Crockpot Lentil Curry
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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 so easy – almost too easy! You can even put all the ingredients in your slow cooker in the evening. Store it in your fridge overnight, then turn it on in the morning before you head out the door. When you come home 8-10 hours later, dinner will be waiting for you!
While the convenience factor alone is worth celebrating, it’s the irresistible fusion of flavors that truly steals the show. The crave-worthy flavors meld together slowly for a well-balanced curry that is as delicious as it is easy to prepare.
Ingredients needed
Crockpot curry lentils are made with a handful of ingredients. This is what you need:
- Brown lentils: You can use green lentils if needed.
- Coconut milk: Use unsweetened coconut milk. Light coconut milk works, or you can opt for regular to make it extra creamy!
- Other ingredients: Fresh ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne powder, can of crushed tomatoes, head of garlic, onion, water, sea salt, cilantro, and cherry tomatoes.
- Optional: Cooked rice for serving.
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.
Recipe FAQs
Can I store leftover crockpot curried lentils?
You can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 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 will have a similar time to brown, but red lentils or yellow lentils will cook much quicker, 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.
What do the whole cumin and coriander seeds taste like?
The cumin seeds meld into the curry, adding flavor but not being too noticeable. The coriander seeds stand out, giving a little pop of flavor 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.
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!
Hi, the 1 1/2 cups of dried brown lentils referred to in the recipe – is this cooked quantity? Thanks
No they expand when cooked. You’ll end up with a much larger amount of food. 🙂
Hi there- could I use red lentils? And do you add the coconut milk at the very end? Will it need to cook any more once it’s been added? Can’t wait to try this recipe- thank you for sharing it
You can but you’ll need to reduce the cooking time and probably the liquid. Red lentils only take 10 minutes to cook on the stovetop. 🙂
Hi, am so making this today. If I’m using red lentils and want to cook on low, how long would you recommend?
I’m sorry about the late reply! Red lentils cook a lot faster than brown lentils. I’ve never cooked them in a crock pot but on the stovetop they only take about 10 minutes to cook. 🙂
Hello
Is there any water to add to the recipe at the beginning ?
Thanks
Sen
3 cups! you’ll see it listed in step #1. 🙂
Would you recommend using vegetable broth instead of water?
That would definitely work!
This looks delicious and I plan on making it this weekend. Wondering if you have any suggestions for how to make it a bit more protein-rich? I was thinking about maybe adding a couple cans of chickpeas but wondering when I should add them (at the beginning or wait until the end to stir in?). Also open to any other veg-friendly protein addition suggestions. Thanks!
You could absolutely add some cooked chickpeas. I would stir them in at the end with the coconut milk and simply warm them.
If I want to double the receipt for a large crowd, would I double all the spices or would that be to much spice.
This recipe doubles well. Simply double all of the ingredients. And use a big pot!
Hello! If I am going to add bell pepper and mushrooms (and maybe spinach), when would I put them in the crock pot?
You could put the peppers and mushrooms in at the beginning. I would hold off on the spinach until the lentils are cooked and simply stir it in right at the end.
The mushrooms and pepper can go in at the beginning. (Although if you opt for 8 hours cook time the peppers will be very soft.) I would stir the spinach in right at the end. 🙂
Lentils stayed hard! I think because of the tomatoes.
Check the date on your bag of lentils. The only time I’ve had trouble with lentils staying hard is when they’re old. 🙂
Hi, one question: are the cumin and coriander ground or seeds? I just checked your stove top recipe (after I put ground in the slow cooker because the quantities seemed like a lot once I added it) and that says seeds? I hope I haven’t spoilt it by using ground?
I usually use the whole seeds but ground work well, too!
So excited to make this! Quick question – how large does the crock pot need to be? Mine’s a handmedown, looks like it’s about 4-5 quartz. Will this recipe fit? Thanks!
It’ll fit in yours!
If I soak the lentils ahead of time should I use less water?
I’ve never tried it with soaked lentils, but I assume that they would need less water. You can always add a little in the beginning and add more if the pan looks dry.
This is a great base. I subbed tomatoes for canned okra and cron I needed to use and added turkey sausage and plenty of hot sauce.
Such great ideas!!
We loved this recipe–all four of us, including my 7-year-old daughter. I followed it as written except that I doubled the recipe but only used ONE can of full fat coconut milk. It was perfect for us this way. We liked it even better with a little brown rice. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Have you ever used any legumes other than lentils with this recipe? I have a bag of dried chickpeas in the pantry and I wonder if that would work with this recipe.
I haven’t used chickpeas before. I would cook them first as they take much longer to cook. Then make the recipe as is without adding the water and simply stir in the cooked chickpeas. 🙂
My daughter recently went vegetarian and I was excited to try this as an alternative to beans and pasta, and I loved that it also was cheese-free. This was so easy, so tasty, and so different from everything else I make. We had it over rice last night for dinner, and I enjoyed it by itself today for lunch. This is definitely going into the rotation!
I’m so happy everyone loved it!
What is a normal serving size, when you make this recipe?
I’ll have to measure next time I make the recipe. My guess would be about 2 cups. 🙂
Hi. Just made the lentil curry. Worked out very nice. We are not vegans but eat a lot of fruit and veg. My husband loved it with potato gnocchi.
Can you freeze the curry?
Thank you
Good call on serving it with gnocchi!
And yes, it freezes beautifully!