Coconut Lentil Curry

This easy-to-make creamy coconut lentil curry is a vegan recipe that makes a perfect meatless Monday dinner. It takes less than an hour (mostly hands-off time) to make and is packed full of delicious Indian flavors. Make extras, and you’ll have a giant smile on your face at lunch the next day.

One reader, Rae, says, “This is one of my staple recipes. So easy to make and delicious. Everyone likes it! ★★★★★ ”

A bowl of flavorful lentil curry topped with white rice, garnished with fresh cilantro, and served alongside a warm piece of naan bread. - 1

I’ve been making this lentil curry for longer than I can count. It’s cozy and always gathers oohs and ahhs at the dinner table.

This lentil curry recipe has been a reader favorite for years. And with almost 1500 reviews, you can bet it will be your favorite, too! It’s a flavorful vegan recipe made with kitchen-staple ingredients.

You guys, this is what curry dreams are made of. This beauty is made in one pot, and it’ll take less than an hour for you to be in coconut curry heaven!

We eat this curry year-round. No matter how hot it is outside, it’s always a good time for a bowl of hot curry. It’s stinkin’ hot in India, and peeps there eat curry all the time. They must be onto something.

Years ago, while backpacking around India for a few months, the locals would always say that eating hot food on a hot day would cool you down. Whether or not that’s true, if you put a bowl of hot curry in front of any of us and it’s a bazillion degrees outside, we’ll still eat it. And really, how could you not?

The original lentil curry recipe

The original recipe comes from a well dog-eared cookbook called, Vij’s at Home . We’ve made a few changes to the original recipe so it suits our taste:

Coconut oil replaces the cooking oil (and we use MUCH less of it)
Coriander seeds replace ground coriander as we love the little pop of crunch they give.
Crushed tomatoes replace fresh tomatoes (so we can be lazy and not blend them)
Harder to find mung beans take a hike and are replaced with brown lentils
Cilantro gets piled on high.
Cherry tomatoes get thrown in during the last few minutes of cooking (because heck, why not?)

Ingredients to make curried lentils

Coconut oil – for sautéing the flavor components.
The flavor – cumin seeds, coriander seeds, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, and sea salt.
Crushed tomatoes – just open a can and pour it in!
Lentils – the star of the show! We use brown lentils , but green lentils work just as well.
Coconut milk – this is what makes the lentil curry wonderfully creamy.
Cherry tomatoes and cilantro – these get stirred in at the end for even more flavor.

Lentil curry variations

While my family loves this recipe exactly as written, it’s also very versatile and easy to play with. Here are some additions that we’ve tried, and a few that our readers have tried:

Add some more veggies: Sweet potatoes, mushrooms, red peppers, or broccoli are great. And spinach stirred in at the end is nice, too.
More protein: Cubed chicken or tofu is a wonderful addition.
Skip the coconut: iI you’re not a coconut fan, you can use whipping cream instead.
Make it into soup: Add some extra water or some chicken or vegetable stock to turn this into soup.

A pot of flavorful lentil curry garnished with cherry tomatoes and fresh cilantro, served alongside a bowl of rice and a small bowl of lentils. - 2

I’ve been making this creamy coconut lentil curry for years, and it never lets me down—cozy, hearty, and packed with flavor right from the pan!

A bowl of lentil curry with white rice, garnished with cilantro and served with a piece of naan bread, is beautifully photographed from above. - 3

This lentil curry has been my family’s favorite for more years than I can count. Served with rice and warm naan, it’s our go-to comfort meal that brings everyone to the table with smiles.

What to serve with lentil curry

Like most curry recipes, this one is great served with basmati rice . You can also serve it with cauliflower rice to get some extra veggies on your plate!

And while this is absolutely a one-pot dinner, if you’d like a side dish, try one of these:

Curried Carrots
Chili Paneer
Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower

Store, reheat, and freeze

This is one recipe that tastes even better the next day AND it freezes excellent. We’ll often make a double batch just so we can freeze half of it. And if you have little ones at home, freezing small portions of this curry is a great way to have quick meals on hand.

In the fridge – This curry will keep well for up to 4 days in a sealed container in your fridge.

In the freezer – Transfer the cooled curry to freezer-proof containers and keep it in your freezer for up to 4 months.

To reheat – We like to reheat this curry on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of water as it thickens overnight. But you can also warm this up in the microwave.

Watch the lentil curry video

This coconut lentil curry recipe is ridiculously simple to make. Five bucks says that you’re going to look at the recipe and think, “No way THIS recipe could be one of the BEST curry recipes.” But it is. For real. It’s so simple to make that we made you a video so you can see just how easy it will be for you to sit down in front of a big bowl of lentil curry.

Subscribe to my channel to watch more cooking videos!

Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry Recipe

Ingredients

▢ 1 tablespoon coconut oil
▢ 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
▢ 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
▢ 1 head garlic (chopped (10-12 cloves))
▢ 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
▢ 2 tablespoons ginger (chopped)
▢ 1 tablespoon turmeric
▢ 2 teaspoons sea salt
▢ 1 cup dried brown lentils (see notes)
▢ 1-2 teaspoons cayenne powder (optional)
▢ 2 cups water
▢ 15 ounce can coconut milk
▢ A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes
▢ 1 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet (I love using my braiser) over medium-high heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and toast until they start to brown, about 45 seconds. Add the garlic to the pot and let it brown, about 2 minutes. 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 1 head garlic, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
Add the can of crushed tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, and sea salt to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the lentils, the cayenne powder (if using), and water to the pot and bring it to a boil. 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons ginger, 1 tablespoon turmeric, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 1 cup dried brown lentils , 1-2 teaspoons cayenne powder, 2 cups water
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Stir the pot a few times to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom. If the curry starts to look dry, add an extra ½ – 1 cup of water.
Once the lentils are soft and the curry is thick, add the coconut milk and cherry tomatoes and bring the pot back to a simmer. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cilantro. 15 ounce can coconut milk, A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, 1 cup chopped cilantro

Last step:

After you make this recipe, take a picture with your phone and share it in the comments section below. I love seeing it when you make my recipes!

Equipment

Video

Notes

Nutrition

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here .

Did you make this?

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A pot of flavorful lentil curry garnished with fresh cilantro and cherry tomatoes, viewed from above. A bowl of rice is partially visible in the corner. - 9

A bowl of lentil curry topped with cherry tomatoes, white rice and fresh cilantro, served alongside a piece of naan bread. - 10

More vegan curry recipes

Eggplant Curry with Chickpeas and Tofu

Vegetarian Vegetable Korma

Banana Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas

Cauliflower Curry with Chickpeas and Peas