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.
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
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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
It needs quite a bit of salt afterwards for my taste, even with salted diced tomatoes, but otherwise very good. I think I’ll use one more tbsp of curry powder next time, maybe even some cayenne pepper for a little kick.
This was sooooo good, turned out even better than I expected. Going in the regular rotation for sure. My coworkers commented on how amazing it smelled when I ate leftovers for lunch. And you weren’t kidding about it being a large batch–my freezer is now full and happy!
Just wanted to update this to say that this time I tried it in the Instant Pot and it was even better! I used the saute setting to cook the onions, garlic, and curry powder a bit first, then threw in the other ingredients (except coconut milk) and cooked for 12 min on high pressure with a 10 min quick release. Perfection.
THIS WAS DELICIOUS. We just made it last night. We were using the crock pot to make your Black Bean Soup (another delicious recipe!), so we used the dutch oven. We had to add more liquid while it was cooking, and as a result I only added half of a can of coconut milk so it wasn’t too soupy. We ate it for lunch today and it was amazing. AMAZING. Thanks so much!
Hello, I LOVE your blog.
I made this lentil dish on Sunday (so 3 days ago) but it came out really bland and tasteless. Do you know how I can fix it? I don’t want to waste it. I used green lentils because I couldn’t find brown lentils in the store. I guess the different coloured lentils taste different?
Yes, each type of lentil does have its own flavor. You might try adding more curry powder, too. Different brands taste differently and may have different levels of potency, so perhaps your was just not as potent as mine. Also, try adding in some salt. I’m always amazed at how sometimes just a 1/2 tsp of salt can take a dish from bland to “wow”. It doesn’t just make a dish saltier, but it also helps magnify and distinguish the different flavors within the dish.
This was absolutely amazing. One of my favorites for sure based on how easy it was!
My carrots and sweet potato broke down because I left it cooking for an hour longer (I went out, oops), but it was still delicious! I think if they hadn’t broken down quite as much, the added texture would have been nice, but even as mush it was still delicious!
Hi Beth! I was wondering if green lentils could be used here? I know red lentils would turn to mush , but I think green would do ok? That is what I have in my pantry, trying not to go back to the grocery … HA
Green lentils do take longer than brown lentils to cook, so I’m not sure exactly how long they’d need in a slow cooker. I’m sure the amount of time I cooked mine was more than needed for brown lentils, so it might be enough for green, but I’d have to test it to say for sure!
I used green lentils and it took only about 2 hours in my crock.
I adored this meal, but I added just a pinch of salt and some lime juice for an acid to brighten it up. It was divine, and both of my (weirdo) kids gobbled it down!
I couldn’t find curry powder but I have a box of Japanese-style curry sauce mix (“Golden Curry” brand). Do you know if I can use that in roughly the same proportions as the curry powder? Thank you! I’m really excited to try this. :)
I don’t know about that particular kind of sauce mix, but in general Japanese curry is a lot sweeter and has less spices than Indian curry. They’re really not the same thing. But, who knows? Maybe it would taste just as good. :)
Turns out you’re totally right, but it is quite good! I’ve omitted the coconut milk at the end because it is already very mild and sweet. I suspect the flavors aren’t as strong, but that’s okay. :)
I don’t know, but if you do, you’ll probably need to add more water? Because the curry sauce mixes are roux, so it’ll naturally thicken it, and the time in the crockpot already makes it pretty thick.
Hmm, I’ve never seen that product so I’m really not sure.
Any thoughts on using green lentils ?
I’m planning my shopping trip and I can’t wait to make this tomorrow! Question about the coconut milk: sweetened or unsweetened. I’m assuming unsweetened.
Yep, unsweetened. It’s the kind that comes in a can, not the diary milk substitute.
Tried it tonight and it was really good!
I didn’t find brown lentills but from the color in your pictures it might just have been the same thing (blond lentills here in France),
I also only had a dutch oven with me, but it only took less time to cook, around 2hours on low simmering (but it probably got done even before that. ) so that was even more practical.
I will definitly put this recipe in my “easy, cheap, feeds a crowd and is not pasta” folder!
I love easy, vegetarian meals like this. Plus, I need to bring more sweet potatoes into my life! Thanks for the recipe!
Yum!
I followed your recipe exactly and it was SO SO SO good! We just ate the leftovers and it was even better reheated (spices soaking in even more, maybe?). Thank you, it’s going on my “favorite staple meals” list.
Hi, I’m allergic to coconut, can I use any other alternative for it?
You can stir in some half and half or plain yogurt for creaminess. :)
. I follow and make a lot of your meals. I’m curious where do you live? The prices make me laugh because it’s always a lot higher. Like an onion for less than a dollar? Never. It cost me almost $30 to get
LOL but it’s fine, I love all your recipes. I can’t wait to make this one again and again.
I’m in New Orleans, Louisiana. Where are you? :)
Same here…Cost me not quite $30 maybe, but darn close to make this. The meals are always good though!!! – Westcoast Canada.