Easy One-Pot Lentil Curry (Vegan)
A hearty lentil curry that's comforting and flavorful. With warm spices and a creamy texture, it's the perfect one-pot weeknight dinner that’s both healthy and surprisingly simple to make.
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Servings: 6
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Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 white or yellow onion diced
- 2-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced or grated
- 1-2 green chili peppers (e.g. jalapeños or serranos) finely diced (optional, to add spice)
- 2 tablespoons salt-free curry powder see notes to blend your own spices
- 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes (quality matters! see notes)
- 1 cup dried brown or green lentils picked over and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk I recommend full-fat, but light is okay too
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- black pepper to taste
Garnishes (optional)
- fresh cilantro
- lime wedges
- vegan yogurt I love Culina or Forager
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil or coconut oil in a pot or braiser over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add diced onion, (optional) diced green chilis, minced garlic and grated ginger and sauté for 5–6 minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Add spices: Stir in curry powder. Cook, stirring often, for about 30 seconds to toast the spices. You can add a splash of water if needed to distribute the curry powder.
- Add lentils and liquids: Pour in crushed tomatoes, rinsed lentils, and vegetable broth (or water). Stir well and bring to a boil.
- Cook lentils: Reduce heat to medium-low to establish a very rapid simmer. Simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes (stirring occasionally to keep things from sticking to the bottom of the pan), until lentils are tender.
- Stir in coconut milk: Stir in the coconut milk, and simmer for another 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened to your preference. I like a thicker curry so I tend to simmer for a full 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to preference.
- Serve: Spoon into bowls, garnish with fresh cilantro and fresh lime wedges if desired. Serve with steamed basmati rice or homemade vegan naan.
Notes
- Substitute cooked lentils: You can substitute 2 (15 oz) cans of cooked brown lentils (or about 3 cups) to save time. Drain and rinse them before adding to the curry. Omit the broth, and reduce the simmering time to about 10 minutes to develop flavor. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
- Substitute red lentils: Substitute in the same volume of dried red lentils. You will be able to reduce the cook time to about 15-20 minutes as they cook faster. The texture of the curry will be much softer because red lentils break down faster.
- Curry powder recommendations: My favorite is the hot curry powder from Rani.
- Full-fat vs light coconut milk: I am a fan of full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest, most takeout-quality results. If you prefer to make the dish a bit lighter, feel free to use light coconut milk, but you may need to simmer the dish a little longer for a thicker consistency.
- Canned tomatoes: If possible, use tomatoes with no citric acid on the ingredients list. This common additive can make the dish taste very sour. Mutti and Cento are my go-to brands for tomatoes as they typically contain only tomatoes (and sometimes a bit of salt).
- Oil amounts: I recommend using the full 2 tablespoons of oil if you want the most takeout-style dish. The oil is what extracts most of the flavor from the aromatics and the spices and provides a richer mouthfeel. For a lighter option, feel free to use less oil.
DIY Curry Blend
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for spice)
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek leaves (optional, but adds a more authentic flavor)
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