Lentil Curry is packed with seasoned veggies and tender lentils simmered in fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and creamy coconut milk.
Try other favorite vegetarian curries like Sweet Potato Curry or Vegetable Curry.
The Best Lentil Curry Recipe
I’ve been all about lentils lately, especially after making this amazing Lentil Soup. My family can’t get enough! With so many lentils on hand, I decided to try something new—Lentil Curry!
It might not look fancy, but it’s packed with flavor and so comforting. The spices add warmth, the lentils make it hearty, and the coconut milk makes it creamy. Plus, it’s budget-friendly since lentils are so cheap!
Ingredients In Lentil Curry
- Butter or Coconut Oil: Helps cook everything and adds flavor.
- Yellow Onion & Carrot: Chop small for a smoother curry.
- Garlic & Ginger: Fresh gives the best flavor, but pre-minced works.
- Red Curry Paste: Some brands are spicier, so start with less if unsure.
- Spices: Cook for a minute before adding liquid to boost flavor.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Fire-roasted add more flavor, but regular work too.
- Granulated Sugar: Skip if your tomatoes are naturally sweet.
- Lentils (Green or Brown): Soak for 15–20 mins for even cooking.
- Coconut Milk: Shake the can to mix the fat and liquid.
- Veggie Broth or Stock: Use low-sodium to control salt.
How To Make Lentil Curry
- Prep Lentils: Soaking helps them cook faster and more evenly.
- Chop the Veggies: A food processor makes chopping quicker and easier.
- Cook Aromatics: Stir often so nothing burns and flavors stay balanced.
- Toast Spices: Cooking spices before adding liquid makes them more flavorful.
- Add Tomatoes & Sugar: Scraping up any browned bits adds extra flavor.
- Add Lentils, Coconut Milk, & Broth: If the curry gets too thick, add a splash of broth. If too thin, simmer uncovered for a few mins.
- Finish: Let the curry sit for 5 mins before serving to bring out the flavors.
Quick Tip
What lentils to use? Brown lentils have a mild, earthy flavor and work great in this curry. Use dried, not canned, for the best texture.
Variations
Switch Things Up
- Make it Spicy: Add up to 3 tbsp of red curry paste, or sprinkle in red pepper flakes or cayenne.
- Thai Flavor: Stir in a little fish sauce at the end (skip for vegan/vegetarian).
- Vegan/Vegetarian: Use veggie broth instead of chicken broth.
- Lighter Option: Use light coconut milk instead of full-fat for this lentil curry.
Storage
Leftovers?
Fridge: Let the lentil curry cool, then store in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of broth if it’s too thick.
Freezer: Freeze in portions in sealed containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Easy Vegetarian Recipes
- The BEST Vegetable Soup with pesto
- Vegetarian Enchiladas with black beans and corn
- Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with mashed potatoes
- Roasted sweet potato Vegetarian Tacos
- Hearty Vegetarian Chili
Lentil Curry
Lentil Curry is loaded with tender lentils, seasoned veggies, and a rich tomato-coconut milk sauce—an amazing vegetarian curry!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or melted coconut oil
- 1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 small onion; 1/2 large onion
- 1 cup finely diced carrot 1 large carrot
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 3 cloves
- 1-1/2 tablespoon finely minced ginger 1-inch piece
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste I use Thai Kitchen, which is vegetarian and mild
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder see note 1
- 1-1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1-1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup uncooked lentils green or brown, see note 2
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk lite or regular
- 3 cups broth or stock; use vegetarian broth or stock to keep this vegetarian/vegan
- 1/3 cup finely diced cilantro
- 1 lemon optional
- Cooked basmati rice optional, see note 3
Instructions
- Measure the lentils and pick over to remove debris or shriveled lentils, then thoroughly rinse with water. Add to a bowl, cover them in room-temperature water and let soak for 15–20 minutes. Prep the veggies: finely dice the onion and carrot; finely mince the garlic cloves and ginger.
- Add the butter or oil to a large pot. Heat to medium and once butter is melted or oil is shimmering, add the diced onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir for 3–4 minutes. Add diced carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 6–8 minutes or until everything is golden. Nothing should be overly browning or burning; if so, turn down heat. While everything is cooking, measure out the spices.
- Add the red curry paste, yellow curry powder, garam masala, paprika, ground coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper; I add 1 and 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to high, stir constantly, and cook for 1–2 minutes or until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Stir and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Add in sugar.
- Thoroughly drain the lentils. Add to the pot along with the coconut milk and chicken or vegetable broth/stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 8–10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer another 5–8 minutes or until curry is thick and creamy and lentils are completely tender. If the mixture thickens too much, add a splash of broth or stock, and if it’s too thin (or lentils aren’t tender yet), increase the heat a bit and simmer without the lid.
- Add in finely chopped cilantro, and if desired, stir in the zest and juice of a lemon. Taste and adjust any seasonings; flavors should sing, so add extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Serve over cooked basmati rice if desired (see note 2) and enjoy hot.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I use McCormick® or Simple Truth® Organic or Great Value® Organic—all of which are very mild. Curry powders vary in spice levels, so add slowly if you are concerned.
Note 2: I use brown lentils in this recipe; green lentils will cook the same. For canned lentils, drain and rinse them; they’ll cook in about 20–25 minutes (uncovered the whole time). Red or orange lentils will cook for about 20–25 minutes (uncovered the whole time). I do not recommend French lentils; they won’t cook correctly in this curry.
Note 3: Here’s how I cook basmati rice:
- Measure the basmati rice (this method doesn’t work with other varieties) and rinse in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear.
- Place the rice in a bowl and cover with water to soak for about 5–10 minutes.
- While rice is soaking, fill a large pot with water and set it to boil.
- Once water is at a rolling boil, drain the rice and add it to the pot.
- Cook, without reducing heat, 5 minutes; drain and fluff with a fork.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.8g | Protein: 16.3g | Fat: 21.4g | Cholesterol: 22.9mg | Sodium: 543.1mg | Fiber: 7.8g | Sugar: 6.8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We have made this twice now and it’s delicious! The first time we had it with naan bread and the second time over rice. The flavors are spot on and it has a nice creamy texture as well.
So happy to hear that!! Thank you France 🙂
I love curried lentils and have eaten them many, many times. This recipe is simply WOW!! Fantasic flavor, great directions. This will become a family favorite💕 Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe!
Yay! Love hearing that; so glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Wow, thanku for sharing this tasty dish!.. my husband taught me how to make so many curries, and I seem to fail most attempts and end up letting him correct it for me in the end haha.. But I made yours last night before he came home and prepared it in my instapot.
After dinner, he says, hey, I noticed you didn’t ask me for help with getting the curry right, I said nope!.. and he loved it of course..Excellent perfect blend of the right spices and ingredients, for the way we like it to taste, amazing flavor, very authentic to me.
So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank you Connie!
I added 1/2 tsp of cayenne for a little extra punch. Fantastic easy recipe!!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Made this dish for dinner yesterday and we all loved it…so full of flavour!
Thank you for sharing💕
You’re so welcome, I’m thrilled this was a hit, thank you!
This recipe was on point! So much flavor! This will definitely be on repeat!
Made this for family yesterday and they all loved it. Young and old. Most went back for seconds. Shared the recipe with family and vegetarian YouTube ppl.
I am thrilled to hear this! Thanks Laurie! 🙂
Good Recipe….but am very frustrated I cannot Pin this recipe on my Pinterest site without going to your recipe box …do not need another place to find recipes. You have a general link to your page but not the recipe and you want us to search again for this one recipe….wtf
This is a great recipe. Very good balance of flavors. I made some changes: cut the curry powder in half, added about a tsp instead of 1.5 tsp of salt, low fat coconut milk, and used one cup of dried lentils. It was a bit watery as I had already cooked the lentils. So maybe I won’t cook the lentils next time or I’ll use less broth. And it made a ton! Leftovers for days!!!!!!!
Cooking the lentils in the curry thickens it a lot (the full fat coconut milk also makes it thicker) so that is probably why it was a bit watery! So glad you still enjoyed it though, thank you so much for the comment Martha!
Excellent curry dish!! Thank you for sharing. Made exactly as listed and will make again. Read recipe all the way through before making as the measurements were confusing at first. The amount of each ingredient is listed again in the instructions which really wasn’t necessary unless you are dividing certain ingredients as part of the cooking process. Just add the amounts in total you’ve already pre-measured and set aside as they are indicated in the instructions. The yellow onion amount didn’t agree between the ingredient list and the instructions which isn’t a big deal but it made me think I was only to put in “portions” of certain ingredients in the beginning.
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks for the tips! 🙂
This is one of our favorite recipes! It’s so easy to make and always comes out tasting perfect. We love it as leftovers too.
So happy to hear! Thanks so much! 🙂