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.
This was absolutely delicious!!!
I added fresh lemon juice and served over a cilantro lemon jasmine rice! Serious hit with all the kids, thank you so much for sharing!
The cumin seed and coriander really took this to another level!
Can’t wait to check out some more of your recipes.
I love that you added lemon juice. What a great idea!
really easy
Thanks, Patti!
Besides Christmas dinner leftovers, this is the only dish that I have eaten over consecutive meals – Dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner, breakfast and lunch again
Thanks
YES! I totally agree with you. 🙂
Amazingly good!
Had this reheated four or five times last week and asked my wife if she’d make it again this week!
I’m throwing in a little rotisserie chicken when I heat it and could have it every day.
What a great idea to throw some chicken in there! I’m so doing that next time I make it, too!
This looks delicious. What size is the pot/saute pan in the video?
Thank you so much!
The pan in the video is this 3-quart All-Clad saute pan. It’s one of the most used pans in my kitchen. 🙂
This really was delicious. I have used stock and fresh shredded coconut in replacement for the coconut milk and it did the job perfectly! Thank you.
What a great idea for the coconut milk! So happy you liked the recipe!
I have store-bought ready made brown lentils from Trader Joe’s. How does that change the recipe in terms of water measurements, etc.? Please let me know, thanks so much!
I’ve never made the recipe with pre-cooked lentils, but most of the water in the recipe is there to cook the lentils. I would omit the water and simply add the cooked lentils and coconut milk at the same time. Heat it through and, if you think it needs a little water to loosen it up, add it then. Hope that helps!
Hi there!
This recipe looks delicious! I want to try this, but I have a couple questions I’m hoping you can answer for me.
The video follows different steps than the written recipe. The video adds ginger first, then garlic. The recipe says to add garlic and then diced tomatoes and then ginger.
Also – the video seems to add tomato sauce (it doesn’t look like diced tomatoes) What should I use?
Did you really add a whole head of garlic? That seems like a lot. for this recipe!
Thanks!
Allison
Hi Allie!
The recipe is pretty flexible and will turn out the same if you add the ginger with the garlic or later on. In the video, I used crushed tomatoes. Both crushed and diced work.
And yep … w whole head of garlic! I know it seems like a lot, but it totally works in this recipe. 🙂
Can I use roasted red peppers as a tomato swap (i’m allergic =( )
Allergic to tomatoes? That’s so sad! 🙁
I think you could definitely play with the recipe and swap some or all of the tomatoes with roasted peppers. The tomatoes are a big part of the recipe so it would change it. I think a roasted red pepper lentil curry sounds delicious though!
Hi Kristen this is an excellent recipe. I have made it three times already and I also use the canned lentils and reduced the salt. My granddaughter asks if she can have it for her school lunch even if she has to eat it cold she likes it that much. I’m making it again tonight.
Awww thank you so much! You totally made my day. I’m so happy you like the recipe!
Just finished making this dish and it is cooling on the stove. I had some leftover cooked lentils and needed to use them and luckily found your recipe. It smells and tastes delicious. I wonder if I could put a bit of curry paste in with the coriander and cumin seeds next time? Thanks for a great recipe!
Absolutely you could! A little curry powder definitely wouldn’t hurt. 🙂
Just made this for a Sunday supper and it is divine! Even my meat-loving husband loved it, and he isn’t too excited by vegan recipes. Thanks for sharing!
You’re so welcome! It sounds like we have the same kind of guys in our lives. Mine always gets a funny face when I tell him something is vegan or dairy-free. If it’s a hit with him, I know it’s a winner lol. 🙂
This was great! I used ground corriander and cumin with no problem, and added about a tsp and 1/2 of cayenne for the perfect amount of heat. Great Recipe!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!!
This looks amazing I can’t wait to try it!! I’m wondering about adding tofu or chicken to the recipe as I do love tofu. Any suggestions as to when to add it in or how much to spice it with prior to? Thanks!
Both would be great in here! If I were to add tofu, I would cut it into chunks, fry it in some coconut oil in a separate pan, and then add it at the end. I usually toss the cooked tofu in a little soy sauce for extra flavor.
You could do exactly the same with chicken … pan fry then add at the end. 🙂
Just made this and it was pretty good! Added onions, tomato paste, freshly cracked pepper and corn kernels. Used dried cilantro. Served with sprouted brown basmati rice and garlic naan from Trader Joe’s. Ended up with a LOT of leftovers, holy cow! I enjoyed the whole spices but my partner was not a fan so I will grind them next time.
I’ve actually been making this with ground spices as my partner also doesn’t like them whole. It’s good both ways. Love all the veggies you added!
I made this last night and I liked the flavour but it came out way too soupy. I followed the instructions but I had soaked the lentils in water overnight. Maybe this was where I went wrong?
Soaking the lentils would have meant they wouldn’t absorb as much liquid. If you prefer to soak your lentils, start with about half the water and only add more if the pan starts to look dry. 🙂