It’s HOT outside, so I’m experimenting a lot with my slow cooker this week. Slow cookers are awesome not only because they’re mostly hands-off, but also because they contain their heat well and don’t cause that dreaded ambient heat rise in your kitchen. So, while I totally could have just boiled these Coconut Curry Lentils on the stove top, I saved myself some steam and sweat by cooking them in my slow cooker.
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How to Serve Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Lentils
My only issue with using my slow cooker a lot in the summer is that slow cooker recipes are often warm and heavy, more like winter recipes. To freshen these Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Lentils up a bit, I topped them with finely diced red onion and a liberal sprinkle of chopped cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro, you can add some sliced green onion for a similar effect. For even more freshness, try adding a dollop of plain yogurt and a squeeze of lime juice.
Can I Freeze Coconut Curry Lentils?
This recipe makes a lot but luckily it freezes well–rice and all! Just portion everything out into single-serving freezer-safe containers, chill completely in the refrigerator, then transfer to the freezer.
What Size Slow Cooker Should I Use?
This makes a super big batch of lentils, so I would suggest using a 6-quart slow cooker. I use a very basic slow cooker from Hamilton Beach, which is so old that it’s not in production anymore, but you can find a similar slow cooker here. (affiliate link)
What Kind of Curry Powder Should I Use?
You can use either a hot or mild curry powder, depending on whether you prefer your lentils to be mild or spicy. People often ask me what brand curry powder I use, and I have enjoyed both the 365 brand curry powder and Sharwood’s curry powder. Or you can try making your own curry powder at home with this recipe for Easy Homemade Curry Powder from Spiceitupp.com
Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Lentils
Servings 10 cupsIngredients
COCONUT CURRY LENTILS
- 1 yellow onion ($0.37)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 2 cups brown lentils ($1.36)
- 1 sweet potato (about 3/4 lb.) ($0.98)
- 2 carrots ($0.22)
- 3 Tbsp curry powder (hot or mild) ($0.45)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional) ($0.03)
- 1 15oz. can petite diced tomatoes ($0.65)
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce ($0.99)
- 3 cups vegetable broth* ($0.39)
- 1 14oz. can coconut milk (full fat) ($2.47)
FOR SERVING
- 10 cups cooked rice ($0.99)
- 1/2 red onion ($0.40)
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro or green onions ($0.40)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Peel the sweet potato and carrots. Dice the sweet potato (1/4-1/2 inch cubes) and slice the carrots.
- Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, carrots, lentils, curry powder, cloves, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Once cooked, the lentils should be tender and most of the liquid should be absorbed.
- Stir the can of coconut milk into the lentils. Taste and adjust the salt or other spices as needed (the amount of salt needed will depend on the type of broth used and the salt content of the canned tomatoes).
- To serve, add 1 cup cooked rice to a bowl followed by 1 cup of the lentil mixture. Top with finely diced red onion and fresh cilantro.
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Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Slow Cooker Curry Lentils – Step by Step Photos
Dice one onion (it’s under all that stuff) and mince two cloves of garlic. Peel one sweet potato (3/4-1 lb.) and peel two carrots. Dice the sweet potato and slice the carrots. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, and carrots to the slow cooker, along with 2 cups uncooked brown lentils.
Also add one 15oz. can of petite diced tomatoes, a 15oz. can of tomato sauce, 3 Tbsp curry powder (mild or hot–your preference), and 1/4 tsp ground cloves. I’ve decided that I really like cloves in my curry, but if you’re not a clove person you can leave it out.
This is the curry powder I use, BTW. It’s just something I picked up at the grocery store, but it has pretty good potency. Curry powders can vary quite a bit from brand to brand in both flavor and potency, so you might have to experiment to find one that you like. I like to buy mild curry powder and then just add cayenne to dishes when I want things spicy.
Finally, add 3 cups vegetable broth to the slow cooker and give everything a good stir.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. If your slow cooker runs extra hot or doesn’t hold in moisture well, keep an eye on the cooker to make sure the lentils are not drying out. If they begin to look dry or burned on the edges, add more water. After cooking the lentils should be tender and most of the broth absorbed.
Stir in one 14oz. can of full-fat coconut milk. Give the lentils a taste and adjust the salt or other spices if needed. The amount of salt needed will depend on the salt content of your vegetable broth and canned tomatoes. Mine had plenty of salt, so I added none. If you find the lentils to be bland at this point, add a 1/2 tsp of salt or so to see if that makes the flavors pop.
To serve the lentils, add 1 cup cooked rice to a bowl, followed by 1 cup of the coconut curried lentils. Top with finely diced red onion and fresh cilantro (or green onions if you’re not a cilantro person). Other optional toppings include: plain yogurt, a squeeze of fresh lime, or thinly sliced jalapeños.
These Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Lentils are sure to fuel ALL of your summer adventures! :D
So yummy! I didn’t have clove, so I used allspice. The cinnamon and other spices added an interesting dimension. Will make again! Thanks!
Do you soak the lentils?
Nope, lentils cook quickly without the need for soaking like beans. :)
I just had this for dinner and it is super delicious! I did use light coconut milk, and it turned out fine for me. Thanks for sharing!
Can I use red lentils for this recipe?
LOVED this recipe. We couldn’t find brown lentils and ended up using green – just needed to cook on high for an extra hour and it was all set! Making it again this weekend.
Just a heads up, the app version says 15 oz of chili flakes instead of 15 oz can of tomato sauce.
Can you use light coconut milk? Recipe states full fat. Thanks.
You can, but it won’t be as creamy.
Beth I love this recipe I make at least every couple of weeks and enjoy leftovers for lunch. My three kids love it too and they are not big legume eaters at all! Thank you for your amazing website.
Hello! Was wondering what kind of sides would go well with this in addition to rice/naan?
I consider this a full meal in a bowl, since it has vegetables, proteins, and carbs all in one. So I really don’t serve it with anything other than a little rice or naan. :)
Hey guys!
Do you know if this recipe freezes well?
This one should freeze well. :)
Can I uses green lentils?
Green lentils usually take much longer to cook, so I’m not sure how they’ll do in this recipe. Check the cooking instructions on the package. If they say to boil for about 15-20 minutes, they’ll work fine in this recipe. If they’re the type of lentil that takes 45 minutes of boiling, I can’t say whether it will work with this.
Shoot I wish I had read this comment this morning. I used green lentils since that’s all I had. They aren’t cooked enough after 8 hours. I have it on high right now and hopefully they will cook enough.
how long would it take to do this in a pot?
Would I need to do anything differently? e.g. bring to boil, reduce to simmer for 2 hours, etc.
You’re on the right track! Just bring it up to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer until both the lentils and sweet potatoes are very tender. It shouldn’t take very long, maybe 30-45 minutes.
Do you know calories per serving for this recipe?
No, I’m sorry, I don’t have nutritional information.
I calculated them last year Mary. With no alterations to the recipe whatsoever, it comes out to 160 calories per serving. I serve with 3.5 ounces of cooked rice which makes the meal just over 300 calories. Hope that helps, the recipes are very easy to import into myfitnesspal.
Hi. Beth!
I’ve made this before and it is fabulous! I love topping it with the works (cilantro, green onion, Greek yogurt, and lime juice) and serve it over rice with a side of naan.
I want to make it again, but to save on time I’m wondering if I could use frozen pre-cut sweet potatoes. If so, should they be thawed first or could they go in frozen?
Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Hi Jess! I would suggest thawing them first. It’s never a good idea to place frozen items into the slow cooker because it heats so slowly that it can take a really long time for the food to get up to a safe cooking temperature. :)
The cook time says 4.5 hours but the first portion of the recipe states to cook for 7-8 hours. Can someone please confirm this?
Cook on high for four hours or low for 7-8 hours. :) I had the word “four” written out, but I just changed it to the numeral “4” to make it easier to read.