Crockpot Lentil Curry
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Warming and comforting, this hands-off crockpot lentil curry makes enjoying a flavorful and rich curry dinner so very easy! Throw everything into your pot, set the timer, and let the delicious flavors meld. Earthy lentils absorb aromatic spices that are mellowed by the creaminess of the coconut milk and finished with bursting cherry tomatoes and fresh cilantro. Return to an effortless, satisfying curry dinner!
This crockpot lentil curry is one of those recipes that feels almost too easy for how good it turns out. In fact, it’s based on my popular coconut lentil curry, which is made on the stovetop. After hearing from readers who wanted a slow cooker version, I adapted the recipe so you can enjoy those same cozy flavors with even less hands-on time.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how effortless it is. You can even assemble everything the night before, pop the slow cooker insert into the fridge, and simply turn it on in the morning. Hours later, you’ll come home to a kitchen that smells incredible and a pot of perfectly cooked curry ready for dinner.
The ingredient list is simple, but the flavors are anything but. Coconut milk, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and plenty of spices slowly meld together as the lentils cook, creating a rich, flavorful curry with just the right amount of warmth. Finished with fresh cilantro and served over rice, it’s a cozy, satisfying meal that practically cooks itself.
Adding vegetables to crockpot lentil curry
If you’re looking to add a few of your favorite veggies, you can just pop them right in the crockpot. Depending on how hard the veggie is, you can either add it at the start, or towards the end of the cooking time.
- Add at the start: Cubed potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, or cauliflower.
- Add at the end: Spinach, kale, green beans, or peas. If you’d like your bell peppers to maintain a little crunch you can add them in the last 20-30 minutes.
What to serve with crockpot lentil curry
Serve on a bed of steaming cauliflower rice or basmati rice with some naan on the side. This lentil curry works as a standalone dish, but if you’d like to add something on the side you can make some curried carrots, chili paneer, or roasted tandoori cauliflower.
A few of your questions, answered
Can I store leftover crockpot curried lentils? You can store it in a covered container in the fridge for 4-5 days. If you’d like to enjoy it beyond that, you can also stash it in the freezer for up to three months. Crockpot lentil curry freezes really well!
Can I use another type of lentil or canned lentils? You sure can – just note that each variety of lentils will have a different cooking time. Green lentils will take about the same time as brown lentils, but red or yellow lentils will cook much more quickly, so they would go mushy if you cooked them for this long. The same goes for canned lentils. As they are already cooked, they’d turn to mush if you tried to use them in this recipe. If you want to use canned lentils, follow our coconut lentil curry recipe, adding the canned lentils without the water and simply heating them.
How do you avoid the lentils remaining tough? Lentils that have been sitting on supermarket shelves or in the pantry for longer will take longer to soften, so check the date and ensure they’re fresh. Add the salt towards the end of the cooking process.
Crockpot Lentil Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dried brown lentils
- 2 tablespoons ginger (minced)
- 1 tablespoon EACH: cumin, coriander, turmeric
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons cayenne powder
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 head garlic (chopped)
- ½ medium onion (finely minced)
- 3 cups water
- 15 ounce can coconut milk
- 2-3 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- Optional: cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Add the dried brown lentils, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, if using the cayenne, crushed tomatoes, garlic, onion, and 3 cups of water in your crockpot. Put the lid on and set the timer for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.1 ½ cups dried brown lentils, 2 tablespoons ginger, 1 tablespoon EACH: cumin, coriander, turmeric, Optional: 1-2 teaspoons cayenne powder, 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 1 head garlic, ½ medium onion, 3 cups water
- Stir the coconut milk, 2 teaspoons of sea salt, cilantro, and cherry tomatoes into the curry. Taste and add extra salt to taste.15 ounce can coconut milk, 1 cup chopped cilantro, A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, 2-3 teaspoons sea salt
- Serve the curry on its own or over a bed of rice.Optional: cooked rice for serving
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
More lentil recipes
For more inspiration, check out all of our curry recipes!
Oh and a veg stick cube as well 😊
I don’t know what it tastes like yet, but I’ve added a couple of chillies and a teaspoon of garam masala. I also had some fresh pumpkin to use up so that’s gone in as well. I might not add the coconut milk but will see how spicy it is when it’s cooked!
Looks fabulous!
Hi! I am excited to make this however, I do not have diced tomatoes. Can I use tomato paste or sauce?
Tomato sauce will work!
Bland, very acidic and lentils a little underdone. Had to doctor it up with a lot more spices. Sorry.
I had the same problem. The turmeric ratio was also too high and the spices gradually burned in the bottom of the slow cooker, increasing the bitterness.
I found that the lentils weren’t cooked after the specified time. I’ve added some sugar, salt, curry powder, and acidity (lemon juice) to mitigate the overall blandness and acidity. My slow cooker is still on high trying to get the lentils to a dahl-like consistency. (My lentils were fresh but I’ve had to add a lot more water.).
Not quite sure where I went wrong with this recipe.
I’m sorry this recipe wasn’t a hit for you.
Hi, I don’t like coconut milk and we’re not vegetarian . Do you think evaporated milk or sour cream would work to put in at the end? Suggestions are welcome!
Heavy cream will give you the best results!
Does the coconut milk go in with the rest of the ingredients at the beginning or do you add it at the end??
We add it at the end so it doesn’t curdle.
So easy and delicious!
Does this freeze well?
Yes this freezes very well!
I cooked my lentil curry for 4 hours on high and the lentils were still crunchy. Cooked an additional 2 hours on high and the brown lentils still never cooked all the way. Also had to use an entire 1.5 oz bottle of curry powder to make it taste anything like a curry. Used a ninja instapot for reference.
Sounds like the lentils you used were old. If lentils are more than 2 years old, they may not soften at all. 6 hours in a pressure cooker would have turned them to mush if they weren’t old. Next time, make sure that the bag of lentils you use hasn’t been in your pantry (or on the grocery store shelf) for too long.
I can only get lentil vertes are these suitable
Yes, they will work!
Can black lentils be used? If yes, what change in the cooking time if any?
Black lentils take a little less time to cook so I would reduce the water and cooking time a little.
Thank you for this amazing recipe! We are at our campsite and I tried this yesterday. Can I tell you how wonderful it was to return to our site after kayaking all day and find this restaurant worthy curry waiting for us?!…oh yum. I did use garam marsala with the turmeric because I adore that spice, but it would have been perfect exactly as written.
Mine tastes….sour, not at all like curry! Any suggestions? Wish I’d read the reviews first and used less turmeric!
Can’t wait to make this but noticed the ingredients listing does not include the 3 cups of water.
We’ve added it to the ingredient list now!