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 recipe was unbelievable. I have been eating curries ever since I was young and it is hard for me to like anything apart from my mom’s cooking. Yesterday, I had some left over lentils from the soup I made a while back and thought of making lentil curry. I looked up some recipes and chose yours because it seemed simple and delicious.
Oh my was I right, the taste was absolutely magnificent! I loved the addition of coconut milk to the curry, it really made a huge difference to the curry. My whole family loved it.
Thank you so much for sharing it, lots of love from Pakistan <33
Thank you so much! Coming from someone who eats curries all the time that is a huge compliment. I’m blushing!
I just made this recipe and it tasted like tomato sauce! I followed the measurements and cook time exactly and Iām not sure where I went wrong!
Any advice?
I would check your spices to see if they are still flavorful. If it’s been a while since you bought them, they might need replacing. Spices become less potent the longer they sit around. š
Can I just double check! 10-12 garlic cloves?! That seems an awful lot?!
That’s right! I know it sounds like a lot but in this dish it’s just right. š
Hi Kristen, I can’t wait to make this dish tonight, but! Apparently I forgot to buy ginger, can I use dried ginger at all? And what oil can I use instead of coconut please?
Any oil you have will work just fine. I haven’t tried it with dried ginger but I’m sure it will work well in a pinch. š
Absolutely love this. Used ground spices (including ginger) and it still tasted fabulous. I just defrosted the first portion I popped in the freezer ā a.couple minutes on the stovetop and itās just as delicious as when I first made it.
I’ve got some in my freezer, too! It’s so nice having delicious meals waiting for you, isn’t it?
Awesome recipe! I tweaked it a bit to what I had in hand. I used fresh tomatoes and curry powder. It was delicious!
I’m so happy you liked it!
If you use ground coriander and cumin instead of seeds, do you still put in pan before garlic and how much of each should you have? Going to Trader Joeās today to pick up the ingredients but donāt think they sell seeds!
Yes, pop them in at the same time. It will cook them a little which will bring out their flavor even more. š
This recipe comes together quickly and is easy to adapt. The lentils are delicious and taste better each day as leftovers. We paired the lentils with fresh caught baked halibut. Perfect! Thank you!
Good call on pairing it with halibut!
This was SO EASY to make and it tastes amazing! It also has garlic, ginger and turmeric in it which are great for your health. I’ve eaten this 3 times now, and I just made it yesterday!
I’m so happy you like it!!
This recipe is just awesome! Itās been loved by everyone Iāve served it to – including lentil haters! I swap the crushed tomatoes for passata as I hate the texture of cooked tomatoes. I reduce the salt slightly and add just one level tsp of cayenne to give a wee kick but not enough to put my kids off.
Best ever recipe!
I’m so happy you like the recipe!
This curry is amazing and so easy to make!!! . I added cubed sweet potatoes that I cooked in the microwave and it worked really well with the flavors!
That’s a great idea!
I made this dish and loved it. I remember it made a lot, but I don’t remember exactly how much. Can you tell me how many cups or quarts one batch will make? I’m trying to plan a meal to bring to a handful of neighbors who have had babies or who are grieving, so I want to know how many batches I would have to make to fill 5 2-quart containers.
I’ll need to measure it next time I make it and let you know!
And so nice of you to make it for your friends who need a helping hand!
This was delicious!
Hooray!!
Would this work in a crockpot??
I’ve got a crockpot version here: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/crock-pot-coconut-lentil-curry/ š
Why is the sodium so high? Sound good and would like to try it but a little concerned about over 700mg of sodium per serving…
The nutritional info is calculated with 2 teaspoons of salt which has 4651mg of sodium. You can always reduce the amount of salt you add. š
O my goodness this curry is so good. I normally buy my curry pre-made because I would mess it up every time on my own. But is recipe was so simple. Thanks for helping me feel like a rockstar!
That’s so great to hear! Hooray!!
Hi I have made this recipe Before and loved it Im serving for non vegans do you think adding potatoes would make it heartier? O Better to levar as is. Thanks again for the great and simple recipe.
I often serve it with rice so it’s quite hearty. You could easily use potatoes instead. š