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A vegan lentil curry with warm Indian spices! You will love this easy, one pot meal – the perfect plant based recipe for everyone to enjoy. Serve with rice and naan for a hearty meal.
If you’re looking for easy vegan dinner recipes, I’ve got you covered with this simple Indian style curry!
Curry brings me back to when I traveled to the UK (England and Scotland) with some friends a few summers ago.
Over there it’s the real deal with amazing authentic dishes and flavor combinations.
There aren’t many places that serve curry like that around where I live is, but we were inspired to create an Indian style yellow curry recipe that anyone can make at home.
It’s a super simple recipe with ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
An Easy Lentil Curry Recipe
If you love Indian-style dishes, you’re going to love this. I’m betting this vegan lentil curry is going to become a family-favorite.
Lentil Curry Ingredients
- coconut oil
- yellow onion
- garlic cloves – fresh or minced in a jar is best
- freshly grated ginger – fresh is best here, but dried/ground will work in a pinch
- bunch of carrots
- crushed tomatoes (tomato puree)
- water or vegetable broth
- dried brown lentils (or green lentils)
- full-fat canned coconut milk
Spices
- mild curry powder (see notes)
- ground turmeric
- ground coriander
- gourd cumin
- cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt, to taste
Serve With
Garnish with fresh cilantro, serve with rice and naan!
Made in One Pot under One Hour
I love this recipe for a variety of reasons but one main reason being all you need is one pot! (And yes – I adapted this for a Instant Pot too!)
This lentil curry recipe comes together in just a few steps and is ready under one hour.
Step 1 – Cook down onions, garlic, carrots & spices
In large pot over medium heat (love my Staub for this), add 1 tablespoon coconut oil, onion, garlic, ginger and carrots. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in spices and salt, turn heat up to medium-high, stirring continuously for another 4-5 minutes. Add a little extra oil here as needed.
Step 2 – Add tomatoes, water and lentils
Reduce heat to medium; add crushed tomatoes, water and lentils.
Step 3 – simmer and stir
Stir to combine then bring mixture to a simmer, then cover and continue simmering for about 35-40 minutes, string every 10 minutes. After about 40 minutes, mixture should thicken a little.
Step 4 – add coconut milk
Now stir in coconut milk, continue simmering uncovered for 5 minutes on low-medium heat.
Step 5 – Let stand to thicken
Now it’s time to move the pot from the heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes, until curry has thickened more.
How to Make in the Instant Pot
Making this lentil curry in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) is super easy as well! The main difference is you’ll need less water, and BONUS no need to stir while the lentils cook so less hands-on time!
- Add coconut oil, onion, garlic, ginger and carrots to Instant Pot. Use “Saute” mode on low heat, stirring frequently to cook down for about 4 minutes. Add in spices and salt, and a little more oil as needed, stirring continuously for another 4-5 minutes.
- Add in tomato puree, 1 and 3/4 cups water (or broth) and dried lentils. Stir until combined. Secure lid, setting valve to “sealing” and cook on “manual” mode for 13 minutes, then “natural release” pressure cooker.
- Carefully remove lid, stir in canned coconut milk and let curry stand for 10 minutes. Note: the Instant Pot Method won’t be as thick right away, so you can opt to use 1 cup of coconut milk, or just know it will thicken the longer it sits (and once it’s been refrigerated if you have leftovers.)
Adjusting the Spices
Another great thing about this recipe is you can adjust the spices to your liking. I used Watkins brand curry powder which is fairly mild. I also added additional turmeric, coriander, some cumin and cayenne for a little heat.
If you’d like, you can start with just the curry powder, then once the lentils have cooked and you’ve added the coconut milk, taste test and add more spice as you’d like.
Storing Leftovers
This recipe makes a decent batch of about 6-8 servings. Double the batch for leftovers and freeze in an airtight container, up to 6 months.
To Reheat
Allow frozen leftovers to thaw in fridge overnight, and reheat on stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.
Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
PrintEasy Vegan Lentil Curry
Vegan lentil curry with warm curry Indian spices! You will love this easy, one pot meal – the perfect plant based recipe for everyone to enjoy. Serve with rice and naan for a hearty meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 small bunch of carrots, diced (about 1 cup – see notes)
- 2 tablespoons mild curry powder (see notes)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for some heat)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (or sub tomato sauce)
- 2 3/4 cups water* (or vegetable broth, see notes)
- 1 cup dried brown lentils
- 1 (14 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
Serve With
- fresh cilantro for garnish
- rice, quinoa or another grain
- naan
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- In large pot over medium heat (love my Staub for this), add 1 tablespoon coconut oil, onion, garlic, ginger and carrots. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in spices and salt, turn heat up to medium-high, stirring continuously for another 4-5 minutes. Add a little extra oil here as needed.
- Reduce heat to medium; add crushed tomatoes, water and lentils. Stir to combine then bring mixture to a simmer, then cover and continue simmering for about 35-40 minutes, string every 10 minutes. After about 40 minutes, mixture should thicken a little.
- Now stir in coconut milk, continue simmering uncovered for 5 minutes on low-medium heat, then remove from heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes. until curry has thickened more.
- Serve with rice, naan and more fresh cilantro.
Instant Pot Method
- Add coconut oil, onion, garlic, ginger and carrots to Instant Pot. Use “Saute” mode on low heat, stirring frequently to cook down for about 4 minutes. Add in spices and salt, and a little more oil as needed, stirring continuously for another 4-5 minutes.
- Add in tomato puree, 1.75 cups water and dried lentils. Stir until combined. Secure lid, setting valve to “sealing” and cook on high pressure “manual” mode for 15 minutes, then “natural release” pressure cooker for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove lid, stir in canned coconut milk. Let curry stand for 10 minutes. Note: the Instant Pot Method won’t be as thick right away, so you can opt to use 1 cup of coconut milk, or just know it will thicken the longer it sits (and once it’s been refrigerated if you have leftovers.)
Notes
Instant Pot Method: Uses less water than stovetop. Only use 1.75 cups water for Instant Pot. If you want softer lentils (more mushy in texture), set timer for 18 minutes.
adapted from RecipeTin Eats
Keywords: indian curry, lentil curry, vegan curry recipe
Photography by: Erin Alvarez
Claire Zimmer says
This was such a fantastic dinner! My husband and I like to do meatless Mondays so we had our eye on this recipe for a while. It definitely did not disappoint! The spices were perfect and the combination of lentils, carrots, and onion was so satisfying. We paired the curry with jasmine rice, warmed naan and hummus on the side. Will be making this easy recipe again!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Thanks so much for your comment and review, Claire! So glad it was enjoyed.
Stacy says
Delicious! I accidentally added the coconut milk at the beginning – still came out great!
★★★★★
Ashley says
So glad you loved it and it still worked! Thanks for leaving a 5 star review!
SRD says
This is absolutely the best vegan curry recipe I’ve tried. So many fall flat on the flavour (too plain, just curry, etc.), but the spice combination is PERFECT! So creamy and delicious, and SO easy to make. Served with basmati rice and naan. Added some steamed peas when we served it for additional texture. May add some cubed sweet potato next time for a bit of sweetness. Definitely a keeper. Thank you!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Thank you for taking the time to leave a great review! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Michelle says
Great Vegan dish. I didn’t have coconut milk so I made cashew milk and used that for the creamy texture.
★★★★★
Ashley says
Thank you so much for your kind words and review! So glad it was enjoyed 🙂
Kristine says
This dish was so delicious and so easy to make! We didn’t have carrots, but I did add sweet potatoes instead. My husband and I both enjoyed it and will be making it more often! Thank you!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Thank you for your rating and review, Kristine! Glad it was enjoyed 😀
Mike Zuchowski says
I was looking for a light curry dish, and this popped up as an option. I prepared it a day in advance and it came out amazing . If you are lucky enough to have a spice market near by and they blend the powder to order, add your curry powder first, taste, then add the cayenne as needed. Thank you so much for publishing this dish.
★★★★★
Ashley says
Thanks for your kind comment and 5 star review Mike! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Eva says
Thank you for this awesome recipe. Served it over brown rice. Super savory and tasty! Definitely going to make this again. Only thing I added was a healthy sprinkle of sumac on top of my bowl, love the lemony flavor.
★★★★★
Ashley says
Thank you for sharing your review! Glad you liked it 🙂
Lisa says
Do you have the nutrition facts for this? I’m counting macros and would really like to know. Thank you!
Ashley says
Hi Lisa, I will update with approximate info soon. Thanks for your patience!
Bethany says
Could I make this with lentils that were already cooked if I omit the water or broth?
Ashley says
I haven’t tried that myself but if you’re okay with a slightly soupier base, it could work. The lentils absorb some of the coconut milk (and tomatoes) while they’re cooking so it definitely won’t be the same.
Kallen says
I’ve been trying to add some vegan/vegetarian recipes to my regular rotation of meals and this did not disappoint!! Delicious, cheap and easy to make I can’t recommend this recipe enough!!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Thank you so much for sharing a review! I am so glad you’re liking it. This is one of my personal go-to’s as well 🙂