Coconut Lentil Curry
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This easy-to-make creamy coconut lentil curry is a vegan recipe that makes a perfect meatless Monday dinner. 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.
One reader, Rae, says, “This is one of my staple recipes. So easy to make and delicious. Everyone likes it! ★★★★★”
This lentil curry recipe has been a reader favorite for years. And with almost 1500 reviews, you can bet it will be your favorite, too! It’s a flavorful vegan recipe made with kitchen-staple ingredients and is one of my family’s favorite dinner recipes.
You guys, this is what curry dreams are made of. This beauty is made in one pot, and it’ll take less than an hour to reach coconut curry heaven. The flavor starts with toasted cumin and coriander seeds, along with plenty of garlic, ginger, turmeric, and a touch of cayenne. Brown lentils (though you can also use green) simmer in tomatoes and coconut milk until tender and creamy, then fresh cherry tomatoes and cilantro are stirred in at the end to brighten everything up. It’s simple, satisfying, and the kind of recipe you’ll find yourself making on repeat.
We eat this curry year-round. No 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 that’s true or not, if you put a bowl of hot curry in front of any of us and it’s a bazillion degrees outside, we’ll still eat it. And really, how could you not?
The original lentil curry 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?)
Lentil curry variations
While my family loves this recipe exactly as written, it’s also very versatile and easy to play with. Here are some additions that we’ve tried, and a few that our readers have tried:
- Add some more veggies: Sweet potatoes, mushrooms, red peppers, or broccoli are great. And spinach stirred in at the end is nice, too.
- More protein: Cubed chicken or tofu is a wonderful addition.
- Skip the coconut: iI you’re not a coconut fan, you can use whipping cream instead.
- Make it into soup: Add some extra water or some chicken or vegetable stock to turn this into soup.
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:
Store, reheat, and freeze
This is one recipe that tastes even better the next day, AND it freezes excellently. 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 meals on hand.
In the fridge – This curry will keep well for up to 4 days in a sealed container.
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.
Watch the lentil curry video
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 a video so you can see just how easy it will be to sit down with a big bowl of lentil curry.
Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon 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 (see notes)
- 1-2 teaspoons cayenne powder (optional)
- 2 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 skillet (I love using my braiser) 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 cumin seeds, 1 head garlic, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- Add the can of crushed tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, and sea salt to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the lentils, the cayenne powder (if using), and water to the pot and bring it to a boil.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
- 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.
- 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
Last step:
- After you make this recipe, take a picture with your phone and share it in the comments section below. I love seeing it when you make my recipes!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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 recipe tastes ok; but calling it a “curry” seems like a stretch. Way too much tomato for my taste. It tastes more like Spaghetti-Os than a real Indian curry dish.
Seems like a “curry” for suburban white people that have never had authentic Indian food. Not impressed.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t a hit for you. It’s based on a recipe from a popular Vancouver Indian chef, something that he cooks at home, so definitely not just for suburban white people, as you say.
do the coriander and cumin seeds have to be whole seeds? i couldn’t find any
Nope! Ground spices work just as well. 🙂
Hello Brett, have seen your argument, and have found some truth to it. May I propose an alternative. Sturry.
Stew + Curry.
Can I use coconut cream instead of coconut milk?
That will make it extra rich and delicious!
This is a good recipe and I’m so excited to try it! I have mung beans left over from a previous meal and I was wondering if cooking instructions are the same. Thank you!
Mung beans cook in about 20 minutes so I would recommend reducing the amount of cooking liquid to only 1 cup then add more as needed. 🙂
This is my family’s favourite recipe now!! So perfect and filling. Thank you so much for sharing! <3
That is wonderful! Thank you!
This recipe sounds amazing!! Do you think I could use Silk Coconut Milk instead of the canned coconut milk? I’m trying to cut down on my Weight Watchers points! 🙂
It would change the recipe for sure. If you can use low-fat canned coconut milk that would work well. Or maybe try using only a half can. That way you’ll still get some of the richness.
Can I use a 28-oz can of crushed Italian tomatoes with oregano and basil?
That should work. 🙂
Great!, made it with 4 garlic cloves, 1lb lentils, no cherry tomatoes! Holy shnowzer this was delicious. I moaned every bite lmao tmi. Ps… not sorry lol ? I’m having this whole pot to myself for the next several days…
I love it!!!
A whole head of garlic? What?! I’m in shock. And I have to try this recipe.
Yes! It sounds like a lot but it’s so good!
Omg. The flavor! I’ve just finished making it and I’m going to have it with roasted cauliflower. Yum.
I’m thrilled that you love this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let us know!
May we use ground ginger? And if so, how much? I always forget to get fresh or I can’t find it :/
Thank you!
I haven’t tried it with ground ginger but I’m sure it would work. I’d start with 2 teaspoons and see how that tastes. And a tip … you can freeze ginger and simply grate it (still frozen) as needed. 🙂
Delicious recipe! And extremely easy to make. Thank you ?
You’re so welcome!!
Excellent. I used the Instant Pot and it worked well. I used the sauté function for the oil and spices. After I added the tomatoes and lentils and a cup of water, I put it on pressure for 15min. I added the coconut milk after. It was great.
Thank you so much for letting us know it works in an Instant Pot!
Do you think this would work in the instant pot?
I haven’t tried it but other commenters have said it works. Kel’s comment (just above) says that she cooked it for 15 minutes and it worked well. 🙂
Love this recipe, I’ve made it a couple of times now and it is delicious – I was wondering if it’s freezer friendly?
It is! I often keep a batch in my freezer for quick and easy meals. 🙂
Delicious! My husband doesn’t usually eat meatless but loved this dish. It’s a keeper!
I love hearing that! Hooray!
Made this and added sweet potatoes to it.
Such a great idea!
This looks delish!
I only have ground cumin and ground corriandar. Would that work and if so how much of each? Thanks!
You can use the same quantity as the recipe calls for. 🙂