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This Vegan Lentil Curry is quick, easy, and healthy. This vegetarian curry recipe made with Indian spices, tomatoes, and brown lentils.
Featured with this recipe
This Lentil Curry has become one of our weeknight rotation dinners. It is so easy to make and it tastes so good. Curry is one of my comfort foods. I just love all the warm delicious spices. We don’t eat vegetarian or vegan all the time, but in trying to reduce our meat consumption, we found that lentils are a great source of protein! This recipe is one of our favorite ways to enjoy lentils.
Ingredients in Lentil Curry
- Aromatics – Yellow onion, garlic, and ginger cooked in coconut oil make up the flavor base of this recipe.
- Spices – The spice blend for this lentil curry recipe includes cumin, turmeric, garam masala, and curry powder.
- Crushed Tomatoes – Crushed tomatoes make up part of the broth and cooking liquid for the lentils. You can also use whole peeled tomatoes and crush them yourself.
- Lentils – For this recipe we use brown lentils. You can also use green lentils or red lentils. Red lentils cook up in a little bit less time, so be sure to adjust the cooking time if you use them.
- Vegetable Broth – Vegetable broth provides cooking liquid for the lentils. It will get absorbed as the lentils cook.
- Coconut Milk – Coconut milk makes this dish so creamy. Don’t forget to shake the can before you open it!
- Toppings and Serving Suggestions – We serve this dish over basmati rice with cilantro leaves, plain yogurt, and naan bread.
Variations
Make this recipe your own with some of these suggestions, or let us know in the comments how you make your lentil curry.
- Toast some coriander seeds along with the aromatics.
- Make your curry even more nutritious by adding in more veggies. We love adding sweet potatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, or butternut squash. Add in the chopped veggies before you simmer the curry.
- To give the curry an even creamier texture, use an immersion blender to blend some of the lentils.
- Add cayenne pepper for a little spice!
- Add more protein by adding cooked chicken or shrimp.
- Garnish with a bit of fresh lemon juice for some freshness.
Recipe Tip
The spice mix for this lentil curry is so yummy. Don’t skip any of the spices, they all have such unique and complex flavors. If you can’t find the spices at your grocery store, then try ordering them online or looking at an Asian market.
Questions
Lentils have some great health benefits. Almost ⅓ of the calories in lentils come from protein. They also contain lots of fiber which helps with digestion. To make this recipe even healthier, you can serve it over cauliflower rice and use light coconut milk instead of full-fat coconut milk.
In this recipe, no. You can add the lentils raw and they cook in the curry sauce. Just make sure to rinse and drain them well.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I think it tastes even better the next day! Leftovers will stay good for up to a week in the fridge. You can also freeze lentil curry. Just thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
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Vegan Lentil Curry
Equipment
- Large Skillet with Lid
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 inches fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup brown lentils rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can of coconut milk
- salt and pepper
- cilantro for garnish
- cooked basmati rice for serving
- naan bread for serving
- plain yogurt not Greek yogurt, for serving
Instructions
- Make your spice blend. Add cumin, curry powder, garam masala, and turmeric to a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the spice mix and stir until everything is coated.
- Add vegetable broth to skillet. Stir it around and scrape up any bits that are cooked onto the bottom of the pan. Add tomatoes and lentils.
- Cover and turn the heat to medium low. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are soft. If the mixture needs more liquid during the simmer, add some more vegetable broth.
- Add coconut milk and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice with cilantro, yogurt, and naan bread.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include rice or naan.
- If you can’t find the spices at your grocery store, then try ordering them online or looking at an Asian market.
- Add cayenne pepper for a little spice!
This vegan lentil curry is packed with flavors because of the amazing Indian spices. Must-try!
Looks amazing! Perfect recipe for rainy days we’ve been having. If adding more protein like chicken, do I adjust any of the ingredients for the creamy sauce?
You shouldn’t have to adjust the sauce to add chicken! If it is looking a little dry you could add some coconut milk.
This was such an amazing recipe and I love the flavor so much! thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.