This lentil recipe is an eye opener – an incredible creamy coconut Lentil Curry made with just TWO spices! It’s a streamlined version of Indian Dal, delivering a similar intoxicating curry flavour but a whole lot less complicated. Make this with any type of dried lentils, canned, or even split peas!
Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you. This is knock-your-socks-off good, and proof that you can eat amazing food on a budget.
“I’ll be honest and say I thought this would be lacking in flavour because I’m used to trying curries from scratch rather than with curry powder……How wrong was I?? I apologise wholeheartedly Nagi!! Amazing recipe, please try this people. Tasty, easy, mind blowingly awesome. xx” – Emily, 10 April 2020
Lentil Recipe – easy – mega flavour!
I know it’s childish of me to complain, but this Lentil Curry took an irritatingly long time to create.
I wanted simple. Minimal ingredients. And meat-free. Not like, say, this more complex (but equally delicious) Beef and Lentil Soup.
Quick to make. Very little chopping, very few ingredients.
A “go to” lentil recipe I could make any night that didn’t sacrifice flavour for speed.
And it had to stack up to real Indian Dal. I love it. I just don’t always have the time or everything I need to make it.
I knew it was a pretty high benchmark. Creating kapow! flavours out of plain lentils without going crazy with a list of spices.
But finally, I’m happy – and ready to share. Here it is!! (And just TWO SPICES!!)
Two little steps make all the difference…..
The key to cooking amazing food with bare minimum ingredients is good produce and knowing what to do to extract the most flavour out of what you have.
For this recipe, we’re going for the latter. We take our time sautéing the onions, ginger and garlic so they transform from raw harshness to a sweet, savoury flavour base. Then we cook off the two spices to make the flavour bloom.
These two little steps make all the difference so we only need water for this curry, no stock!
What goes in Lentil Curry with Coconut Sauce
Here’s what you need:
Lentils – use any dried lentils or canned here. Brown, green, red, yellow, whether split or whole OR any type of dried split peas. Green split peas will result in an an interesting colour in your pot, but it will still be phenomenally delicious. Just avoid French lentils (Puy lentils / black lentils) as they don’t soften as well as other lentils so you won’t get the same creamy, thick texture.
Curry powder – This is the main shortcut, The beauty of this is that you don’t need any fancy curry powder, just your run-of-the-mill jar from the grocery store. I’ve made this with Clives of India, Keens, and a generic brand and they all tasted just as good. Just be mindful of using SPICY curry powder – check the label!
Garlic and ginger – while fresh is ideal (followed by jarred), powder is a sufficient substitute;
Coconut milk – if you use low fat instead of full fat, you are not allowed to complain if your sauce isn’t as good as you hoped!😂
How to make this lentil recipe
And here’s how to make it. It takes about 50 minutes start to finish, but the active effort is only around 10 minutes – and there’s a nice flow to it because you can gather and measure ingredients while you stir the onions every now and then.
The Secret to an amazing Lentil Recipe
The key step here is sautéing the onions, garlic and ginger over a low-ish heat until tinged with gold, and they transform into a sweet, savoury flavour base for the sauce so we only need water instead of stock or broth.
Then we also cook off the curry powder and turmeric which lets the spices bloom before adding the lentils and everything else in to simmer away.
Just LOOK at that incredible sauce! So creamy! Loaded with flavour! (There are not enough exclamation marks in this world!!!)
What to serve with lentil curry
A sauce this good demands rice to soak it up, though if you’re on a low carb kick then cauliflower rice will work a treat. Basmati is on theme (being a curry and all) though plain white rice or brown rice is just fine too.
And if you really want to go all out, add a side of flatbread: Either real-deal naan or my general-purpose flatbread (an easy, no yeast recipe and I serve it as naan all the time with Indian curries).
Now, go forth and experience the greatness that is lentils!! Economical, filling, nourishing – the world’s greatest source of plant based protein, all wrapped up in a coconut curry sauce. YESS!!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Lentil Curry – mega flavour lentil recipe!
Ingredients
- 50g (3 tbsp) butter , unsalted (sub 2 tbsp neutral oil)
- 4 garlic cloves , finely minced (Note 1)
- 1.5 tbsp ginger , finely minced (Note 1)
- 1 onion , finely chopped (white, yellow, brown)
- 2 tbsp curry powder , mild or spicy (your choice!) (Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp tumeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , optional
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup dried lentils , green or brown (or any other dried lentils or split peas, Note 3)
- 400 ml / 14 oz coconut milk , full fat
- 400g/ 14 oz canned tomato , crushed or diced
- 3 cups (750 ml) water
Serving:
- 1/2 cup coriander/cilantro , finely chopped
- Yogurt , optional
- Basmati rice (or other rice)
Instructions
- Saute onion: Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Slowly cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes until tinged with gold and the onion is sweet.
- Cook off spices: Turn heat up to high, add curry powder and turmeric, stir for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Add everything else: Add remaining ingredients and stir. Bring to simmer, then place lid on and adjust heat to low / medium low so it's simmering gently.
- Simmer: Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes to reduce the sauce. {Note 2 for cook times of other lentils}
- Lentils should be soft, sauce should be thickened and creamy. Too thick, add water. Too thin, simmer with lid off – thickens quickly.
- Coriander: Stir through half the coriander, then taste and add more salt if needed.
- Serve over basmati rice, sprinkled with more coriander and a dollop of yogurt. (Low carb option – cauliflower rice).
Recipe Notes:
- Green and brown lentils – most common & cheapest, cook per recipe
- Canned lentils (2 cans drained) – 25 min, uncovered the whole time
- Red split lentils – 25 min, uncovered the whole time
- Yellow or green split peas – 25 min, uncovered the whole time
- Any dal (Indian lentils) such as channa dal, toor dal or moong dal – per recipe
- French lentils (Puy lentils / black lentils) – not recommended as they don’t soften as well as other lentils so you won’t get the same creamy, thick texture.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Dozer in lockdown mode. This is what passer byes see.
(Don’t worry, he still gets out once a day to the dog park! He just doesn’t go out as much as he used to. Like all of us. 😩)
Another delicious recipe, it was a little to spicy for my kids, but i added some coconut cream on top of their serves.
the only thing that i found was i needed to cook it longer than the suggested time, i used moong dhal, thank you!
Hiya Nagi, accidentally I bought coconut cream instead of coconut milk. Is that still alright? Tia
That will be fine Mae! I would hold back 3 tablespoons as it is richer, and you may need to add a touch of water at the end as it may be thicker 🙂 N x (Use the reserved coconut cream to make the eggplant curry I just published!!)
So yummy! My home smells amazing right now, I just wolfed down a big serving (in my haste I forgot to add yoghurt – whoops, tomorrow night!) I added in some chopped capsicum, cauliflower and carrot. Like another commenter, I found I had a lot of liquid at the end (also used two tins of lentils rather than dried) so had to leave it bubbling for a bit longer, but no biggie. Thanks Nagi!
Another amazing recipe Nagi! I was doubtful that it would have enough flavour, with only 2 spices (though none of your recipes have ever lead me astray) but it was PERFECT! So delicious, and the addition of coriander added an extra boost of yumminess. Thanks so much for producing consistently delicious recipes for me and my family!
I just made this with red lentils (my fave) and I followed the recipe almost exactly (I didn’t have chopped tomatoes so I used the same quantity of passata, I used an extra half cup of red lentils because I love them so much and I added a pinch of chilli flakes) and it is absolutely delicious!! I’m so glad I found it!! Thank you
Funny how you start by saying you followed the recipe exactly, then go on to list all the changes you made.
He said almost exactly.
My new favourite! I use oil and 270ml tin of coconut cream instead. Tried with lentils to start and now I just add anything. And everything I have. Yesterday we had lots of brocolli stems and left over celery, in the pot it goes. Just the most versatile recipe base I’ve come across. Thank you!
This was delicious! Thanks for this fabulous recipe….it’s a keeper
Tomato allergy…. substitute for the tomatoes or can you leave them out?
Hi R, sorry the base of this curry is tomato and is required for this recipe. N x
This was so tasty and super easy. Been loving making your recipes, this has been my favourite so far but the irish beef stew is a close second
Made the lentil curry. Simply divine. I added two cubed potatoes because I like potatoes in a curry. Cooked it uncovered for a bit longer, say 20 minutes to reduce and thicken the curry. Thank you, Nagi.
Sounds amazing Maria! N x
Hi Nagi, could you make this with dried chickpeas? Thank you
Hi Dani, you could but you’d have to soak them overnight before cooking with them 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi
I have cooked lots of your recipes and this one was your best, loved it. I had some left over cooked baby potatoes which I threw in to. You are the best. Thank you. ❤️😀😀
Oh my goodness, this dish was sooo good. It was easy to make too. Another winner, Nagi!
Wahoo, thanks Gigi! N x
Didn’t even miss the meat! I added a splash of cream at the very end and about 2 tsp of garam masala. It was even better as leftovers for breakfast!
Perfect Coral! N x
Can this be made ahead please
Hi Vicki, yes 100%! N x
Can I skip or use a substitute for coconut milk?
I made this last night and it was delicious! I’ll be making another batch and freezing it ready for quick meals after work.
I only used 1/4 teaspoon of salt though and this was more than salty enough! Especially when served with popadoms. So I would caution against using the amount in the recipe and say just add to taste.
Wonderfully simple and delicious! Satisfying winter meal.
Stunningly delicious recipe! Just cook it! Your website is now my favourite, Nagi. Every recipe is a winner.
Hi
I have a question irrelevant to the receipe, I see you are using Creust? Is it really worthy, knowing that the it is expensive, do you advice to make this investment?
Thanks 🙏
Hi Loub, I use Chasseur pots – worth every cent in my opinion!!! They last a lifetime! N x