Coconut Red Lentil Curry Recipe - with VIDEO (2024)

One pot coconut red lentil curry will soon become your go-to protein packed vegetarian meal that is so full of flavors! Packed with flavors of fresh spices of ginger, garlic, turmeric, curry packed and balanced out with rich coconut milk makes the curry THE BEST BUDGET FOOD! There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of rice with hearty, filling curry.

Why Try This Coconut Lentil Curry?

1. This curry has cosiness and warm hearty flavors.It’s so flavorful and delicious; it’ll easily become your go-to weeknight vegetariandinner.
2. Flavors of fresh ginger, fresh garlic, spiceslike turmeric powder, curry powder, cayenne pepper is balanced by the richnessof coconut milk making satiating meal.
3. Lentils are power house of plant based proteins. Don’tforget to include lentils in your meals at least twice a week. And what betterway than a lentil curry with rice for meal!
4. You can use any types of lentil – red, yellow,green or brown lentils. The recipe worksgreat for all type of lentils.
5. Easily pack more nutrition in the curry byadding in vegetables like sweet potatoes, cauliflower and for meat lovers, youcan add in chicken – that’s right chicken lentil curry it is for days when yourbody wants ALL plant-based and animal-based proteins to-gether!
6. Cook everything in ONE POT, yay to that!Less dishes ending up in sink for cleaning!
7. If you are in hurry and looking for cozy meal,this curry is the best choice! You’ll need 30 minutes or less (red lentils) forthe curry to be served.

Ingredients Needed

Below picture shows all ingredients that you would need to make the best version of homemade coconut lentil curry:

Don’t get intimidatedwith the number of ingredients in the photo. As you can see almostall of it are basic day-to-day ingredients that you mostly will have in yourpantry!

Lentils:The HERO of the dish! Red lentils are my choice. Feel free to use any type oflentils. This recipe for curry will work with yellow lentils, green lentils andeven brown lentils. You might have to adjust the cook time for differentlentils. Brown and green lentils may take a couple of extra minutes to cook.

Onion:Feel free to use whatever onions you have – yellow or red onions.

Tomato:Canned tomato (either crushed or diced) can be used. I used homemade tomatopuree for the recipe as I could not get canned tomatoes in the store.

FreshSpices: Fresh ginger and fresh garlic gives so much flavor to the currythat you can’t achieve the same with ginger powder and garlic powder. Pleaseuse fresh ginger and garlic. And trust me, a little extra heat in the curryalways makes it better! I like to add serrano peppers to the curry to make itlittle spicier.

SerranoPeppers: Please add serrano peppers only if you can handle spice. Ialways love my curries a little spicier! This is optional! If you can handlespice, then I highly recommend you add this. Alternatively you can deseed thepeppers and add it to the curry for flavor.

SpicePowders:

Curry Powder: Using a goodbrand of curry powder makes so much difference. I get asked by many readers onhow to choose the best curry powder? Choose the curry powder that is not fullyIndian intended. Choose HOT if you like your curry spicier, if not choose mildcurry powder. You can make your own curry powder at home which will give youfull control on taste and spiciness.

Turmeric Powder: it’s healthbenefits are vast! Along with adding the trademark yellowish color to recipeand giving it the authentic taste, it has many properties like anti-inflammatoryproperties!

Cayenne Pepper: Addsspiciness to the curry. Any curry tastes best when it has tolerable amount ofspiciness to it. All flavors of spicy, sweet and sour needs to be balanced!Adjust the amount as per spiciness required! You can substitute cayenne pepperwith pure chili powder too for best authentic taste.

Stock:Vegetable stock or water can be used to cook lentils. Using vegetable stock enhances the flavors.Vegetable bouillon cubes can also be use.

Oil& Butter: Use any neutral cooking oil. Sunflower or vegetable oil isbest. Butter is optional. Adding butter in the end, makes curry richer andtaste better – butter makes everything taste better! If you want to make vegancurry, skip adding butter in the end.

CoconutMilk: Use thick coconut milk. Note: thick coconut milk may split ifadded in the beginning and cooked for long time or even cooked on high flame.To avoid splitting of coconut milk, add it in the end once lentils are cookedthrough!

Seasoning:Salt and pepper to taste must. Seasoning a curry as per taste is veryimportant!

Garnish:Few tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro add so much to the curry. I wouldn’trecommend parsley for garnish as substitute for cilantro. Cilantro and justcilantro is what you need to be using for garnishing any curry.

How To Make Red Lentil Curry (Step-By-StepPictures)

1. Use a deep bottom pot for cooking. Heat oil in the pot. Then saute diced onions, minced ginger and minced garlic. Saute until onions turn pink, ginger-garlic is fragrant. Do not brown the onions.
2. Add serrano pepper (optional) and canned tomato into the pot. Cook for few minutes until you see oil separating from the sides of the pan.
3. Add all the spice powders – turmeric powder, curry powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything and let it cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add in red lentils.
5. Pour vegetable stock. Stir everything until well combined.
6. Cover pot with the lid and cook on medium flame until lentils are cooked through and tender.
7. Note: open lid to check the lentils at regular times. Add water or stock if the pot is too dry.
8. Once lentils are cooked, stir in thick coconut milk.
9. Add in a big chunk of butter and lemon juice. Mix everything.
10. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve over a bowl of rice immediately! Enjoy!

Secret Tips For Amazing Tasting Curry

• Cook everything well and correct. You’ll need little patience while cooking curry. Particularly this recipe is not dump-everything-at-once.
• A good curry begins with a good onion-tomato base sauce. Sauteing onion-ginger-garlic in oil on low flame until the raw smell disappears is important. When sauteed well the curry will be fragrant and taste better. Very important do not want to brown or burn onion-garlic-ginger!
• Same with tomato puree. Give it a few minutes to cook on low flame. Ideally you cook tomatoes until it’s cooked though. To know if tomatoes are cooked through, here’s a tip. If you see oil separating from the sauce on the sides of the pan, then tomato puree is cooked. Wait until you see oil separating on the sides of the pan.
• Using the right curry powder is important. If you want to make spicy curry, choose HOT curry powder. Cook curry powder and other spices in the onion-tomato base sauce for 20-30 seconds.
• Do not add too much liquid. Curry should be saucy, creamy and not runny and thin. Adjust liquid amount as you cook lentils. If needed extra start with ¼ cup a time to help lentils cook through.
• If you want to cook lentils in coconut milk, use thinned down version of coconut milk, it will not split. Add thick coconut milk to the curry once lentils are cooked through, you’ll have creamier curry with rich coconut flavor to it.

DO YOU LOVE CURRY? WELL GOOD! WE GOT LOTS OF OTHER CURRY RECIPES JUST FOR YOU. CHECK THESE OUT –

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