This creamy coconut Lentil Curry is cozy and comforting and infused with warm Indian spices. Make in an Instant Pot or on your stovetop and serve over a bed of baby spinach, basmati rice or with homemade naan bread! Vegan.
We cannot always change the circumstances, but we can always adjust our consciousness. ~ Radhanath Swami
This flavorful Lentil Curry is easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights! Wholesome, nourishing, and vegan, yet utterly rich and comforting! Serve it over fluffy basmati rice– or try it over big bowl of fresh baby spinach… so tasty! My husband Brian prefers scooping it up with freshly made, soft buttery naan bread, and yes, that is an option too. You could also just serve it as a soup!
Lentil Curry | 45-second video
What you’ll need!
This lentil curry recipe calls for a combination of wholesome and flavorful ingredients.
- Lentils: Lentils are the star ingredient of this dish, providing a good source of plant-based protein and fiber. They add a hearty texture to the curry. We use brown lentils here.
- Coconut Milk: Creamy coconut milk is used to give the curry a luscious and rich consistency. It adds a hint of sweetness and balances out the flavors. We use full fat coconut milk for a thicker consistency.
- Indian Spices: The recipe combines an array of warm and aromatic Indian spices such as turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, and garam masala. These spices infuse the dish with the distinct flavors of Indian cuisine. Feel free to use whole seeds ( cumin seeds, coriander seeds) toast and grind for more flavor.
- Onion, Carrot, Garlic, and Ginger: These vegetables are sautéed to create a flavorful savory base for the curry. They add depth and a hint of sweetness to the dish.
- Optional Toasted Turmeric Coconut Flakes: These delicious coconut flakes add a delightful crunch and a beautiful golden color to the dish. They can be used as a topping for added texture and visual appeal.
Instant Pot Instructions (see notes for stovetop)
To make this in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, sauté the onion, carrot, garlic, ginger and spices using saute function. Add water or vegetable broth and the lentils. Close the lid. 
Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, and manually release. Yes, it is very fast! Small lentils will cook even faster!
After the lentils are tender, add the coconut milk after! Taste and adjust salt and heat (add cayenne pepper) to your taste!
Stovetop Instructions
- To make Lentil Curry on the stovetop allow about 45 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Saute onion over medium heat until fragrant and golden, 4-5 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger and carrots and cook another 3 minutes until you smell the garlic. Add salt, spices, tomato paste and stir for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the water, scraping up the browned bits. Add an additional ¼ cup water (so a total 2 ¼ cups water) and add the lentils.
- Bring to a boil, cover, then simmer on low heat until lentils are cooked through, about 15-25 minutes depending on the size of the lentils. Stir in the coconut milk.
- Adjust salt and heat (adding more cayenne pepper or chili flakes) to taste.
Lentil Curry Serving Suggestions
Serve lentil curry over warm basmati rice, over cauliflower rice, or over a big bowl of baby spinach, or with buttery naan, or all of the above! Top with cilantro and fresh chilies if you like! Garnish with optional Turmeric Coconut Chips below!
Turmeric Coconut Chips
Turmeric Coconut Chips add amazing texture and flavor! To make the Turmeric Coconut Chips, simply toast coconut flakes in a skillet with turmeric for 2-3 minutes! A delicious, crunchy topping for the creamy lentils. You know me and how much I love different textures in food! They add so much! These never seem to make it to the next day, unfortunately!
Storing The Lentil Curry
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a microwave or on the stove.
This lentil curry is so satisfying and nourishing, perfect for the colder months when you are craving something a little heartier.
More Lenitl recipes you’ll love!
- Instant Pot Mulligatawny (Curried Indian Soup)
- Indian Shepherds Pie
- Indian Spinach Salad with Lentils & Cauliflower
- Chana Masala (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
- Vegan Tikka Masala (Stovetop or Instant Pot)
For more Globally-inspired Instant Pot Recipes check out some of my favorites here!
On the homefront. As some of you know, I went to India. It has was an amazing trip on so many levels. And as you can imagine, it was food heaven. The flavors!
I wanted to share a personal experience here with you about my trip. I brought my parent’s ashes to a very old city called Varanasi, where the River Ganges runs through. Hindus believe that when you release the ashes of the dead into their sacred river, souls will go straight to the Divine and be liberated from the cycle of reincarnation, a term they call “Moksha”.
I loved this idea and yearned for this for my parents. What I couldn’t predict, was how the act would actually affect me. It was a much-needed release, a letting go on a deeper level, that until the moment it happened, I didn’t even know I needed.
I left there feeling joyful, light and alive. I felt a sense of moksha (freedom, liberation) in my heart. I am constantly amazed at how wise are our souls are, and how they lead us directly to the experiences we need.
No life is without heartache. And sometimes, holding on to these for too long, we prevent ourselves from fully feeling all the beauty, aliveness and love that surrounds us right now. This heartache for me was like a very subtle grey filter, muting the colorful brilliance and experience of being alive. It was so subtle I hardly knew it was there.
Yet it was. And now it is not.
Now, I don’t believe you need to go to Varanasi specifically to have this experience. But the ritual was meaningful and I think we could create this wherever we are. Releasing pain doesn’t mean we stop loving those who are gone. It frees up our heart to love even more. At least that is how it feels to me.
xoxo
Hope you are staying warm and cozy this week.
xoxo
Print
Lentil Curry Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: vegan, main, stew, instant pot
- Method: instant pot
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Coconut Lentil Curry can be made in an Instant Pot in about 30 minutes or on the stovetop. Infused with fragrant Indian spices, this recipe is not only delicious, it is is vegan and gluten free! Serve it over a bed of spinach, basmati rice or with homemade naan bread!
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons coconut oil, or ghee(ghee tastes best)
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, rough chopped ( 3–4 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons ginger root, finely chopped
- 2 cups carrots, diced (or sub 1 cup celery)
- 1 tablespoon cumin (seeds or ground)
- 2 teaspoons coriander ( seeds or ground)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric ( or 1 tablespoon fresh grated)
- 1 teaspoon paprika (not smoked, or sub chili powder)
- 2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional, but elevates)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4–3/4 teaspoon cayenne (or chili flakes) more to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste ( or add 1 small-medium diced tomato)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup brown lentils (or large green- do not use split)
- 13.5 ounce can coconut milk (ADD AFTER YOU COOK THE LENTILS)
To further elevate: add 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon fennel seeds.
Optional Additions: baby spinach, cilantro, turmeric toasted coconut, fresh tomatoes, avocado slices, fresh chilies, naan bread, fluffy basmati rice.
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to the Saute function, heat the oil and saute the onion, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and carrots, saute 3 more minutes, stirring. Add all the spices, salt and tomato paste, stir for 1 minute. Add the water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the brown lentils, give a stir and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. If using other lentils, see notes. Manually release!
- Stir in the coconut milk.
- At this point, if you wanted, you could also add other veggies- peas, cauliflower, or a handful of spinach to wilt.
- Re-taste for salt, adding more if necessary (especially if adding a lot of veggies) and add more Garam Masala to taste, or chili flakes. If it seems watery, saute or keep on warm, uncovered for a bit. The Coconut Lentil Curry will also thicken slightly as it cools.
- Serve over a bed of baby spinach, over basmati rice (or both) or with homemade Naan.
- To make the Turmeric Coconut Chips, heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add ¼ cup coconut flakes and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon ground turmeric. Dry fry for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly until fragrant and lightly toasted. Turn off heat. These are too easy to burn, so don’t walk away!
Notes
STOVE TOP : To make on the stove top(about 45 mins total) heat oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Saute onion over medium high heat until fragrant and golden, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and carrots and cook another 3 minutes until you smell the garlic. Add salt, spices, tomato paste and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the water, scraping up the browned bits. Add an additional ¼ cup water (so a total 2 ¼ cups water) and the lentils. Bring to a boil, cover, then simmer on low heat until lentils are cooked through, about 25 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk. Adjust heat ( adding more cayenne or chili flakes. )
*** If using smaller lentils, decrease pressure cooking time. 5-7 minutes???
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 312
- Sugar: 3.2 g
- Sodium: 628.1 mg
- Fat: 18.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 15.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.8 g
- Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 10.4 g
- Cholesterol: 5.1 mg
Sad to say I found this a bit lacking in depth. I didn’t want to add too much salt, but felt it needed quite a lot.
I’m sorry Kerry, not sure what happened here.
My husband and kids loved it! Thank you for sharing great recipe!
Yay!! Happy to hear it Yuke!
Another perfect recipe!! The kids said it was a keeper:) Thank you!
Where is the amount of curry powder listed??? Forgot to include it!😅
So the “Curry” in the recipe title is a blend of all the spices in the recipe. No actual curry powder. 🙂
Quick. Delicious. Cost effective. Will definitely make again!
Where can I buy coconut flakes that size?
Trader Joes, Whole Foods, most gourmet grocery stores,or bulk bins – you could also look for coconut “chips”. I’ll add a link to Amazon.
This recipe is absolutely amazing. It is SO versatile. For dinner we had it over rice & with a side of Sylvia’s homemade naan and for lunch we had it over a bed of spinach. I am so happy I found this recipe & blog. I have now made several of Sylvia’s recipes and each and every one of them taste so good, so wholesome, and are really easy and actually enjoyable to make. I also love the way she writes, the first blog I actually enjoy reading instead of just skipping to the recipe. Sylvia, you need to write a cookbook! I would buy one for every friend and family member because people need your recipes in their lives. Thank you!
Thanks so much Emily!!! Really appreciate it! A cookbook… someday!;)
This is absolutely the best recipe I have ever had. Are used vegetable broth instead of water and used rainbow colored lentils. Thank you thank you thank you.
Glad you enjoyed Maryann!
I’d like to try this recipe and wanted to know if you used canned lentils. I have a lot of brown dried lentils…and I’d like to use them up.
I used dry uncooked lentils.
This was so yummy! And lovely during winter. Thanks so much for all your recipes all have been excellent and my four year old loves them too!
Thanks so much – glad you liked it!
This is delicious. I just tasted it before adding the coconut milk. So very good. I added a few curry leaves to mine. We will have for dinner with white rice.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I only added 1 cup of carrot because i had a few fresh green beans, a 1/4 of a zucchini and 1/2 of a bell pepper that I threw in to use them up. After adding the coconut milk, I let it simmer uncovered for a little longer because I wanted a thicker curry. It thickened up beautifully!
Yay!!! Im glad you enjoyed and thanks for sharing your adaptions!!!
Hello! This recipe looks delicious and I plan to make it this weekend. I have both seeds and ground of cumin and coriander. Which do you prefer? Or should I use a little of both? Thanks!
I always prefer whole seeds, toasted, lightly ground but for time usually use ground. 🙂
Made this tonight. So very good. Added spinach, wish I’d added cauliflower and a few raisins too. Thanks for so many delicious recipes, we’ve tried many and haven’t found one we don’t like.
Great to hear Amber!
Hi, Sylvia. This recipe looks wonderful. You include the option of adding “dried fenugreek”. Does this refer to dried fenugreek seeds or dried fenugreek leaves? Thank you!
This was delicious! So flavorful, creamy, and quick once all the chopping was done. I didn’t quite chop the ginger finely enough and would frequently bit done on some pieces of crunchy ginger since not even pressure cooking them seemed to soften them up. I would have appreciated directions for the ginger that said “finely mince”. But I’ll know for next time.
Thanks Shannon, I will update the recipe- appreciate your feedback! xoxo
I made this one day (with added shredded beets from Urban Eden Farm!) and then ate it the next for lunch and it turned out wonderfully! This will be a go-to recipe for me in the future: easy, fast, delicious, and healthy. Thank you!
Delicious! I used red lentils, which seems to soften up very quickly on the stove top. I’ll try the recommended brown lentils next time. I added purple cauliflower, garnished it with avocado and the coconut chips. DO NOT skip the coconut chips – soooo yummy! Adds a delightful crunch to the dish! I doubled the coconut chip recipe and the two of us devoured them! For our leftovers, I will need to make more of the chips, but it is fast and easy!
This recipe looks wonderful. You reference an optional ingredient of “dried fenugreek”; should I use dried fenugreek leaves or dried fenugreek seeds? Thank you.
leaves! I’ll clarify, thanks!
Hi, this looks really good. 🙂 Which alternative liquid would work to replace the coconut? Dairy and coconut are triggers for allergies and I don’t eat soy. I use unsweetened almond milk. I’m thinking maybe broth. Have you tried anything other than the coconut milk?
That’s a tough one! The coconut milk gives it a creamy richness and subtle sweetness. I wonder if you could try cashew cream? Blend 1 cup raw cashews (that have been soaked in water for at least 3 hours), blend with ½ cup -¾ cups water until silky smooth, then make sure to add a hint of sweetness, like a little honey to the finished dish, to taste. I have not tried this, but think it could work. 😉
Family loved it spice combination was perfect
Awesome Andre! I’m so glad it worked out and your family enjoyed! Thanks so much for commenting!
Hello Sylvia
Can I use red lentils instead of brown?
Thank you,
Priscilla
If they are split red, they will turn to mush I think?? If whole, should be ok.
This was delicious! I will be making this again.
Awesome -glad you liked it!
Great recipe! It was a big hit at our house. It might be my Instapot, or how I am using it, but the lentils came out a little bit under cooked. I was able to simmered on high for a few minutes to get them to the right done-ness. I added some broccoli and cilantro. I also added a squeeze of lemon and a scant spoonful of curry paste to pump it up a bit. I loved the turmeric coconut flakes and they were super easy to make. I served the lentils over rice with naan and some plain yogurt. Thanks for another great recipe!
Awesome Lynn, thanks for sharing! I was having trouble getting the timing consistent on the instant pot. I think all lentils must be different sizes! 12 minutes over cooked mine. 8 minutes undercooked slightly and 10 minutes seemed to be perfect. Im so glad you made the turmeric flakes!
Again, it could be my relative inexperience with my instapot, but I am finding with other recipes as well that when cooking lentils or beans, timing can be a matter of preference and not an exact science. Generally, I am finding that everything is slightly under cooked. Hmmm it might be me. Oh well, at least if they are under cooked you can cook longer. Over cooked cannot be undone 😉 Thanks again!
I don’t think it is you! I think it is….every bean is slightly different. 🙂
This sounds and looks absolutely delicious. One I am definitely going to try this week. Thank you Sylvia for your ongong ideas and inspiration!!
Thanks Jackie! Let me know what you think!