Vegan coconut curried lentils

Vegetarian curried lentils with coconut milk, a vegetarian and vegan Indian meal
Vegetarian curried lentils with coconut milk, a vegetarian and vegan Indian meal.
  • 30 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins,
  • Cook: 25 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
Ratings (5)

By Jolinda Hackett

Updated 03/17/17

Inspired by more traditional Indian vegetarian curried lentils or dahl, this simple homemade lentil dish adds coconut milk for a deeply flavorful meal. You might find that a chopped sweet potato or perhaps some fresh tomatoes would add a bit more texture to liven up these lentils, if you'd like.

Serve your curried lentils with rice or another whole grain. A coconut Jasmine rice or a fluffy couscous might be nice.

This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.

Like cooking with lentils? They're cheap, healthy and great for vegetarians and vegans. Once you've tried these coconut curried lentils, try making a cold lentil salad next!

See also: More gluten-free vegan dinner ideas

What You'll Need

  • ½ large onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 3 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • Salt, to taste
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

How to Make It

In a large sautee pan or medium stockpot, heat onion in oil for 3-5 minutes, until onions are soft. Add spices (curry powder, cumin and cloves) and heat for another minute, stirring to prevent spices from burning.

Reduce heat to medium low, and add water or vegetable broth and lentils. Cover and cook until lentils are soft, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and stir in coconut milk, cooking just until well heated through.

Season with salt and red pepper flakes, and adjust other seasonings to taste.

Serve your coconut curried lentils paired with rice or another whole grain for a simple vegetarian and vegan Indian-inspired meal.

Here's more ways to cook lentils:

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 315
Total Fat 12 g
Saturated Fat 10 g
Unsaturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 631 mg
Carbohydrates 39 g
Dietary Fiber 8 g
Protein 16 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)