I’ve been trying to brain storm up some easy plant-based meals lately, and this week’s creation was these Creamy Coconut Curried Lentils with Spinach, which are kind of like the creamy cousin of my Curried Chickpeas with Spinach. I swapped out the canned chickpeas for quick cooking lentils, and instead of a tomato-based curry sauce, I went with a super rich creamy coconut sauce, that pairs oh so well with the earthy lentils and heady curry spices.
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As you can see in the photos, I paired these Creamy Coconut Curried Lentils with my Curry Roasted Carrots and some naan. The sweetness of the carrots balances perfectly with the earthy lentils. If you’re not up for making an entirely separate side dish, you can even just slice up a few carrots and let them simmer along with the lentils in the skillet!
Make it Spicy or Mild
This recipe is really easy to make either spicy or mild and tastes fantastic either way. Curry powder can be either hot or mild, so make sure you know which type you’re buying. If you have a mild curry powder and want your coconut curry lentils to be spicy, simply add a little cayenne pepper, or top the cooked dish with a few red pepper flakes. Or, if you’d like to try to make your own curry powder, try this recipe for Easy Homemade Curry Powder from Spiceitupp.com.
What Type of Lentils Should I Use?
Brown lentils are the best for this dish because they hold their shape through simmering, unlike red or yellow lentils, but still cook really quickly, unlike green lentils. Brown lentils are sometimes just labeled “lentils” in the U.S., so just check the recommended cooking time on the package. If it says simmer for about 20 minutes, you’ve got the right type of lentil!
Is There a Substitute for Coconut Milk?
Heavy cream or half and half can be used in place of the coconut milk in this recipe, although you probably won’t need quite as much as the coconut milk used. Stick to about 1/2 cup for the heavy cream or 3/4 cup for half and half.
Creamy Coconut Curry Lentils with Spinach
Servings 4 1.25 cups curry lentils + 1 cup riceIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.24)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.10)
- 1 small yellow onion ($0.21)
- 1 Tbsp curry powder* ($0.30)
- 1 cup brown lentils (dry) ($0.67)
- 2 cups vegetable broth** ($0.26)
- 1 13oz. can coconut milk ($1.99)
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach ($1.61)
For Serving (optional)
- 4 cups cooked rice ($0.60)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro ($0.15)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and dice the onion. Add the olive oil, garlic, and ginger to a deep skillet, Dutch oven, or soup pot. Sauté the garlic and ginger over medium heat for 1 minute, or just until the garlic becomes soft and fragrant.
- Add the diced onion to the skillet and continue to sauté over medium until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the curry powder and continue to sauté for about one minute more to toast the spices.
- Add the dry lentils and vegetable broth to the skillet. Stir to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After simmering for 20 minutes the lentils should be tender and most of the broth absorbed. Add the can of coconut milk and stir to combine. Turn the heat back up to medium and allow the skillet to come back up to a simmer. Let it simmer without a lid for an additional 10 minutes, stirring often, to thicken the mixture.
- Once thickened, turn the heat off. Add the fresh spinach and stir gently until the spinach has wilted. Taste the mixture and adjust the salt or curry powder to your liking, if needed.
- Serve over a bowl of rice, and top with chopped cilantro if desired.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Creamy curried lentils – Step by Step Photos
Mince two cloves of garlic, grate about 1 tsp fresh ginger, and dice one small onion. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, the minced garlic, and grated ginger to a deep skillet (a Dutch oven or soup pot will also work). Sauté for about one minute, or just until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
Add the diced onion and continue to sauté until the onion is soft and translucent. Once the onion is softened, add 1 Tbsp curry powder. Continue to sauté for one minute more to toast the spices.
Add 1 cup dry brown lentils to the skillet…
Along with 2 cups of vegetable broth. I use Better Than Bouillon, which contains a fair amount of salt. If your broth doesn’t have a lot of salt, you may need to add some to the dish at the end to help the flavors pop.
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and let it come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes (with the lid on). After 20 minutes the lentils should be tender and most of the broth absorbed.
Stir in one 13oz. can of coconut milk.
Turn the heat back up to medium and let it come back up to a simmer. Let it simmer for 10 more minutes, without a lid, stirring often. This will break down the lentils a little more and reduce the coconut milk a little, making it thicker.
Turn the heat off and add about 3 cups (or three handfuls) of fresh spinach to the skillet.
Gently stir and allow the residual heat to wilt the spinach. Once wilted, give it a taste and adjust the curry powder or salt if needed.
And then it’s ready to serve! I like to serve my Creamy Coconut Curry Lentils over rice to soak up all that delicious creamy curry, but it’s also great with Naan and Curry Roasted Carrots.
And of course I meal prepped this. :)
OMG!! This is so darn good!!! I didn’t have any spinach or coconut milk. So I improvised and diced up fresh carrots and used coconut cream. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!
So delicious!! I added diced potatoes and carrots to pot and it was very good! Excited to make this again!
Could you add cauliflower?
That would be delicous!
Made this for a pot luck, was delicious, everyone enjoyed it. Will definitely make it again. Only difference I did was use coconut cream instead of coconut milk, to make it richer. The silverbeet leaves I used from my garden ended up being a little bitter, so I put in half a lemon juice to balance it out. was perfect. Thank you
Can you use green lentils
Green lentils take about 15 more minutes to cook than brown, so if you choose to do that you may need a bit more liquid to compensate for extra evaporation and absorbtion.
Just made this and it is delicious! Thank you.
This is absolutely delicious! None of the fresh spinach looked good when I was shopping, so I used about 1/2 cup of frozen chopped spinach instead, added the same time as the coconut milk. It worked beautifully (and made the dish even less expensive).
Do you think this would freeze well?
We haven’t tried it but I think it would!
I’m excited to make this except I happen to get the ick from spinach, do you think kale would be a good substitute? Or another green?
Any greens you like should work fine!
INCREDIBLE! I’m writing this review as I’m finishing up my last spoonful of basmati rice and coconut curry lentils. I only changed two things: 1) I didn’t add spinach and 2) I added a can of coconut cream instead of coconut milk because that was what I had on hand. I’ll me making this every week! Thank you for an extremely tasty and easy recipe!
Ooh, this recipe was so good! Hubby kept adding more to his plate, and 2 out of 3 kids ate it willingly ;) (and number 3 doesn’t really ever like anything, so he doesn’t count). The addition of the roasted curried carrots that are linked in the description was amazing – wish I had made more! We will definitely be adding this to the rotation. Thanks for creating such a simple and yummy dish!
I used dehydrated spinach that I had on hand, since I didn’t have fresh, and I just added it partway through cooking the lentils. Probably could have added it when I added the coconut milk as well – but it rehydrated well, in case anyone else is wondering about something like that!
This recipe is delicious exactly as specified! I have a question about the coconut milk. My supermarket gives me two options, coconut milk and unsweetened coconut milk. I scrolled through many of the comments but couldn’t find the answer. Thanks for your guidance. Also, what is the default coconut milk for your recipes?
Hi Mary, we’re not loyal to a specific brand, but we use canned full-fat unsweetened coconut milk, not the kind in a carton that you’d find by the other milks. :)
This was delicious! The whole family loved it. I added chickpeas and carrots to bulk it up for my meat eaters. I often try recipes that are just ok, but this one is a winner and going in the regular rotation! Thanks!
20/10, so easy and good. I used split red lentils for faster cooking.
Does this recipe use full fat coconut milk?
Yes :)
Easy weeknight meal that is delicious and filling.
This was delicious! I made it exactly as the recipe called for, but at the end I wanted a little extra richness so I added about 1/2 a can of cream of coconut and a little extra curry. It definitely took it up just that extra notch that I was wanting. Great easy recipe. Thanks!
I made this as a weekly meal prep and it turned out delicious! I made this with rice roasted sweet potatoes.
This recipe is so simple and so shockingly delicious. I make it for lunch for the week all the time. Thank you!
This is literally amazing and it couldn’t have been easier to make. Such a comforting and flavorful vegetarian meal! This was the second recipe I have tried from this website and both times I have been really happy with the exciting flavors and the recipes being simple and quick enough for weeknights
Fantastic recipe! I added a serrano and used green lentils since I didn’t have brown and it still turned out great. I cooked them in the instant pot for 9 minutes followed by immediate pressure release.
Simple. Delicious.
This was so delicious with lime and naan! I will definitely be making it again.
I am making this as we speak, for the second time. I eat it with buttered naan, Greek yogurt, and LOTS of lime to make it extra flavorful. Great nourishing recipe :-)
I make this all the time, at least once a month. I just throw the carrots in with the onions. Also threw in some diced sweet potato recently, which was delicious.
A pro tip that I only just realized makes this 10x better is to drizzle some lime juice over the top when serving. It’s the missing ingredient I didn’t know was missing, really takes it up a notch.
Thanks to all who mentioned it freezes well. Always my first question :)
Is it possible to make this in a slow cooker? I don’t know how to adjust cooking times when changing the cooking method. Thank you.
We actually have a very similar recipe that was developed specifically for the slow cooker. I would suggest using it (or combining the ingredients from this recipe with the cook times/instructions for the slow cooker version) instead! Stir in the spinach at the end when you add the coconut milk so it doesn’t overcook. Here’s the link: https://www.budgetbytes.com/slow-cooker-coconut-curry-lentils/
This. Is. A. Favorite!
I love how the house smells when I make this warm and cosy meal. I always bump up the veg and saute diced celery and carrots with the onion, and often make a double batch so we can eat a family meal & have left overs for lunch (or to freeze for next time) #Yummo
Delicious. Followed the recipe except I doubled the curry and added extra ginger. I also added tumeric and cumin. Loved it with the BB curry carrots.
I love this recipe!! So simple yet incredibly flavorful and delicious. It makes a lot and freezes well. I can’t wait to share this one. Wish I could attach picture. I did roasted cauliflower with mine and it was delicious. House smelled incredible!
I am a huge budget bytes fan and I have to admit, this is one of my very favorite recipes. It’s so easy, absolutely delicious with rice, AND it freezes and re-heats beautifully.
I did not have cilantro so I subbed in mint from my garden an it added really great flavor to the dish. Mint is such a great compliment to curry.
This comes together quickly and was absolutely delicious! Simple ingredients I’m bound to have on hand. I served with basmati rice, roasted cauliflower and garlic naan. I look forward to making this for friends.
Thank you,
Laura
This is my non-vegan partner and friends’ favorite vegan dish! I usually have it with Trader Joe’s frozen naan and samosas.
Hi! Could I sub spinach for kale? Also, do the nutritional estimates include the rice & cilantro? Thanks!
You could use kale, but it needs to cook much longer than spinach, so I’d probably add it with the lentils and let it simmer in the broth a bit. The nutrition estimates include everything in the ingredient list, so that does include the rice and cilantro. :)
So good! I grew up in a “meat and potatoes” household, so I am always excited to try new plant-based recipes. This one was a definite winner for me. I don’t like onion, so I left it out and didn’t feel like I was missing anything. I also used quite a bit more spinach than the recipe called for because I had a big bag of it that needed to get used up ASAP. Yum! Healthy and delicious!
Really delicious! Added cayenne and Jamaican hot curry powder. Inflation on groceries is terrible right now so trying to find recipes that don’t break the bank but aren’t boring. Well done!
Love this and make it fairly often. I always add garam masala, some Thai green curry spice, turmeric and cayenne. I had to make a lot of food this week so I doubled the recipe and also added chickpeas and a can of diced tomatoes. So good!
Ridiculously tasty and easy. Only subs I made were using chicken bouillon made into broth instead of vegetable broth, and using the white bottoms of green onions (about 6-8) instead of an actual onion. Much easier than my usual lentil curry and just as delicious. Looking forward to the leftovers and will be making this again!
Great! Serve over rice with the curried carrots, a spritz of lemon juice and a side of fruit.
Please add to your app!!
Another incredible recipe from budget bytes! Truly haven’t found one I’ve disliked yet!
Tried this recipe as well as the Dal Nirvana and this one was my favorite!
Very simple and nutritious paired with curried carrots
Im not vegan myself but I like that I can make good vegan food if not for me but for friends or those with dietary restrictions.
Delicious! I made this with some black lentils that I had on hand and used chicken broth for the same reason. My husband liked it as well even though he’s not a huge spinach fan. I will definitely make this again.
Another banging recipe (that’s a good thing)! Thank you so much. I followed the recipe to the letter and love it. I served it over white rice and had two portions! I’m a carnivore by choice, but this recipe was lovely and I was happy with how it turned out. I read some of the other comments and I do think this would be good with chickpeas as well, but I am very happy with the brown lentils here. I froze two portions in my Souper Cube, which allows you to freeze food in small rectangle blocks for easy storage in the freezer.
I’ve been trying some vegan options as my mom comes to visit and is vegan and gluten-free. Thank you for another vegan recipe I’ll have in my arsenal mainly with pantry items ready to go. I appreciate it.
CanI use red lentils instead?
I don’t suggest red lentils for this one because they break down really quickly when cooked so you’ll end up with more of a mush instead of whole lentils.
Would this dehydrate well for a backpacking meal?
Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with dehydrating food so I’m not able to offer any advice.
When you dehydrate food that contains oil it’s not such a good idea. In thus recipe for example, the olive oil and the vegetable broth. The oil left over can cause food to go rancid depending in how long you intend to store it.
Baby’s First Lentils!! Haha I never ate or made lentils before but wanted to for a while now since they’re so good for you. Finally made this recipe and it was a great one to start with in my opinion. Few ingredients and only a few simple steps. Easy peasy. I think I let it cook off at the end a little too long fearing I had too much liquid left, and then felt like I didn’t have enough liquid, but whatever sauce I did end up with was tasty. I added a bit more curry when I tasted it at the end because ours is a fairly mild Jamaican Curry. The flavors were mellow but tasty. I felt like you could tell lentils might not taste too great on their own so the flavors are important and these worked really well. I served over jasmine rice and even though I was a little apprehensive about not liking it I found myself easily finishing a bowl and reaching for seconds. The three people I lived with who are not lentil eaters liked it too. Recommended!
I could NOT find brown lentils in my grocery store. Has anyone had success subbing in something else? How did you adjust the directions, and how did it turn out?
If you need to use a different type of lentil, just check the cooking instructions on the package. Take note of the amount of time that it suggests for simmering or boiling the lentil and then use that as a guide for step 4 when you’re simmering the lentils in the broth. Depending on the type of lentil used, you may need more broth, so just keep an eye on it and add more as it simmers if it begins to get too dry.
Brown lentils are the most common type and in the US are usually just called lentils. They will be a mottled greenish brown color. Sometimes they are called green lentils but they are different from French green lentils. It can be really confusing until you know what they should look like.
If I run out of lentils, could I use split peas or something else to sub in?
Split peas break down very quickly so this would turn more into a mush type texture. I bet chickpeas would be good, though.
Spot on…
Love this recipe!! Can it be doubled or quadrupled? I’d really like to freeze some.
As long as you have a cooking vessel large enough to accommodate, you should be able to make a larger batch no problem. :)
Yum! I had some spinach that needed to be used up, and had everything else in my pantry. I used black caviar lentils, and it turned out so creamy. Everyone went back for seconds!
AMAZING and so healthy! Do you think this is something that I could freeze, it would be great for a quick lunch.
Yes, this would probably freeze well. :)
DELICIOUS ….I came across this recipe yesterday and had to try it today… AMAZING! I know I will be making it a few times a week. I cant wait to try those carrots.
Thank you…
Loved this! Simple, quick, delicious and healthy! Doesn’t get much better than that! I really enjoyed eating this and stayed full for hours. This is a keeper!
I substituted for light coconut milk and threw in a block of frozen spinach since it’s what I had and it turned out great!
This is a fantastic recipe. Easy, cheap, healthy, and very tasty. I’m pleased that the ingredient list is so short. Oftentimes with Indian food it seems like you need a bunch of different spices, but this recipe manages to get great flavor with just curry powder.
Hello – thoughts on using canned spinach and carrots? I’m not super familiar with canned vegetables but looking for a few pantry options and for car camping on Day 6 of a trip.
Generally, I find that the flavor and texture of canned vegetables are pretty subpar (they often have salt or sugar added, which changes the flavor). But if you’re camping and in a pinch, it might be worth trying. Definitely drain them very well first. Also, they’re both already cooked, so add them at the end.
This was a very good recipe. Adding juice of a full lemon before servicing makes the flavors pop, That’s the one thing I would add is juice of a lemon right before serving.
Thanks for this tip. Sounds sensible
This was freaking delicious! It has now become one of the meals I make weekly – I am so addicted!
This recipe was absolutely delicious!! Not difficult at all. I did have to add more vegetables stock as my lentils absorbed the first pour quickly. The finished product was so tasty!! 😋
EVERY recipe I try, is AMAZING. This is my very favorite food recipe site!!!
Just tried this baby out. Big dose of hell yeah! I only had red lentils and green onions, but it worked out. Also added a splish splash if Datu Puti vinegar to cut through the fat of the coconut a bit (I put that stuff in whatever I can, haha). Have no problem eating this all week!
Suka for the win!
This was so delicious and easy! I added red Chili flakes to mine since my curry powder wasn’t spicy. And I had half a red bell pepper to use up so chopped it up and added right at the end. Will definitely make this again.
Wow! This was so simple to make and absolutely delicious. I made it for my lunch this week and had a snow day during the week. My husband asked to try it and I said “you don’t like it with the lentils”. He totally tried it and made himself a bowl.
Can’t wait to try more budget byte meals!
This was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making this again soon!
I don’t know why but my lentil mixture came out straight up black. I used brown lentils, the same bouillon, and full fat coconut milk so I can’t figure out why. But it was still tasty!
I served with curry roasted carrots and the cumin rice recipe. The cumin/curry combo was awesome.
This was amazing and so easy! Thank you!!!
My two year old is eating this! I added about 6oz frozen spinach instead of fresh, 1 tsp garam masala, and a handful of cherry tomatoes when I added the coconut milk. Thanks, delicious!
This was SO GOOD and easy!!! I love a one-pan recipe, and it’s so flavorful. I accidentally bought too much spinach, but it wilts so much, that I added it all, so I’m set for my lunch greens this week. Thank you for this recipe! I’m always looking for yummy vegetarian recipes to switch up my meal prep, and this is a winner.
This recipe is so delicious I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m amazed that something so easy to make can taste this amazing. Your website made me excited about cooking again. Each recipe I make gets devoured by my family.
This recipe is great! We go back and forth between this one and the slow cooker coconut curry recipe! Both are two of our all time favorite vegan recipes.
So delicious and easy!!
If I want to substitute frozen spinach how much would be equivalent to 3 cups fresh?
I’m not sure exactly, but I’d probably go for about ¼ pound. Make sure to thaw it and squeeze out the extra moisture first. Keep in mind that it will have a different texture than when using fresh spinach.
Had fun making this and even more fun eating it. I made 10 days worth. The roast carrots are fantastic and will be including more roast vegetables in my diet. I found you on the Financial Diet.
If you are looking for ways to use up a partial can of pumpkin (that aren’t all pumpkin desserts), it works great in this curry.
Looks yummy! Would you recommend any changes in amount of broth or cooking time if I wanted to make this in the instant pot?
Unfortunately I’m not experienced enough with the Instant Pot to offer those recommendations. :(
I cooked this in the instant pot. The main change is step 3. After you pour the broth and the lentils. Give it a stir. Cover the instant pot with the lid, turn the knob on top of the lid to sealing, turned it to Bean/Chili mode for 10 minutes. After pressurizing and 10 minutes of cooking, I depressurize quickly and proceed with the other steps as usual.
Excellent with naan
Delicious! Normally I’m the queen of altering recipes but all I did here is add some extra veggies (carrot & bell pepper) because wanted it to be a complete meal with rice – so that’s a compliment!
Super simple to make as well and it reheated very well. We managed to get 3 portions out of it – maybe we are big eaters or you are a small eater, haha. We’re with 2 so one of us got lucky and had the leftovers with lunch. Just a heads up for people who might want to feed 4 people with this meal.
Wow, this was absolutely delicious! I’m not usually a huge fan of lentil dishes but this was so tasty — the coconut milk adds so much lovely flavor. I happened to spoon some on top of potatoes and the combo was divine, so I highly recommend trying that. :)
Wow! So simple and delicious, I did add about a cup of carrots with the lentils instead of roasting them. I also used a spicy curry mix and this came out perfect! Will make again
I’m totally making this tonight! Do you think adding a teaspoon of garam masala would blend in well?
Yes, that would probably be delicious!
My family loved this! It’s all we can do not to make it every day, lol. Great flavor and reheats wonderfully. Thank you!
These lentils are mega simple and soooo flavorful!!!!! Thank you! Question: If I want to add chicken breast, when would I throw that in?
I would probably chop the chicken into pieces then sauté it in the skillet first, before the garlic and everything, until it’s about half-way cooked, then continue on with the garlic, spices, onions, etc. That way it will finish cooking as everything else is added and cooked.
A friend turned me onto this recipe & even my meat & potatoes hubby liked it!! The lentils do take me 10-15 mins longer to cook than the 20 mins called for. Super tasty!! Thanks.
Super yummy! I’ve made this twice, the second time I didn’t have ginger so i substituted with cinnamon and liked it even more!!
Great recipe! Makes plenty of leftovers. I like to add any veggie to mine. I enjoy the frozen california blend (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots) and just add with the lentil and broth mixture.
I’ve made this a bunch with a variety of greens based on what came in my CSA. Spinach, kale, chard, it all works!
My husband loved this and he hates lentils! So flavorful. Going to try to substitute with red lentils.
Made this exactly according to recipe (well maybe a little more ginger), and it was fantastic. Perfect vegan supper. Filling, a touch decadent.
So yummy. So easy.
So easy to make with ingredients we had on hand- frozen spinach instead of fresh but it was so good! We’ll add lime next time.
I’ve made this before and it was marvelous. I want to make it again, but I am stuck with only lite coconut milk due to a substitution to my grocery order. Could I still use lite coconut milk for the flavor, but use something to thicken it, like heavy cream or yogurt?
I’ve made it with light coconut milk without any trouble!
Great recipe! I was trying to use up some CSA produce, so I added some fennel and subbed in Swiss chard for spinach. It was still delicious!
I made this for the first time tonight and it was a hit! So delicious and most of the kids loves it too. Next time I’ll make the carrots with the dish.
Meal prepped this for at home to eat for lunches and it was so easy, delicious and filling! I also had it with brown rice. Next time I will add carrots :)
I’ve made this a few times, and it is excellent. It’s super easy and quick to throw together when I’m craving some kind of curry (even tho it’s not). I’ve done it with and without the carrots, and that carrots really do pair well and bring it all together.
Tasty and easy to prepare! We also did roasted carrots and served over rice. Thanks!
Back to rate this dish again, since I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus and decided to switch it up. I used North American “Garam Masala” spice instead of North American “Curry powder” and added a spash of lime (as suggested by others) and it’s an equally satisfying yet different taste experience!! So delicious and appealing! Thanks for this workhorse of a recipe :)
I’m looking forward to trying this, but for some reason I’ve ended up with several bags of green lentils at my place!! Any suggestions as to how I could sub these in? Perhaps just a longer cooking time?
And check the cooking instructions on the label for those green lentils. “Brown” lentils actually look kind of army green. If it says to boil for anywhere near 20 minutes, they’re what I’m calling brown lentils. If it says to cook closer to 45 minutes, they are indeed French green lentils.
This is pretty good!! I added about a teaspoon garam masala and some raisins to mine — the raisins really gave it extra oomph. Next time I think I’ll increase the spice quantity or add some citrus at the end, as others have suggested!
During this time of making do, I altered this recipe.
Little curry leftover so I also added cumin and tumeric.
No spinach so I used chopped parsley.
I avoid grains (health), so I poured over baked potatoe.
Good, Satisfying, and Vegetarian. What’s not to like.
I have never left a recipe comment before, on any platform, but this Curry is so worth the comment. IT IS AMAZING. I’ve made it four times in the last few months and it always turns out amazingly well. The best part is it’s so forgiving of a little nudge to the ingredients here and there. Got some.left over Indian spice mixture? Throw it in! Have an eggplant in the fridge that is about two more glances away from going off? Throw it in! Only have frozen spinach? Delicious! There isn’t anything I’ve been able to throw at this recipe that it hasn’t been able to take on. I’m actually looking forward to trying it with some red lentils! Like other commentors here, I suggest a splash of citrus to finish it at the very end to really contrast all that lovely creamy sweetness, and I’m a spice junky so I saute some whole dried chili peppers before I add the lentils and boil the heck out of them. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go and stuff some more of this in my mouth.
So yummy and easy. Made with red lentils because that’s all we had. Total keeper.
Can I use green lentils and frozen spinach in this recipe? We are in quarantine and can’t go to the grocery store
Yes you can use what you have on hand :)
This was a huge hit at my household – even the picky eaters and curry snobs loved it.
I’ve made this multiple times and love it so much! One question, given that grocery stores are running low on certain items, would this work with red lentils?
A previous reader noted: This was great! I added a squeeze of lemon and subbed in red lentils, since that’s what I had on hand. Using red lentils meant the cooking time was decreased and made the dish more on the mushy side, but still so, so, delicious. This will definitely be a go-to recipe.
Loved this recipe. I had some red curry paste on hand so i used 2. Tbsp of that instead of curry powder. I also added some sugar, sriracha, soy sauce, and fish sauce when i added the coconut milk and it really deepens the flavor. So good!
So happy with the way this recipe came out! It was so flavorful and filling. I think I’ll add more curry powder next time, but otherwise it was phenomenal. I paired the lentils with rice, the Curry Roasted Carrots, and some garlic naan for a really happy meal. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers!
This was so easy to make and tasty, so five stars. The only quibble we had was putting in the garlic and ginger so early. We sautéed the onions and then added the garlic and ginger, so as not to risk burning.
We doubled the curry powder and ginger. Otherwise by recipe. We found the lentils took longer to cook than listed, about 15 mins extra.
Do you use regular or lite coconut milk? Would Trader Joe’s canned coconut cream work? This recipe looks delicious and so simple!. Can’t wait to try it.
Hi Alice! Regular coconut milk will work. The coconut cream from Trader Joes is a bit thicker than coconut milk itself. If it’s what you have on hand though you can certainly try it!
So easy and delicious!
I added lime juice for some brightness
This paired perfectly with your curry carrots! First lentil recipe I really, really liked. Added a little garam masala and a little cayenne for additional flavor and heat, and am looking forward to eating leftovers later this week.
This was super good. I made it as written. My meat-loving husband liked it and 2 of my kids tried it. ( A win in my book, haha). We really liked it. Thanks for the recipe. So flavorful and easy to make!!
I saved this awhile ago but just got around to making it today! WOW! Love the flavors! I’ve never used fresh ginger before today either. Made it for my vegan husband for lunch but I kept scooping out bite after bite lol! Thanks for a great recipe, I’ve already shared w my brothers who love curry and are vegetarian!
This was SO good! Doubled the curry powder and added extra garlic and less onion for taste preferences. Adding to my veggie meal rotation!!!
This curry is INSANE! If I ordered this in a restaurant I’d be impressed… I couldn’t believe my boyfriend made it for me at home!
I love this recipe so much! So easy to make, so delicious! Thank you!
This recipe was fantastic and easy to adapt to the ingredients I had on hand. I didn’t have coconut milk, garlic or ginger so I used coconut oil and half and half with dried ginger and garlic powder. It was still delicious!!
Is the nutrition info provided just for the lentils, or lentils + rice?
The nutrition data provided is calculated using all ingredients listed on the recipe card, including any ingredient listed as optional. Keep in mind that recipes that involve marinades, breading, salad dressings, oil for frying, or salt for cooking pasta and potatoes may be skewed because some of these ingredients will be discarded and not included in the final edible portion.
This is a great recipe! I made it in the Instant Pot and cooked it 15 mins on High Pressure then did a 10 minute NPR. I also added 3/4 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp chilli, frozen veggies, and one chopped potato.
Great idea. Can you tell us step by step how you made it in the instant pot? I just bought one.
Love this! Freezes and reheats so well. I make this in large batches and freeze it in multiple ziplock bags so I can defrost to eat for lunch in the week. I like to pair with roasted broccoli and carrots.
I’ve made this multiple times and love it. I was wondering if I could adapt it for an Instant Pot. I got one for Christmas and would love to play with it.
Hi Jacob! We haven’t tried it in the IP yet, but a previous commenter has: “I made this as written, and I used my Instant Pot. (5 minutes pressure). It is awesome! Tastes so good! Looks OK, but the flavor is great, it is filling, and it is great for meal prep! I used about 3/4 cup brown lentils and 1/4 cup of the small french green lentils and they were just perfect. Thank you!!”
Has anyone tried adding potatoes to this curry? I’m assuming I would just have to add a bit more liquid to the mix to make sure that they cook. I want to try making this with Jamaican curry powder. I think the flavours of my Jamaican curry powder would work well with lentils :). This recipe looks yummy.
I have added potatoes. I have added frozen carrots and peas. I’ve done Jamaican curry powder. Sometimes I throw in chickpeas. It’s VERY forgiving (do sometimes have to add a little more broth!) but always delicious!
This is awesome!!
Ooh I’ve never had Jamaican Curry Powder! Let us know how it goes!
I made this recipe with Jamaican curry powder and baby red potatoes and it was yummy.
Great recipe. I really liked it, but my wife and kid devoured it. Will definitely make again.
Thank you!
Your website is my go to website for interesting recipes. They always work and they’re always incredibly delicious. I have never posted a review but I have to review this recipe because it was AMAZING!!! So simple but so satisfying. Thank you for your website I appreciate it every day!!!
We’re happy you did Amy!
Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
You could use frozen. However I’d make sure it was thawed completely and really well drained. Ring it out in a towel or paper towels to make sure you’re not adding any extra moisture.
The BEST curry recipe I’ve ever followed. Thank you for keeping it simple and for the pictures as well.
Hooray! Thank you Tiffany!
Planning to make this tonight. My local grocery store only had canned brown lentils. How do I manage the liquid amounts for these already cooked lentils?
Yes you should be just fine!
Love it! So simple and it combines two of my favorite things–lentils and curry! Really appreciate this dish. Thanks, Beth!
That makes us so happy Cassie!
Can this recipe be frozen? Just made it but far too much!! Very tasty and will make again
Yes you certainly can freeze it!
I’m the spice-fanatic (the spicier the better) but this is a rich, earthy, and mild dish (relatively speaking, at least using mild curry) that is flavourful (interesting!) yet not fiery. Really, really satisfying with Naan, rice (and this time, curry roasted carrots)! Pretty sure just about anyone would enjoy this (even kids!!) as long as they don’t have “texture issues” – which isn’t to say the texture isn’t great, but kids can be weird about those things if it doesn’t resemble raw hot dog or chicken nugget, I’ve learned :P Easy five stars!! Tastes like more ;)
Thank you Catherine!
I cannot cook. I’m in love with a man who is patiently waiting for me to feed him (3 years, no joke). He eats healthy, grows his own vegetables; and if I can’t nuke it, I’m toast. I only screwed up the recipe a little bit (too many lentils, but added extra broth to compensate). This is delicious!! It’s beautiful and healthy. Even I can make this! Thank you. 😊
You can do it Brandy! One recipe at a time :)
We made this with a handful of leftover shredded carrots (sautéed with the onions) and served it over soba noodles, since we just cooked your bibimbap dish last night and didn’t want to have two rice-based meals in a row. The creamy, sweet curry sauce balances really nicely with the nutty, slightly earthy flavor of the soba, if you’re looking to sub out the rice!
Yum! Sounds delicious!
OMG !!!!! I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE! It is soo colourful! I loive the fact that you have a vegan options with pics and videos! I am just starting on the vegan diet and your recipes are super easy! Thanks a lot !
Thank you Vanessa!
Your recipes are so good. This is the second week of cooking from your site. Wow. This curry is soooo yummy, I made this for dinner and your kale gnocchi soup for lunch today. Yum yum!
Thank you Holly!
The flavors are great. Mine turned out really soupy but it’s because I used Trader Joe’s ready to eat lentils. Boyfriend is still scarfing it down, so I’ll call it a win!
Oh darn! But as long as it still tastes great!
Just as an FYI, most store-bought naan contains buttermilk and is not dairy free. If you’re allergic to dairy (as I am), be sure to check the label before buying. The linked recipe contains yogurt, and I have no idea if there’s a dairy free yogurt substitute that would work with it. It’s such a shame because naan is sooooo tasty.
Delicious! Even my meat loving husband enjoyed it. I served it with rice & roasted summer squash and mushrooms, it was really good!
Yay! Love the addition of the summer squash and mushrooms.
Delicious! Reminds me of the chicken divan my grandmother made for family dinners when I was little–I had no idea curry was the secret ingredient, so it happens that making this strictly to the recipe, using 1 T curry, gave it just the right flavor (distinct but not overpowering). Now, I prepared the onions, curry and lentils two days ahead of time to accommodate my weeknight schedule, reheating and then warming with the coconut milk the night of, so that may have affected the flavors, but midway through dinner my son turned to me and said, “We can have this again!”
This is so good! I used frozen spinach, which I put in after the lentils cooked for 20 minutes. I also threw some sliced carrots in at the beginning and was very happy. Next time I will need to pay more attention to the broth because it was a tad too salty…not a fault of the recipe, but with my handling of concentrated broth.
This was great! I added a squeeze of lemon and subbed in red lentils, since that’s what I had on hand. Using red lentils meant the cooking time was decreased and made the dish more on the mushy side, but still so, so, delicious. This will definitely be a go-to recipe.
Hi Beth – thanks for the recipe, it was great, and enjoyed by the whole family for supper! Your instructions are really clear and precise, always appreciated. I did not measure the spinach, just put in a full chopped bunch. I made it with roasted cauliflower, rice/barley, and a chopped salad, and there is some remaining – but next time I am going to double or triple the recipe so that we have enough for the week and to freeze :) Take care!
This was so good. I doubled the spices at the beginning and added a can of rinsed and drained kidney beans when the lentils were almost tender. I used swiss chard instead of spinach because it’s growing in my garden. And I did half the amount of rice with some frozen peas and carrots and a head of cauliflower I roasted with lemon and turmeric, and I meal prepped it all and made myself four seriously fantastic and filling lunches for the week. Thanks for another hit!
I really enjoyed this dish. It was easy to make and the flavors were wonderful!! I did have to cook the beans longer than 20 minutes but that happens sometimes…I just kept checking the doneness every 5 minutes. The beans finally softened at 30 minutes. I feel like it tasted better the next day when I took it to work for lunch. Thank you for this recipe 😁
This was soooooo good! I also made the carrots. I will be making this again. Love you websites. I’ve been looking for cheap great tasting vegan/vegetarian meals!
I looked at my grocery store for brown lentils but could only find dry red and green ones. I know you spoke to the fact that the green take longer to cook and the red lose their shape, but if you had to choose one instead of the brown which would you go with?
Thanks!
Definitely green. And check the cooking instructions on the label for those green lentils. “Brown” lentils actually look kind of army green. If it says to boil for anywhere near 20 minutes, they’re what I’m calling brown lentils. If it says to cook closer to 45 minutes, they are indeed French green lentils.
Hey Beth, would this recipe freeze well?
I think it would. :)
This was so good! I will add more carrots next time, and I will continue to make tofu in a small fry pan and add curry paste, vege broth, and a dash of maple syrup yum yum yum yum yum!
Very good. I added 4 or 5 sliced carrots per Beth’s suggestion and will probably add the whole pound next time because they’re so good with the lentils and the sauce. I like this recipe even more than the curried chickpea one it’s based on–and I make that one most weeks.
I made this as written, and I used my Instant Pot. (5 minutes pressure). It is awesome! Tastes so good! Looks OK, but the flavor is great, it is filling, and it is great for meal prep! I used about 3/4 cup brown lentils and 1/4 cup of the small french green lentils and they were just perfect. Thank you!!
My 12-year old son and I love to experiment with new recipes, and I was looking forward to trying this one out. I got a little worried when he had a cousin come over for a last minute dinner and sleepover, because we’re a very rural area with not much exposure to anything more than the typical standard American diet. Believe it or not, this was the first curry for all three of us, and we all went back for seconds! Our young guest even asked for the recipe, which I promised to send to his dad :) I used McCormick curry powder, which is all I could find around here and added some extra of that and salt for more flavor, and a little cayenne for some heat. Delicious and easy!
Whoa, this recipe is incredible! Super easy and delicious. I meal prepped it for lunches last week and think I will do it again next week. Really satisfying and kept me full for a long time. This recipe is a keeper.
I made this last night and love it. I will be make this dish often. Thanks!
I made it in my pressure cooker and did 4 mins under pressure to cook the lentils (quick release) then used the sauté function when I added the coconut milk for the additional 10 minutes. The lentils were soft with just a little bit of bite – perfect for me but if you want really soft lentils I would try 5 minutes under pressure. Thanks for a great recipe.
This was fantastic! And I think it would have been an easy dinner if I hadn’t decided to go all out and make your naan recipe, also. (Worth it!)
Absolutely wonderful. I used Garam Masala, an Indian curry powder that is starting to show up in supermarkets. It’s composed of sweet spices and doesn’t include turmeric which is the main component of regular supermarket curry powder and is not spicy at all. I did add a tsp of tumeric, for color and half a finely minced jalapeno for a little heat. Folks who live in larger cities may find it very cost effective find an Indian or Asian market where spices cost pennies to the dollar vs supermarket jars–well, maybe dimes to the dollar. Garam Masala can vary from brand to brand, place to place–all I have tried are delicious. I did pick the suggested carrots as my side, and used supermarket curry powder in those, plus a good dose of fresh ginger. The whole dinner made a delicious “meatless Monday.”
I made this last night, it was delicious! I didn’t have any dry brown lentils but I had a can of them so I used those. I also only had about 1 tsp of curry powder left but I had turmeric and cumin and threw in some cayenne. Served it over rice. I appreciate how easy it was to make this meal. I’d definitely make it again.
Made this last night and it was delicious! My lentils took a little longer to cook, but that always seems to be the case for me. I served it over barley, which added a great texture, as did the coconut shreds we sprinkled on top. I used Better than Bouillon for the veggie broth and did end up adding a touch more salt. And for those who are a little like me when it comes to measuring, 3 cups of spinach is equal to about 3.2 ounces. I always prefer going by weight!
I make a very similar dish using red lentils (and yes, of course they break down, but yum!), and I find a squeeze of lime really adds a nice touch to the dish. Thank you as usual for the lovely recipe! My mom and I continue to make about 80% of our weekly meals (two separate households) from your archives!
This recipe is phenomenal. I let mine simmer for about 30 minutes rather than 10 minutes after pouring in the coconut milk and it came out perfect. This will definitely be a meal prep staple In my house ☺️
Meal prepped this last night for lunches throughout the week. Seriously delicious.
how do I pin this recipe?
There are black social share buttons at the top of the blog post, just above the recipe, and a pin button when you hover over any of the images.
I made this and it’s really good, Beth! I had no idea what I wanted for dinner tonight and I had all the ingredients to make this. It did stink up my house a little, but it was worth it. :) Thank you for always having easy and interesting dinner ideas.
Just wanted to give you a heads up that Dolalr Tree sells coconut milk! I love using it to cook, but it gets pricey, so I was delighted to see the “Azul Coconut Milk” in the beverage aisle at Dollar Tree. Full fat only, but I prefer the taste!
Nice!! Thanks for that tip!
This looks so good! Do you think I could make it in a pressure cooker or crock pot?
I would say the lentils would cook up fine in the pressure cooker, but I don’t know if the coconut milk would be able to reduce properly.
I do have a very similar recipe for the slow cooker that you can check out here: Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Lentils. You can just follow that technique, adding the coconut milk at the end, and then stirring in the spinach last.
Is there a substitute for coconut milk? I’m allergic.
Yep, that info is included in the post, just above the recipe: “IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE FOR COCONUT MILK?
Heavy cream or half and half can be used in place of the coconut milk in this recipe, although you probably won’t need quite as much as the coconut milk used. Stick to about 1/2 cup for the heavy cream or 3/4 cup for half and half.”