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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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
Soooooo what if I a accidentall added in the coconut milk before cooking? Will that ruin the dish?
I accidentally did the same thing.. did it turn out?
Freezer friendly: does this mean I can put everything in a ziplock bag and freeze uncooked, including lentils? Looking for freezer meal prep ideas.
Freezer friendly is that it freezes well after cooking. I haven’t experimented with the prep-freeze-cook method.
Do you have a suggestion on how to adapt this for an Instant Pot?
I’m not sure how long lentils need in the IP off hand, but if you check the tables that come in the instruction book, I would use that as a guide. You can probably just add everything to the pot like I did with the slow cooker, then use the setting and time that it suggests for lentils in the book, and that should work. :)
Thanks! This worked perfectly. I cooked it in the IP for 25 min.
Can you substitute vegetable broth with chicken broth?
Yes
Any thoughts on if the recipe could be doubled? And if so, would you just equally multiply all the ingredients by 2? Many thanks!
Yes, if your slow cooker is big enough to contain it, just multiply all the ingredients by two.
Hi Beth, I’ve had issues cooking tomatoes and raw beans in a slow cooker before. (The acidity makes them soften REALLY slowly.) Is there any way to alter the recipe so you can add the tomato ingredients later?
Sure, you can add the tomatoes at the end, they just won’t break down as much. I suggest letting it simmer for at least 30 minutes after you add them just to tone down the acidity. Brown lentils generally soften and cook down much faster and easier than beans.
Fantastic! I converted it to the Instant Pot… here’s how:
Sauteed the garlic and onion with the spices in coconut oil to release and deepen the flavor. Then I added the rest of the stuff.
Decreased broth to 2.5 C so it wouldn’t be watery (I use Better Than Bouillon). 3 big carrots. 2 normal sized sweet potatoes in big chunks.
11 minutes pressure. NPR (natural pressure release – you probably don’t have to, but I was busy and didn’t come back till pressure was down). Stirred in coconut milk. Added a little salt. Served with cilantro, yogurt, and lime juice sprinkled on top.
Thank you Suzanne!!!
Hi Beth! I found this through Lifehacker’s Prep Cook column and it’s currently simmering away in my crock pot (so excited!). I was just wondering how long these servings last in the freezer?
These freeze great!
Thankyou!! This recipe is fantastic! Im new to vegan cooking as my oldest daughter became vegan this year, but the whole family loved this and it is sooo easy! :)
Can I use this in a instantpot? If so, what would the instructions be?
This should convert to the IP fairly easily. I would check the cooking time tables in the instruction manual for the cooking time needed for lentils and go with that. It should be a LOT faster! :)
I just posted a review with how I converted it to the instant pot! Take a look. That should help you!
I’ve NEVER cooked lentils before, but I had the opportunity to enjoy them at an Indian restaurant. Did you use brown or green lentils? I know that red lentils take forever to cook and a good friend of mine told me about black lentils. I apologize for asking a stupid question. Thanks, Beth. :-)
I just answered my own question. My apologies!!!
Actually, red, yellow, and orange lentils usually cook very quickly and break down (kind of like split peas). Green lentils (sometimes called French lentils) take quite a while, but regular brown lentils cook in about 20 minutes. I haven’t experimented with other varieties, like black lentils, though. :) Your questions are never stupid!
Thank you so much for answering my questions, Beth. I LOVE lentils and this recipe sounds so delicious. I was able to find brown lentils at Walmart, along with green. I want to make sure that I’m using the correct lentils to avoid a mushy mess. I can’t wait to make this!!! :-)
Thanks for this recipe! I made it yesterday, and our guest raved about it and asked for the recipe. It feeds a small army, too. It fed three and we have TONS of leftovers.
I have made this three times now, and it’s fantastic. The first time I only had red lentils, so I did 3 hours on high, and it was perfect. I’ve stuck with red lentils since just because it worked so well. Thank you for another great recipe!
I made this last night and it was excellent. I was hesitant at using canned tomato sauce with coconut milk, however the sweetness of tomato sauce pairs very nicely with the coconut milk. The end result was a very smooth and creamy vegan dish. Everyone in my family loved it….thank you!
The only extra step I took was to use the Cooks Illustrated method of preparing aromatics for the slow cooker. Microwaving the diced onion, garlic and curry with a bit of oil for 5 to 7 minutes (stirring once or twice) really helps to bring out the flavours.
Thanks for the great recipe…this one will be a regular in our household.
This was awesome. I too used green lentils and after about 3.5 hours on high, it was perfect. Must add fresh lemon juice! Thanks.