Coconut Red Lentil Curry
Servings: 4 large servings
Calories: 243kcal
This Coconut Red Lentil Curry is ready in about 30 minutes from start to finish! Inspired by the Indian Dahl dish. Red lentils have a quicker cooking time compared to other lentils so it's perfect for a weeknight dinner! Cooked in a creamy golden coconut sauce with butternut squash too. Serve with rice, quinoa or even on it's own. Reheats well and you can even make a double batch for freezing leftovers.
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil divided
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2" piece fresh ginger grated (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 small butternut squash 1 pound, peeled, seeds removed and cut into ½” cubes
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder mild
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- 1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne to add optional heat
- 2 cups water
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk shaken (full-fat or light)
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup optional
Serve With
- naan
- rice or favorite grain
- cilantro
- crushed red pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil, onion, garlic, ginger and butternut squash. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and cayenne (if using). Turn heat up to medium-high, stirring continuously for another 4-5 minutes – add extra oil here as needed.
- Reduce heat to medium; add water and canned coconut milk. Quickly rinse lentils and add immediately to pot. Stir to combine then bring mixture to a simmer, then cover and continue simmering for about 20 minutes, string every 5 minutes. After about 25 minutes, lentils should be soft and mixture creamy.
- Stir in maple syrup (optional), some fresh cilantro if you'd like. Serve with your favorite rice, naan bread, or even on it's own.
Notes
You can use vegetable broth if you'd like, just start with 1/2 teaspoon salt and go from there when taste testing.
If you don't have butternut squash, you could sub sweet potato or even carrots.
Recipe adapted from my Vegan Lentil Curry.
Nutrition info does not include naan or additional toppings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 740mg | Potassium: 571mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 4mg