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. 😩)
I made this for the second time last night and added uncooked king prawns to cook in the sauce once I had switched the heat off. Oh wow. This is definitely the best curry recipe ever. It’s going to be my go to recipe for curry and lentils. I used red lentils again and can’t see myself using any other lentil unless I run out of red lentils. Next week I’m going to add in chicken but meat and fish definitely aren’t needed. My husband finished off the prawns so I had the curry for breakfast. I’ve told two of my curry loving friends about this recipe. And it’s oh so easy and ingredients that most of us have. I didn’t have the Cayenne Pepper the first time but it certainly makes a positive difference.
Help! Made this for a friend going through chemo and on autopilot added all the cayenne (I love heat). Just had a bowl. Absolutely delicious… but I think will be too spicy for her little kids 🙁 even with yogurt still quite spicy. Anyway to fix? Could I mix in more coconut milk and reduce again or will it turn to mush?
5 start from me though lol!
I made the lentil curry recipe last night. Wow. So tasty and so quick and easy. I used red lentils as they are my favourite lentils. I wanted a meat free meal but that curry would also be amazing with the addition of either chicken or prawns. It’s also a really cheap but healthy meal.
Hi there. This recipe is delicious but there is a serious flaw in it. You suggest 750 mil of water but what if you are using canned lentils? Unfortunately I got caught out on this and ended up with a very thin soup. Could you please update the tinned lentil option vs water?
I always make this with tinned lentils. I add 2 drained tins of lentils and no water, and simmer it for about 15 mins
I always make this with tinned lentils. I used 2 tins of lentils (drained) and no water, and simmer for about 15 mins
I will comment on this lovely sound recipe once I have cook it later this week
Delicious. I was flabbergasted that one cup of lentils could stretch so far. Will definitely make this again. Don’t skip the yogurt on top.
I just bought your cookbook!!!! Can’t want to try these dishes! They look fabulous!!!
This is a delicious recipe but it does not have a guideline for how much tinned lentils is needed for adjusting portions. The only reference to quantity is way down the notes where it refers to 2 tins. Is that for 5-6 people? What if less? What if more? Guidance gratefully accepted.
The recipe is for 5-6 people unless you adjust using the slider tool, so it’s safe to assume the notes apply to 5-6 people.
Amazing dish!!! This was so easy to make and extremely flavorful. My favorite curry recipe yet! Had apricot preserves on hand and added this for a sweet and savory flavor. Thank you, Nagi!
I was craving a meatless dish with high fiber and protein. Came across your recipe. This was easy and delicious. I’ll be adding it as a recurring dish in our home. Thank you.
I haven’t made this recipe many times and I absolutely love it!! Adding the cilantro and yogurt on top.Absolutely makes it perfect! I have always put brown basmatti rice as a base under the lentils. Could I use black rice with this recipe? Would black rice pair well with this recipe?
Dear Nagi ,I made your lentil curry and loved it the flavours were delicious, I love all of your recipes and have made quite a lot ,I go straight to tineats now for any recipe I need ,many thanks for your recipes and my 3 daughters use your recipes too ,also love your beautiful dozer ,We have always had Golden Retrievers over the years ,but as we have retired and live in a unit we don’t have a dog anymore, Thank you so much Marilou
I often make this for my daughter, she loves it and its quick and easy.
Today I tried it with yellow split peas instead of the normal red lentils. What a near disaster! They just wouldn’t soften? I had a Google and it said if you add salt before the end or your split peas are old, they will stay hard? After an hour of cooking I strained off the liquid and added a cup of red lentils instead, so all good!!
Perhaps a note on the recipe about the split peas?
Not being a fan of Dahl, decided to try this to include more protein in my diet and use up the red lentils in the pantry. Result – this is an incredibly delicious dish. It’s so good, will now be a regular. Thanks Nagi, I’m a convert.
Yum! I served with oven roasted sweet potatoes, pumpkin & carrots delicious!
Can you clarify the nutrition break down as far as serving size ie. per 1 cup or 1/2 cup?
If your local Coles (Aus) has an in house bakery, have this meal with the wholemeal wraps they make. Delicious!
Absolutely amazing
Can I use a yellow curry paste?
Nagi! I just made it and it’s a winner! it was so easy and it’s delicious! 😋 Thank you for sharing. It will definitely be on my list to make our staff at work since we’re all trying to eat more healthy.