty much just pantry ingredients! I honestly thought this was going to be like compost, with brown lentils and all that tomato, but no! We loved this, including my 10 year old who initially declared yellow curries made with red lentils superior to this red one — she came around on her second bowl. I will be including this in our curry rotation and can’t wait to try the slow cooker version.
Yay! That’s so wonderful!
This was very good. The whole family loved it.
Thank you so much!!
Note to self
If your using lentils from a can, dont add the 3 cups of water. It will take forever to boil down.
Great recipe super yummy!
Yes! Canned lentils are already cooked so no water is needed. š
I made this dish and it came out delicious a little bit more soupy than creamy for some reason but delicious pretty good for my first time making coconut curry sauce lentils.
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! Next time, if you cook it a little longer it will thicken up. š
Is it possible to use 2 spoons of regular salt or do I have to adjust?
Boxed salt can be quite a bit saltier tasting than sea salt. I would suggest waiting until the end and then salting to taste. š
I have traveled all over Over the world and I have had some amazing curry. I have never been able to personally make a recipe that holds up to my high standards until this one. First time Iāve ever made curry that tastes like it should.
What a great compliment! Thank you so much!!
I was very happy with the way it turned out. Especially my husband!!! I am 100% vegan now, my husband 95% but my children unfortunately not due to in-law issues. My daughter is very influenced by her grandparents so whenever she tastes coconut she knows its vegan. So I wanted to ask if it was possible to substitute the coconut with cashew?
I haven’t tried it but cashew cream would probably work. Just blend 1/4 cup of raw cashews with 1 cup of water in a high powered blender to make it. Add it to the curry a little at a time though as it does thicken as it cooks. š
My husband and I love this dish. I sautƩ sliced onion in with the oil and then add the spices. We also add roasted chopped sweet potato and sometimes roasted eggplant. We add them in when we add the lentils. Instead of adding a tin of crushed tomatoes I hand crush a tin of whole tomatoes. Amazing! Thank you for the recipe. I easily make this dish every other week.
I love the idea of adding eggplant! Yum!
I love this recipe so much. So easy and *so* delicious. Does it freeze well, do you know?
It does! I love having some in the freezer to take out when I don’t feel like cooking. š
This meal was absolutely fabulous! I didnāt have the seeds so I improvised and used curry powder. This meal is out of this world! Thanks for sharing such an easy and healthy meal.
Horray! I love hearing that it was a hit!
I’ve just made it and oh my it is so good! My parents love it and I love it. I’ve added some more salt and cayenne because who doesn’t love more spice, right?! Added some rice, naan, and greek yogurt on top and was super satisfied!
Super easy to make and I am very happy with the result, even though it took a long time to make the result and the deliciousness is worth it!
Yay! So happy to hear everyone liked the recipe!
This is one of my go-to recipes when I want something simple and easy but delicious. For those of you who said that the curry turned out watery – use tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes. That’s what I always do and that way, the curry is even creamier and thicker.
That’s a great tip!
Hello, how would you go about making the sauce up the lentils are already cooked? Add 1 cup of water, with all the spices, bring to boil then let it simmer for some time? Thanks
You probably don’t need to add any water at all. Just keep an eye on the sauce and add water if it starts to look too thick or dry.
I did it last night and it was soooo good! I just added more coconut milk!
No such thing as too much coconut milk!
Do I have to soak the lentils in water the night prior to cooking it?
Nope. You can use them dry.