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.
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 for you to be in coconut curry heaven!
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 or not that’s true, 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?)
Ingredients to make curried lentils
- Coconut oil – for sautéing the flavor components.
- The flavor – cumin seeds, coriander seeds, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, and sea salt.
- Crushed tomatoes – just open a can and pour it in!
- Lentils – the star of the show! We use brown lentils, but green lentils work just as well.
- Coconut milk – this is what makes the lentil curry wonderfully creamy.
- Cherry tomatoes and cilantro – these get stirred in at the end for even more flavor.
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 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 meals on hand.
In the fridge – This curry will keep well for up to 4 days in a sealed container in your fridge.
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 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.
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.
I made this recipe today and I am absolutely impressed with the quickness and explosion of flavours in the dish. I substitute ground coriander to coriander seeds (i ran out) and I served it with wheat instead of rice 🙂 My girlfriend absolutely loved it! I have an irrelevant question to the recipe. Whenever I cook basmati it always, always turns out sticky. I experimented dozens of times with less water, oil in the water, slower cooking etc. I boil the water with cloves, cardamons and bay leaves.
Thanks for the recipe. You just got a new subscriber!
I’m so happy to hear you like the recipe!
When I cook basmati I use 1 cup of rice and a little under 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and cover, then simmer for 15 minutes. Then I take it off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.
If you’re using a heavy pot (with a heavy lid) you may need to add quite a bit less water. I had some brown rice turn to mush the other day when I used a cast iron pot. I think it was because no steam could escape.
Also, not all brands of rice are created equal. Try experimenting with different brands. I tend to have the best luck with rice from India and Asia with little or no English writing on the bags. 🙂
holy cats WAY TOO SALTY. We had to toss whole pot in the trash this and go out to eat. 2 teaspoons in your recipe…
I’m sorry to hear you found it too salty! Question … you didn’t happen to use boxed table salt (vs sea salt) did you? Table salt is VERY strong, which is why I always recommend sea salt.
I cut it back to 1 tspn of kitchen salt and it was good
Awesome! So happy you like it. 🙂
I was skeptical at first, but I think the cumin and coriander seeds help elevate the flavors. I added thai eggplant, baby eggplant, okra, and white onions. I also tried something new and added black quinoa to my jasmine rice which turned out very pretty. Love the dish and adding it to my favorites.
I forgot I also added a red bell pepper.
I LOVE that you added a bunch of veggies. Eggplant is one of my favorites so I’m going to try that next time. 🙂
Hello!
It’s my first time here. 🙂
I loved this recipe, cause I love oriental flavors…
I’m going to try this one!
Thanks!
Thanks so much!!
Are you really supposed to use 4 cups of water? It turned out way too watery and had to remove heaps of liquid
If you found there was too much water it was probably because your lentils were very fresh (not a bad thing!) or the lid on your pot didn’t allow much steam to escape. You can always try starting with half the water and add more only if the pan starts to look dry.
Made this tonight, absolutely delicious!!!
So happy to hear you like it! Horray!
Hi! I’d like to make this with tomato paste as I am not a huge fan of any kind of canned tomatoes–it’s a texture thing! I’m hoping the paste will give the flavor and blend nicely. Do you have any tips for that?
I would opt for chopped fresh tomatoes. Since it’s not tomato season, I would also add a few tablespoons of tomato paste to up the flavor. Just add both when the instructions call for the canned tomatoes. 🙂
Is there a good substitute for the turmeric? Maybe curry powder or cumin? I can’t get it where i live…
Hi, Grace! If you’re able to find garam masala I would choose that first as it often as turmeric in it. Curry powder would also give the curry tons of flavor so that would be a good sub if you can’t find garam masala.
Hope that helps!
I made this last night. Loved how quickly it came together, however, the end result was very bland to my family and I. I followed directions exactly apart from omitting the cayenne as my son isn’t a fan of pepper heat. Not sure whether this made the difference. I make curries weekly as that’s what we love. I guess I’m used to making more authentic Indian curries with a long list of spices. My curry ended up having lots of liquid, too. Will def tweak this recipe as I do love the quickness of yours, but I’ll add some Indian spices next time to see if it brings out more flavor for us. Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve actually made this a few times and once ended up with quite a bit of liquid, too. The freshness of the lentils you use and the seal of the lid on your pan will both make a difference. You’re welcome for the recipe!
Hi Kristen,
what a lovely looking dish! I went to the shop today but couldn’t find brown lentils so i got red ones, would they need longer, shorter or the same amount of cooking time as the brown lentils you used?
Thanks,
Carina
Hi Carina. Red lentils will work great in this recipe. Thet cook faster than brown lentils, in around 15-20 minutes. I would also reduce the water to 2 cups and only add more if they start to look dry.
How do you prefer to serve this? I see that you have it with rice in your photo. Do you have a certain type of rice or rice recipe that you prefer to serve with this?
I usually opt for white or brown basmati when I’m serving Indian-style curries. I’ve also served it with cauliflower rice and quinoa and both were delicious. 🙂
Could i use green lentils instead? The only ones i have on hand are Organic French Green Lentils …
You definitely can! The only thing is that green lentils take longer to cook so you’ll have to add 10 minutes or so to the cook time. I would use the same amount of water and only add more if it looks like it is getting dry near the end of cooking. 🙂
Hello, can you pls tell me that this quantity is for how many people is enough? Thank you
This recipe makes enough to feed 4 people. 🙂
Made this last night and it was awesome! The nutrition info says a serving size is 1/2 cup and that it serves 6; I ended up with waay more than 3 cups, not complaining mind you, but wanted to verify serving size and calorie count!
Lovely recipe, definitely tastes great!
I used canned lentils as thats all I had in the house but I didn’t add water like you suggested however the lentils got a bit overcooked, how long would you recommend cooking the curry for if using canned?
Thank you!
I never actually cooked with canned lentils before so I really can’t say. Since canned lentils are fully cooked, I would probably only cook them for a few minutes once you add them to the pan. Just enough to warm them up. 🙂
We used chopped (canned) tomatoes and I think it made the dish too runny. We dumped the whole can, liquid and all. Is there less liquid with “crushed” tomatoes or would it be wise to drain those as well?
Cans of crushed tomatoes are usually thicker and don’t have the juices that cans of chopped tomatoes or whole tomatoes have. Prob best to drain the juices if you are using chopped tomatoes. 🙂
This is a great curry! My family all loved it and it will become a regular on our table, rotating through the different types of dhal I make for them along side meat curries. I could easily get mung beans, so I used them as you memtioned that was in the original recipe. I also left out the fresh coriander as my daughter and I hate that ( the dry is fine ) and I used ground spices as we generally prefer that…also no heat as I have two people that are intolerant to chilli etc..oh and I added a chopped onion as we like that in curry.
Anyway thanks for an awesome recipe, it popped up on Pinterest and I repinned!
I’m so happy to hear you like the recipe! And thank you for the repin!