Lentil Curry
Lentil Curry is loaded with tender lentils, seasoned veggies, and a rich tomato-coconut milk sauce—an amazing vegetarian curry!
Servings: 4 servings
Cost: $6.39
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or melted coconut oil
- 1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 small onion; 1/2 large onion
- 1 cup finely diced carrot 1 large carrot
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 3 cloves
- 1-1/2 tablespoon finely minced ginger 1-inch piece
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste I use Thai Kitchen, which is vegetarian and mild
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder see note 1
- 1-1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1-1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup uncooked lentils green or brown, see note 2
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk lite or regular
- 3 cups broth or stock; use vegetarian broth or stock to keep this vegetarian/vegan
- 1/3 cup finely diced cilantro
- 1 lemon optional
- Cooked basmati rice optional, see note 3
Instructions
- Measure the lentils and pick over to remove debris or shriveled lentils, then thoroughly rinse with water. Add to a bowl, cover them in room-temperature water and let soak for 15–20 minutes. Prep the veggies: finely dice the onion and carrot; finely mince the garlic cloves and ginger.
- Add the butter or oil to a large pot. Heat to medium and once butter is melted or oil is shimmering, add the diced onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir for 3–4 minutes. Add diced carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 6–8 minutes or until everything is golden. Nothing should be overly browning or burning; if so, turn down heat. While everything is cooking, measure out the spices.
- Add the red curry paste, yellow curry powder, garam masala, paprika, ground coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper; I add 1 and 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to high, stir constantly, and cook for 1–2 minutes or until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Stir and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Add in sugar.
- Thoroughly drain the lentils. Add to the pot along with the coconut milk and chicken or vegetable broth/stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 8–10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer another 5–8 minutes or until curry is thick and creamy and lentils are completely tender. If the mixture thickens too much, add a splash of broth or stock, and if it’s too thin (or lentils aren’t tender yet), increase the heat a bit and simmer without the lid.
- Add in finely chopped cilantro, and if desired, stir in the zest and juice of a lemon. Taste and adjust any seasonings; flavors should sing, so add extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Serve over cooked basmati rice if desired (see note 2) and enjoy hot.
Notes
Note 1: I use McCormick® or Simple Truth® Organic or Great Value® Organic—all of which are very mild. Curry powders vary in spice levels, so add slowly if you are concerned.
Note 2: I use brown lentils in this recipe; green lentils will cook the same. For canned lentils, drain and rinse them; they’ll cook in about 20–25 minutes (uncovered the whole time). Red or orange lentils will cook for about 20–25 minutes (uncovered the whole time). I do not recommend French lentils; they won’t cook correctly in this curry.
Note 3: Here’s how I cook basmati rice:
- Measure the basmati rice (this method doesn’t work with other varieties) and rinse in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear.
- Place the rice in a bowl and cover with water to soak for about 5–10 minutes.
- While rice is soaking, fill a large pot with water and set it to boil.
- Once water is at a rolling boil, drain the rice and add it to the pot.
- Cook, without reducing heat, 5 minutes; drain and fluff with a fork.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.8g | Protein: 16.3g | Fat: 21.4g | Cholesterol: 22.9mg | Sodium: 543.1mg | Fiber: 7.8g | Sugar: 6.8g