• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

  • My RecipeTin
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish
      • Salad Meals
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Vegetables
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cake recipes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
  • ✨Party✨
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • eBooks
      • The Food Photography Book
      • Chicken Wings Cookbook
    • Food Bloggers Central
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Bean and Lentil Recipes

Lentil Curry – mega flavour lentil recipe!

By:Nagi
Published:1 Apr '20Updated:25 Feb '21
304 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

This lentil recipe is an eye opener – an incredible creamy coconut Lentil Curry made with just TWO spices! It’s a streamlined version of Indian Dal, delivering a similar intoxicating curry flavour but a whole lot less complicated. Make this with any type of dried lentils, canned, or even split peas!

Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you. This is knock-your-socks-off good, and proof that you can eat amazing food on a budget.

Overhead photo of Lentil Curry served over rice, ready to be eaten

“I’ll be honest and say I thought this would be lacking in flavour because I’m used to trying curries from scratch rather than with curry powder……How wrong was I?? I apologise wholeheartedly Nagi!! Amazing recipe, please try this people. Tasty, easy, mind blowingly awesome. xx” – Emily, 10 April 2020

Lentil Recipe – easy – mega flavour!

I know it’s childish of me to complain, but this Lentil Curry took an irritatingly long time to create.

I wanted simple. Minimal ingredients. And meat-free. Not like, say, this more complex (but equally delicious) Beef and Lentil Soup.

Quick to make. Very little chopping, very few ingredients.

A “go to” lentil recipe I could make any night that didn’t sacrifice flavour for speed.

And it had to stack up to real Indian Dal. I love it. I just don’t always have the time or everything I need to make it.

I knew it was a pretty high benchmark. Creating kapow! flavours out of plain lentils without going crazy with a list of spices.

But finally, I’m happy – and ready to share. Here it is!! (And just TWO SPICES!!)

Close up of Lentil Curry, the most amazing simple lentil recipe in the world!

Two little steps make all the difference…..

The key to cooking amazing food with bare minimum ingredients is good produce and knowing what to do to extract the most flavour out of what you have.

For this recipe, we’re going for the latter. We take our time sautéing the onions, ginger and garlic so they transform from raw harshness to a sweet, savoury flavour base. Then we cook off the two spices to make the flavour bloom.

These two little steps make all the difference so we only need water for this curry, no stock!


What goes in Lentil Curry with Coconut Sauce

Here’s what you need:

What goes in Lentil Curry - best lentil recipe

  • Lentils – use any dried lentils or canned here. Brown, green, red, yellow, whether split or whole OR any type of dried split peas. Green split peas will result in an an interesting colour in your pot, but it will still be phenomenally delicious. Just avoid French lentils (Puy lentils / black lentils) as they don’t soften as well as other lentils so you won’t get the same creamy, thick texture.
  • Curry powder – This is the main shortcut, The beauty of this is that you don’t need any fancy curry powder, just your run-of-the-mill jar from the grocery store. I’ve made this with Clives of India, Keens, and a generic brand and they all tasted just as good. Just be mindful of using SPICY curry powder – check the label!
  • Garlic and ginger – while fresh is ideal (followed by jarred), powder is a sufficient substitute;
  • Coconut milk – if you use low fat instead of full fat, you are not allowed to complain if your sauce isn’t as good as you hoped!😂

How to make this lentil recipe

And here’s how to make it. It takes about 50 minutes start to finish, but the active effort is only around 10 minutes – and there’s a nice flow to it because you can gather and measure ingredients while you stir the onions every now and then.

How to make Lentil Curry

The Secret to an amazing Lentil Recipe

The key step here is sautéing the onions, garlic and ginger over a low-ish heat until tinged with gold, and they transform into a sweet, savoury flavour base for the sauce so we only need water instead of stock or broth.

Then we also cook off the curry powder and turmeric which lets the spices bloom before adding the lentils and everything else in to simmer away.

Just LOOK at that incredible sauce! So creamy! Loaded with flavour! (There are not enough exclamation marks in this world!!!)

Close up of incredible Lentil Curry - a super simple lentil recipe requiring just TWO spices!

What to serve with lentil curry

A sauce this good demands rice to soak it up, though if you’re on a low carb kick then cauliflower rice will work a treat. Basmati is on theme (being a curry and all) though plain white rice or brown rice is just fine too.

And if you really want to go all out, add a side of flatbread: Either real-deal naan or my general-purpose flatbread (an easy, no yeast recipe and I serve it as naan all the time with Indian curries).

Brushing melted garlic butter on a freshly cooked naan
Naan recipe – chewy & fluffy!
Close up of spoon scooping up fluffy Basmati Rice
How to cook Basmati Rice
This flatbread recipe is made without yeast, yet is soft and pliable and wonderfully moist. www.recipetineats.com
Easy Soft Flatbread Recipe (No Yeast)
How to cook rice featured image graphic
How to cook white rice – easily and perfectly
Close up of Cauliflower Rice in a bowl
Cauliflower Rice

Now, go forth and experience the greatness that is lentils!! Economical, filling, nourishing – the world’s greatest source of plant based protein, all wrapped up in a coconut curry sauce. YESS!!! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Lentil Curry - mega flavour lentil recipe!

Author: Nagi
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Mains
Indian
4.99 from 89 votes
Servings5 - 6
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. This will be an eye opener for you - an incredible creamy coconut curry made with just TWO spices! Hugely economical, this is essentially a streamlined version of Indian Dahl, delivering a similar intoxicating curry flavour but a whole lot less complicated.

Ingredients

  • 50g (3 tbsp) butter , unsalted (sub 2 tbsp neutral oil)
  • 4 garlic cloves , finely minced (Note 1)
  • 1.5 tbsp ginger , finely minced (Note 1)
  • 1 onion , finely chopped (white, yellow, brown)
  • 2 tbsp curry powder , mild or spicy (your choice!) (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp tumeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , optional
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup dried lentils , green or brown (or any other dried lentils or split peas, Note 3)
  • 400 ml / 14 oz coconut milk , full fat
  • 400g/ 14 oz canned tomato , crushed or diced
  • 3 cups (750 ml) water

Serving:

  • 1/2 cup coriander/cilantro , finely chopped
  • Yogurt , optional
  • Basmati rice (or other rice)

Instructions

  • Saute onion: Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Slowly cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes until tinged with gold and the onion is sweet.
  • Cook off spices: Turn heat up to high, add curry powder and turmeric, stir for 1 1/2 minutes.
  • Add everything else: Add remaining ingredients and stir. Bring to simmer, then place lid on and adjust heat to low / medium low so it's simmering gently.
  • Simmer: Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes to reduce the sauce. {Note 2 for cook times of other lentils}
  • Lentils should be soft, sauce should be thickened and creamy. Too thick, add water. Too thin, simmer with lid off - thickens quickly.
  • Coriander: Stir through half the coriander, then taste and add more salt if needed.
  • Serve over basmati rice, sprinkled with more coriander and a dollop of yogurt. (Low carb option - cauliflower rice).

Recipe Notes:

1. Garlic and ginger - while fresh is ideal (followed by jarred), powder is a sufficient substitute - use 1 tsp of each and add with curry powder.
2. Curry powder - I use Clives of India, Keens, and a generic brand and all tasted the same. The beauty of this recipe is that you don't need any fancy curry powder, just your run-of-the-mill jar from the grocery store. 
3. Lentils - use any dried lentils or canned here, or split peas (will result in an an interesting colour in your pot, but it will still be phenomenally delicious!).
NOTE: Age of lentils will affect cook times. Very old dried lentils can take double the cook time. Just keep adding water until it is cooked. Cook times provided are packets purchased within the past few months from a grocery store (ie not super fresh but not extremely old).
COOK TIMES:
  • Green and brown lentils - most common & cheapest, cook per recipe
  • Canned lentils (2 cans drained) - 25 min, uncovered the whole time
  • Red split lentils - 25 min, uncovered the whole time
  • Yellow or green split peas - 25 min, uncovered the whole time
  • Any dal (Indian lentils) such as channa dal, toor dal or moong dal - per recipe
  • French lentils (Puy lentils / black lentils)  - not recommended as they don't soften as well as other lentils so you won't get the same creamy, thick texture.
4. Storage - will keep in fridge for up to 5 days, and in freezer for 3 months (thaw, heat, give it a good stir and it will be as good as new. Use water to thin slightly if needed.)
5. Nutrition per serving, excluding rice.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 414cal (21%)Carbohydrates: 36g (12%)Protein: 14g (28%)Fat: 26g (40%)Saturated Fat: 20g (125%)Cholesterol: 22mg (7%)Sodium: 782mg (34%)Potassium: 865mg (25%)Fiber: 15g (63%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 544IU (11%)Vitamin C: 13mg (16%)Calcium: 91mg (9%)Iron: 7mg (39%)
Keywords: lentil curry, lentil recipe
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Life of Dozer

Dozer in lockdown mode. This is what passer byes see.

(Don’t worry, he still gets out once a day to the dog park! He just doesn’t go out as much as he used to. Like all of us. 😩)

Dozer in lockdown

Previous Post
Buttery Seasoned Rice – super economical, super tasty!
Next Post
Everyday Salad Dressing

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Close up of White Bean Tabbouleh Salad ready to be served

White Bean Tabbouleh Salad

Close up of Roasted Eggplant Lentil Salad

Lentil and Roasted Eggplant Salad

Pot of Southern Baked Beans with Bacon

Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon (Southern Style)

More Bean and Lentil Recipes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




304 Comments

  1. Naomi says

    February 23, 2021 at 8:40 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi,
    I love your recipes and always enjoy what I cook from your site! I’m just starting meal tracking and realised that although your recipes have number of servings and nutritional information per serving, it doesn’t tell me how much a serving is. Is it possible to add this info?
    BTW, this curry is da BOMB!!! Definitely serve it with Greek yoghurt and loads of fresh coriander!!

    Reply
  2. melissa says

    February 22, 2021 at 1:17 pm

    5 stars
    Super easy and very tasty! Great with Nagi’s flat bread 🙂

    Reply
  3. Lakesha Reed says

    February 20, 2021 at 1:26 am

    Do you have a vegan version of this?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 20, 2021 at 6:07 pm

      Sure! Just sub the butter with coconut oil! N x

      Reply
  4. Claire says

    February 13, 2021 at 9:29 pm

    This was delicious, super easy to make and lots of leftovers to freeze for quick meals. It will definitely be on regular rotation as the weather gets cooler!

    Reply
  5. Denise Travis says

    February 10, 2021 at 12:16 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! At the beginning of Covid, my husband bought a bunch of lentils. I had no idea what to do with them. I stumbled on this recipe and now it has become a staple in our house! I make it at least twice a month! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  6. Jaqueline Cottrell says

    February 8, 2021 at 8:20 am

    5 stars
    I have to say that this is the first time I’ve made a curry from the internet that I really enjoyed and will keep for use to make for friends. Had to make my own curry powder up, but that worked okay. This was delicious, thank you.

    Reply
  7. kathleen Savage says

    January 28, 2021 at 5:08 am

    5 stars
    Easy to make and delicious too!

    Reply
  8. Diane2210 says

    January 27, 2021 at 2:49 am

    5 stars
    This is a very flavorful recipe. Easy to make and great during lentil. Can cream of coconutnbe used instead of coconut milk? All of your recipes are amazing.

    Reply
  9. Dara says

    January 24, 2021 at 1:09 pm

    Hello Nagi – can you use urad dal (black lentils – the sort used in Dhal Makhani) in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 24, 2021 at 6:03 pm

      I haven’t tried sorry Dara – would love to know if it works! N x

      Reply
  10. Petras says

    January 21, 2021 at 6:24 am

    I used canned lentils and only two cups of water, after half an hour uncovered on the stove it still looks more like a soup than a curry. Clearly, one cup of water would have been more than enough since canned lentils are already cooked and do not absorb water. So I ended up with a bowl of soup.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 23, 2021 at 10:35 pm

      I used two cans lentils and followed the recipe … 3 cups of water and simmered with the lid off as recipe states. It was perfect and delicious

      Reply
  11. Becky says

    January 9, 2021 at 4:52 am

    5 stars
    I was looking for something simple I could meal prep for the week ahead and this was absolutely FANTASTIC. I wanted plenty to freeze so I doubled all the ingredients and used red lentils + yellow split peas and I couldn’t be happier.Amazing Recipe, thank you!!

    Reply
  12. Laura says

    January 5, 2021 at 10:36 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing!! The flavours are unbelievable. Thank you for such an amazing recipe. I love all of your recipes!!

    Reply
  13. Andrea says

    November 26, 2020 at 4:46 am

    5 stars
    Love this curry. Easy to make and delicious.

    Reply
  14. Sarah says

    November 17, 2020 at 12:44 am

    5 stars
    Made this at the weekend and froze some portions down for lunch during the week whilst I am working from home. This tastes lovely and great heat following the instructions to the letter. Great for those colder days!

    Reply
  15. Kathy Papas says

    November 11, 2020 at 8:02 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was just perfect. Thank you Nagi ☺️

    Reply
  16. Dimi says

    November 9, 2020 at 10:43 am

    5 stars
    Seriously so good! will definitely be making this again!

    Reply
  17. Zak says

    October 27, 2020 at 7:44 pm

    Hi Nagi, is nutrition per 5 or 6 portions? Thanks!

    Reply
  18. J L says

    October 19, 2020 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    Wow, this recipe is amazing! My family and I were practically licking our plates clean. We couldn’t get enough of it. Thank you so much for this recipe

    Reply
  19. Gail says

    October 17, 2020 at 6:25 am

    Hi – I am going to make this tonight. I will be using dried red lentils. Do I need to soak them first?

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

What's for Dinner?

Close up of beef enchiladas in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Beef Enchiladas

Butter Chicken served over basmati rice in a bowl, ready to be served

Butter Chicken

Overhead photo of 2 black bowls with Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Dressing, ready to be eaten

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salisbury Steak recipe in skillet.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Fast prep. Big flavours!

Never miss a recipe

Back to Top
  • Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Center
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • Image Use
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Developed by Zao © RecipeTin Eats 2021 · All Rights Reserved Back to Top