Lentil Coconut Curry
One-pan lentil coconut curry is rich, creamy, and satisfying, no tomato needed! It’s packed with amazing flavors and lots of veggies, No tomato! Glutenfree Soyfree Nutfree
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion or white onion
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste or 1/2” of ginger, minced and four cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (or 1.5-2 teaspoons curry powder, Berbere, Cajun blend or Jamaican curry powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes optional, or use black pepper
- 1 cup peeled and chopped sweet potato or frozen sweet potato or butternut squash
- 15- ounce can full fat coconut milk or lite coconut milk
- 15- ounce can cooked lentils or 1.5 cups cooked lentils
- 1/2 cup frozen spinach or 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- lemon juice and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion is starting to turn translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and mix in. Mix in the spices and salt, then mix in the coconut milk and the sweet potatoes or butternut squash.
- Cover with the lid and cook until the sweet potato is cooked through. This will take anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes, depending on your stove, pan, and the size of the cubed vegetables.
- Then, mix in the cooked lentils and spinach and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Bring to a good boil, then taste and adjust the flavor. Add 1/2 cup or more broth, if you want the lentils to be saucier, because this will thicken as it cools. Once it is boiling consistently for 2 minutes, switch off the heat.
- Garnish with cilantro or other herbs of choice and some lemon juice and pepper flakes, if you like, and serve with some sourdough or rice, flatbread, or other cooked grains.
Video
Notes
Variations: Use chickpeas or white beans instead of canned lentils. Or make it with both. Add a can of chickpeas and lentils, and add up to 1 cup more of coconut milk or other nondairy milk. Increase the spices also to adjust to preference.
For a coconut milk substitute, cook the sweet potatoes in 1 cup of broth initially, and then add in some cashew cream or cashew milk with the lentils. Use 1/4 heaping cup of cashews blended with 1 cup of water to make the cashew cream.
Cook lentils with curry: use split red lentils (the quick cooking kind) as the sweet potatoes would be mush if you cook brown lentils which take about 35 mins. Use 1/2 cup split red lentils(masoor dal) and add the lentils and 1 cup water or broth as well along with the sweet potatoes. Cover and cook for 11-12 mins and check, taste and adjust flavor and consistency and continue to simmer for a few mins, add in the spinach in the last 2-3 mins.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free.
Nutrition
Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 639mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 7050IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 4mg