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
Can you use green lentils? I don’t really know the difference on the colours…
Green lentils can take twice as long to cook (if they’re French green lentils), so I’m not sure how they will work in the slow cooker.
Made this last night with white rice – excellent! Very filling and flavorful, and I have leftovers for the rest of the week!
So what happens if I didn’t read the recipe right and added the coconut milk to the crockpot…? Will it ruin it?
It’s possible for the coconut milk to curdle if it over heats, but it might be okay if the slow cooker doesn’t boil too hard.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! If I want to leave the coconut milk out, do I have to make any other adjustments (such as add more broth, change cook time, etc.)?
The coconut milk gets added after cooking, so you shouldn’t need to adjust anything that goes into the slow cooker or the cooking time, but if the lentils are drier than you like them after cooking, you can add a bit more broth. You will be missiong out on the creaminess that the coconut milk adds, though!
Had some vegan friends coming over for dinner and made this for them. Everyone loved it, even the carnivores!
This was the first BB meal I made almost a year ago and it’s been a fantastic year of cooking! I hadn’t paid much attention to lentils until this recipe, but have made almost all of your other lentil recipes since. What a great staple! Thank you for opening my eyes and providing affordable, delicious recipes!
These lentils are SO GOOD. I’m in college, and this recipe was super helpful because I was able to come home from classes with dinner ready. Something about curry and coconut milk just makes everything taste better :)
Delicious! So filling and flavorful! Thank you!
I loved this! Will make again for sure.
Thanks for the fantastic recipe! This has been my go-to for the past few months!
Can I substitute brown lentils with red lentils?
Yes, just expect a much mushier texture. Red lentils tend to break down and lose their shape when cooked.
4 hrs on nigh was not enough for lentils to cook, 6-7 hrs on slow might do the trick next time I think.
I made this today and oh, my was it delicious! I keep thinking I don’t like lentils, but then I come across a recipe like this and think, “Hmmm…I like curry and I like carrots and sweet potatoes and coconut…” and before I know it, I’m a convert to lentils. This is really good but it made a TON of food. I’m going to dish it into serving sizes and pop it into the freezer.
If I use a can of cooked (not dry) brown lentils, should I add them towards the end so they don’t get mushy? What would you recommend? Thank you, looking forward to trying this!
If you use canned lentils, you really won’t need to use a slow cooker because the lentils are already cooked. You can just sauté the vegetables until soft, add the lentils, spices, tomato sauce, and maybe only about 1 cup of broth, heat through, then add the coconut milk. Also you’ll likely need more than one can of lentils because two cups dry will cook up to more like 4 cups once cooked.
I made this last night! -For a group of vegans! We loved it, thank you!