Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
More delicious curry recipes
Black Chana Masala
This delicious Black Chana Masala is an easy to make chickpea curry made with black chickpeas. It's bursting with flavor and is a healthy vegetarian dinner recipe.
Acorn Squash Curry
This coconut acorn squash curry is a feel-good fall and winter dinner recipe that is so delicious. It reheats great so make extra for lunch!
Vegan Butter āChicken'
This delicious vegan butter chicken recipe has tofu, peas, and corn cooked in a creamy, rich, vegan butter chicken sauce with the perfect amount of curry spice.
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.
Loved it!! I added another can of coconut milk and next time I will add Paneer!
I have made this recipe on countless occasions and it never disappoints! Thank you for this! I always add mushrooms, and sometimes peas! Itās a staple in my household and for an upcoming girls weekend!
Hello, I saw your Stunning Gorgeous Blog by accident…I liked the recipe and saved and shared it..We do not have Coconut Milk ,can we substitute with Cow Milk and how. Pleased to follow you on Facebook,Pinterest and Instagram..I have very personal request for my wife who became because of Cancer Toothless and she loves Meatless food. Can we appeal to you to recommend Healthy vegetable Recipes with their links and Vedios ..Many thanks and Gratitude,,Zouhair
Hi! I think cow’s milk should work well – especially if it is thicker such as cream. I hope that you and your wife enjoy the recipe!
One of my favorite recipes! Absolutely love this and it’s sooo easy with tons of flavor!
Iāve been coming back to this for years!
I add mushrooms and chicken.
I would use maybe a third the amount of salt they recommend. This was far too salty for me. Adding the coconut milk made it very watery and needed to be cooked much longer after the fact. I had added about 3/4 cup water previously to prevent it from burning and it was thick. I would just add the coconut milk earlier and let it cook down with the lentils. I would also recommend adding extra veggies.
This was so delicious. Thanks for sharing.
First of all, WOW!!! I cheated a bit because I used Trader Joes steamed lentils, but followed the recipe exactly otherwise, omitting the water. I added spinach because I add spinach to everything, and the flavor of this dish is both delicious and comforting. It took me about 30 min to throw together and I cant wait to have dinner! Thank you for a great recipe that I will make over and over!
This is delicious! Iāve made it a bunch of times. Do you have an instapot/ninja foodi version? Iām hoping to do some freezer meals this weekend and wondering if I can cook it from frozen in my ninja foodi.
I don’t, but I’m sure that you could make it in an Instant Pot!
I always make it instapot, follow exact same instructions just use the beans setting . Then open and add coconut milk and leave uncovered simmering for another 10 mins or so. Always come back to this recipe. It’s my favorite way to make lentils! ā¤
I used an instant pot and put it in for 10 minutes instead of the simmer step for 35-40. Depressurized manually after about 15 minutes (was doing other things), added coconut milk, and it was perfect.
Minor recipe adjustments: green lentils instead of brown, half the amount of coconut milk (doubled the recipe and used only one can), and cut the salt a bit.
I use the instant pot for this.
First fry chopped onions in oil in thd pot, then add all the spices (in my case cumin turmeric cinnamon coriander Chilli flakes, salt) and cook a bit longer.
Then add water and lentils and pressure cook 5 minutes. Quick release, add coconut milk and coriander leaves.
I omitted the tomatoes as I prefer creamier taste, but in the past I added tomatoes as well.
Easy weeknight curry base. I added chickpeas, red potatoes and okra, plus a bit of extra spice. Delish!
Lovely flavor and easy recipe. However, in the future, I would probably crush up the coriander seeds because itās not pleasant biting down on them while eating the lentils
The flavours were really great. I added one inch cubes of sweet potato to it and a touch extra water. It took far longer than an hour to get the lentils softened and water gone. I think it was about an hour and 40 mins. Might have been the extra water but the lentils were still not soft enough until then.
Hi, I love the flavor of this recipe. Thank you for sharing. One question: Could I use ground coriander instead of the seeds, and, if so, what would be the correct amount?
Absolutely you can! You can use 1 tablespoon of ground spices.
This is so delicious! By far the best lentils I have had- will be making this again. Like some of the others, it was very watery so I spent a lot of time cooking off the excess liquid. Will add less water next time.
I think the tomato content could decrease a little ? It was kinda too tangy for me. Thatās the only thing I would change about this recipeĀ
This was incredibly watery. Flavor was great though. It should start with 2 cups and add as needed.Ā