One of my all-time favorite, easy side dishes is coconut jasmine rice. So, I started thinking that if cooking rice in coconut milk was so good, maybe cooking lentils in coconut milk would be too? It sure was!
I basically followed the same formula: coconut milk, a little garlic, and a little salt. This time I also added a little turmeric for flavor and color. I kept it simple and mild because I wanted to pair it with the Indian Style Creamed Spinach, which was pretty spicy. If you want to dress these lentils up a bit, you could add a little red pepper (which I did for garnish on a couple photos), or maybe even a little cinnamon! Any way you do it, this dish is quick, easy, and delicious.
I’ve been just putting the spinach and lentils in one dish for lunch, heating them up together, and taking them both up in one delicious spoonful. They’re made for each other!
**It’s very important to note that red lentils are different in texture than green or brown lentils. They break down much more and cook faster than the other two. They are like the split pea of the lentil family!
Coconut Lentils
Coconut Lentils
Servings 6Ingredients
- 1 lb. red lentils (about 2 cups) ($2.39)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric ($0.05)
- 1 15oz. can light coconut milk ($1.99)
- 1 1/2 cups water ($0.00)
Instructions
- Place the lentils in a medium pot and gently rinse 2-3 times or until the water runs clear. Drain as much water out after the last rinse as possible.
- Mince the garlic and add it to the pot along with the salt, turmeric, coconut milk, and 1.5 cups of water. Give it a gentle stir to make sure everything is mixed.
- Bring the pot up to a boil over medium-high heat (use a lid to make this faster). Once it is boiling, remove the lid and let it boil gently for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. When most of the liquid is absorbed, turn off the heat and let sit for about 5 minutes to continue to absorb. Taste and season with more salt if desired.
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Nutrition
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Step By Step Photos
Place the lentils in a medium pot and rinse a few times or until the water runs fairly clear. The lentils kind of stick together when wet, which makes it easier to pour the water out when rinsing without all of the lentils falling out.
Mince the garlic and add it to the pot with the salt and turmeric.
Next, add the coconut milk and 1.5 cups of water. Give it a gentle stir to combine the ingredients.
Bring the pot up to a gentle boil over medium-high heat (use a lid to make it boil faster). Take the lid off and let boil/simmer for about 20 minutes.
Or until most of the liquid is abosrbed. It’s okay to stir once or twice to see how much the liquid has absorbed, but don’t stir too much or you’ll get really mushy lentils. When most of the liquid is absorbed, turn off the heat and let them sit and continue to absorb for about five more minutes. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
Mild, creamy, and super savory!
Pairs perfectly with Indian Creamed Spinach and Naan bread to scoop it all up with!
Easy fast and cheap! A simple lentil dish and solid flavors – I added half an onion, half a bell pepper, half a bag of spinach, some black pepper (to go with the turmeric), and a half tsp sugar to bring out the coconut flavor a little more. I ended up using a lot more water than the recipe called for because I wanted mine more soupy. Perfect with naan. Thank you Beth!
Are these split red lentils? I have split red lentils and don’t know how to use them. Thought I would try this recipe with them…
Yes, those lentils would work for this recipe. :)
This was delicious. I definitely needed more liquid to get the lentils completely cooked (maybe half a cup extra water?), but otherwise it came out beautifully. A huge hit, and super-easy.
Hey Beth,
Sorry if this is a dumb question; I have a hunch it might be since others seem to have made this recipe without asking this question but is that 1lb. plus 2 cups of lentils or does 1lb. of lentils equal 2 cups? Help…new vegan and I really want to try this.
That’s not a dumb question at all! In fact, I’m really glad you asked. It looks like when we switched over to a new plugin for the recipes that part didn’t transfer correctly. It’s supposed to be 1 pound lentils, which is approximately 2 cups in volume). I’ll fix it now! Thank you so much!
This has become one of my favorite recipes to make ahead and take for lunch throughout the week! The only change is that I throw in a package of frozen spinach to boil along with the lentils.
I love this recipe. It has become a staple in my recipe box! I add carrots, potatoes, onion and cauliflower before cooking. So good! Thanks for sharing!
I’m wondering how to adapt to Instant Pot…
reduce liquid and cook time, but … how much?
Hmm, not sure. I’d need to do some testing.
Yummy! I added a pinch of red pepper and cinnamon for extra flavor. Quick and tasty.
Hi Beth,
I love this recipe even though I am not a big fan of lentils. I always pair them with your Indian creamed spinach, but somehow I usually have more lentils left over than spinach. I just today figured out what to do with the extra lentils besides freeze them. They make AMAZING daal parantha (I mixed in a few chopped scallions and some crushed red pepper flakes for zing).
http://www.chefdehome.com/Recipes/483/leftover-lentils-breakfast-flat-bread-indian-daal-parantha
Thanks again! I love your site.
Kara
That looks really good!! Thanks for sharing!
This turned out beautifully, Beth! Quick, nutritious, and delicious––I’m sure it will become a go-to family favorite. Thank you for the recipe!
Had these for lunch as I had some in my freezer to use up. I mixed it 1/2 and 1/2 with canned, diced tomatoes and shook a little extra seasoning on top. It was filling and delicious. Such a warming dish, too, as fall is coming. Thanks again!
Turned out nicely, though I did add some extra garlic and a few pinches of red pepper flakes to give it a kick! The dish makes a nice main. I had a cucumber and tomato salad on the side. I enjoyed how the red wine vinegar and the pepper salad dressing complimented the buttery texture of the lentils.
I found this needed a little more flavor, but I’m not used to eating lentils, so it could just be my taste buds. I added more garlic, a little cinnamon as recommended, and some curry powder. I love how easy it is to make, and that I now have lunches for the whole week!
If halving this recipe, what would you recommend for the liquids? Could the lentils be cooked in coconut milk alone?
Yes, if you’re halving the recipe, I’d also cut the liquids in half. I don’t think you can cook the lentils right in the coconut milk because coconut milk has a high fat content, so there might not be enough moisture to soften the lentils. You’d have to adjust the quantity to make sure there’s enough moisture, but I don’t know how much without testing it.
I’m wondering if this could be adapted into some sort of tasty lentil soup? I might even puree it…
I made this a couple days ago, and it was great. The coconut flavor was actually quite a bit milder than I was expecting; partly because of that, I ended up adding a bit of garam masala at the end. (Also just because I love garam masala!) A note to people who’ve been having trouble finding red lentils: Trader Joe’s carries them, and very cheaply. I wanna say I paid something like $1.50 per pound. You can also usually find them at Asian grocery stores and the like.
Hi Beth,
I made the recipe according to the directions, but my lentils didn’t get mushy! They’re red lentils, so is there a big difference in quality among brands perhaps? I’m new to cooking with them.
Strange, red lentils usually get mushy the fastest. I’m stumped!
This was absolutely delicious! I halved the recipe and ate it in like a veggie bowl with sautéed kale, greens beans with carrots and red bell peppers, and quinoa. What a great addition! Thank you. :D
I have some French Green Lentils. I’m honestly just really new to the whole beans/lentils/rice thing. Are they vastly different than red lentils?
Yes, they’re quite different, unfortunately. Green and brown lentils tend to stay intact and are much more firm than red or yellow lentils. Red and yellow lentils break down into a mush quite readily, which is kind of what you want in this recipe. :)
Thank you!
This looks great! I have a lot of yellow split peas lying around that might be going bad soon, do you think I could sub those in this?
Hmm, they’ll have a different flavor for sure, but the texture might be similar.
Tried this recipe and the flavor was really nice, but the texture was a little gritty… Is that just the texture of lentils? Or did I do something wrong?
Hm, I’m not sure. I think I’d have to taste it to see what you mean by gritty.
This is so good! My boyfriend and I love all your recipes we have tried! I agree with the poster above me, a little less liquid would be good :)
I was wondering, I live in an area where I can only seem to find brown lentils. If I wanted to try this dish with the brown (knowing that it likely won’t have the same texture), what changes would you recommend making?
Also, I have loved your blog! The recipes here are just what you say- easy, affordable, and delicious! I can’t wait to buy your cookbook.
I think I would try adding a little less liquid because the other lentils help thicken things up when they break down. It’s hard to say how much without experimenting, though.
Added raisins – mm mmm delicious!
Gonna try this, too. I have the lentils, and coconut. Indeed, I have the all the makings. It’s just great, and so practical, when someone gives you a novel recipe to make out of stuff you have to hand. I’m beginning to become a fan of this site.
Best wishes to all and sundry, 2RM.
So I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog..I have never given this kind of compliment on any other blog before. I love the way you use good/reasonable whole foods and you have an amazing knack for interesting combinations and yet keeping things simple without forfeiting fresh or good ingredients. That said I wanted to give you a recipe you will enjoy tremendously.
In a 6 qt crockpot I add 3 cups Lentils, 2cans coconut milk,1 thin sliced onion, half a bay leaf, grass fed lamb, goat or beef ribs 1-2 lbs. ( slow cooking bones is really nutritious) 6cups water, 1 box frozen chopped spinach,curry powder to your liking I put everything in there and turn it on low and cook until the next night at dinner. Salt this and adjust spices at the end of cooking. This is soooo good for you too. If you like greek yogurt you could add a dolup in each serving. This recipe is good for building healthy teeth and bones too.
MaddyS – Yep, it was probably the coconut milk. The full fat has a lot less liquid :)
Beth, I’m LOVING your blog and so many of the recipes!! This was on my list to make next week, but now I see this comment about the coconut milk. The cans I have are regular/full fat… do you think I could substitute the coconut milk that I buy to drink? Thanks in advance!!
No, I would not substitute the kind of coconut milk that is sold as a dairy substitute. It’s even lighter/thinner than regular canned “lite” coconut milk and I just don’t think it would have enough body or flavor for this dish. You can use the full fat coconut milk (it will taste even more delicious!), but you might want to add a half cup of water or so to help give it moisture. :)
Made these tonight with the spinach. Overall were VERY delicious, however, they did come out very dry. Water was absorbed within maybe five minutes rather than twenty. Used full-fat coconut milk though, would that have been the difference? Thanks for the recipe though, I’ve been making your Indian-style dishes over and over the last couple weeks, love ’em!
I made these last night with the spinach. They were wonderful. I am so happy to have the leftovers for the week.
Delicious! I’m going to dump all the ingredients into my rice cooker and see how it comes out.
There really isn’t a sub for coconut in this recipe. It’s one of the main ingredients… if you used anything else it would be a totally different recipe :)
allergic to coconut, what do i sub
This was delicious but not spicy enough for my taste… I added some sriracha, and it really took it to the next level. DELICIOUS!
I made this tonight for dinner and it was AMAZING.
My husband doesn’t like mushy textures, so I was hesitant to give this to him, but he loved it!
Easy with fantastic flavor!
I have 3 bags of lentils in my pantry and have no idea what to do with them. I’m going to try this out now. awesome.
These lentils were great! Savory with a bit of sweetness! My husband and I didn’t care for the creamed spinach (even though it was a little spicy, we felt it needed more seasoning of some sort), we put the spinach of top of the lentils & they really complemented each other. Thanks for the recipe! :)
Beth, you have totally come up with a basic version of a traditional Sri Lankan dish all by yourself! I’m totally chuffed :D if you like I can do a little research in the family recipes for the Srilankan version to see if there’s anything you’d like to add? Some of the things I remember off the top of my head are sauteed red onion, curry leaves and mustard seeds…
Cheers,
Diyani
Oooh, this looks delicious yet simple. I will make this!
I made this last night for dinner along with the Indian creamed spinach, it was DELICIOUS. I cannot wait to heat up the leftovers for dinner tonight. Thanks for the great recipe!
These were perfect with your Indian Creamed Spinach. The flavors balance perfectly. I just wish I had made naan to go with it. I’ll do that next time. And there will be a next time! Thanks for sharing another great recipe!
What a fantastic idea for preparing lentils! I can’t wait to try out this recipe myself!
Definitely going to try this thanks!
So tonight I tried this. Used green lentils (all I had on hand) and full fat coconut milk (oh, moo! 500 calories in a can!?). I didn’t have time to make the spinach and naan (tomorrow night). I learned that the green lentils take an hour to cook (I kept having to add water), but that overall this tastes awesome! For fun on my second (!) serving I added the tiniest amount of ginger from a tube, and that was really good, too (not so unlike your Dal Nirvana, actually, which is a staple in my diet now). Anyway, this is all to say: GREAT recipe. Will keep! Thanks!
A tip – wait until the lentils are cooked to add salt. Adding it before they are cooked can make them tough!
Oooohh – I think I have everything in the pantry, can’t wait to try this!
Jen – it’s homemade! The link to the recipe is in the comment below the last photo :)
Is the naan in your photos your homemade naan? Or did you get store bought? either way it looks DELICIOUS! so do the lentils of course :)
making this!