This red lentil curry recipe uses ingredients that you can easily find in your pantry! It is packed with flavor and ready in less than 40 minutes. Serve the red lentil curry with jasmine rice, basmati rice, or brown rice.
Thank you to Safeway for sponsoring this post!
Often times, we think that we need fancy ingredients to cook something delicious. However, I find that some of the most comforting meals are ones that I prepare using pantry staples.
This red lentil curry is a testament to how you can make amazing meals with basic pantry ingredients. In particular, I want to highlight a few pantry items from Safeway’s O Organics that I always keep in the kitchen: Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Crushed Tomatoes, and Organic Coconut Milk. They are good quality ingredients at an affordable price, and they are versatile. Besides this red lentil curry, you can use those ingredients to make my hot and sour coconut noodle soup or sambal noodles.
All of these pantry ingredients make an irresistible rich and cream curry that is bursting with flavor. You can cook this red lentil curry in one pan or one pot, and it’s ready in 40 minutes.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS FOR RED LENTIL CURRY
RED LENTILS
I chose red lentils for this recipe because they break down easily and cook fast. Also, red lentils give the curry a nice creamy texture. If you do not have red lentils, you can use brow or green lentils, split yellow peas, or split mung beans.
You can even use a 14-ounce can of beans, like O Organics Garbanzo Beans! Since canned beans are pre-cooked, you should decrease the amount of broth by about a cup, as the beans do not absorb as much liquid. You can also reduce the simmering time to 10 minutes.
CRUSHED TOMATOES
I like using O Organics crushed tomatoes because they have a nice thick consistency, which is great for the curry. If you do not have crushed tomatoes, you can use tomato sauce or diced tomatoes.
SPICES
I am using an array of spices not only to impart flavor into the red lentil curry but also to balance the acidity of the canned tomatoes. You’ll notice many Asian recipes that use tomatoes call for a little sugar, which serves to balance the acid in the dish. Similarly, the turmeric in yellow curry powders neutralize the tomatoes’ acidity.
If you don’t have some of the spices listed below, feel free to substitute them with what you have on hand. For example, if you don’t have the curry powder, use 1 1/2 tablespoons of Thai-style yellow or red curry pastes.
SUGGESTED ADD-INS
If you want to add more protein to the curry, consider adding pan-fried tofu, fried paneer, or pan-fried shrimp (if you’re not vegan or vegetarian). You can also add several handfuls of greens when the lentils are nearly done simmering.
CAN YOU FREEZE THE RED LENTIL CURRY?
Yes! Wait for the lentil curry to cool and thicken (about 1 to 2 hours) before transferring the curry to a freezer bag. To ensure that the curry isn’t too runny, I even refrigerate the curry overnight so that it firms up.
MORE CURRY RECIPES
- Vegan Butternut Squash Curry
- Cauliflower Curry with Chickpeas & Spinach
- Easy Green Curry Noodles
- Red Curry Wonton Soup
Simple Red Lentil Curry
This is a delicious vegan dish that you can make in one pan or pot. If you want to add something more to the curry, consider adding pan-fried tofu, fried paneer, or pan-fried shrimp (if you’re not vegan or vegetarian). You can also add several handfuls of greens when the lentils are nearly done simmering.
You can also freeze leftovers. Wait until the lentil curry cools completely before transferring to a container.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry red lentils
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 3/4 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (or a 14-ounce can)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons brown sugar (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, depending on your desired level of spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk (see note 2)
Optional Garnish
- sliced scallions
- chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Rinse the red lentils and pick out any dark or discolored pieces. Drain and set the lentils aside.
- In a large skillet or small pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook them for about 5 minutes, stirring them so they don’t burn. Next, add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, curry powder, coriander, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir to incorporate all the spices with the tomatoes. Next, add the lentils. The rinsed lentils likely will have hardened into a solid chunk. Use a spatula to break them up in the tomato sauce. Then, add the vegetable broth. Cover the skillet or pot with its lid and bring everything to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the beans simmer for another 17 to 20 minutes until the lentils are fully cooked and tender. After 10 minutes of simmering, stir the lentils to make sure that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot or pan. If the lentil curry looks too solid, add another 1/2 cup of water. Alternatively, if the curry looks too runny, let it simmer uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes. Note that the curry thickens as it cools.
- Stir in the coconut milk and turn off the heat.
- Divide the red lentil curry into bowls and serve with jasmine rice, basmati rice, or brown rice. The curry is great with my scallion pancakes too! Garnish the curry with sliced scallions and chopped peanuts, if you like.
Notes
- You can use any sugar or sweetener like honey in place of the brown sugar. I slightly prefer the curry when it’s made with 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of sugar. However, if you think that’s too much, stick to 2 teaspoons.
- I prefer to use full-fat coconut milk because it adds more flavor to the dish. You can substitute that with light coconut milk. If you have leftover coconut milk and you’re not planning to use it again any time soon, pour the coconut milk in an ice cube tray and freeze it.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cupsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 359Total Fat: 14.4gSaturated Fat: 11.2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1132mgCarbohydrates: 46.3gFiber: 8.6gSugar: 7.2gProtein: 14.4g
Lena says
Just made this and it’s sooo delicious I could eat this everyday. I don’t know if my family likes it yet, but it’s not much left andI might keep it all to myself. 🥣♥️♥️
Lisa Lin says
Lena, thank you so much for trying the recipe!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Anna D says
This dish is truly delightful! The flavors are amazing. I would suggest adding some greens like bok choy which made for a nice addition. I plan to make this again tonight. Thank you Lisa for another great recipe!
Sarah says
Made this as soon as I saw the recipe and step by step on Instagram stories! It is so delicious. I was never a huge lentil fan but this was amazing! I added some chopped up Chinese broccoli as I didn’t have spinach and it was great. Thanks Lisa for this great recipe! It’s such a great one using pantry staples!
Lisa Lin says
Sarah, thank you so much for making this recipe! I love that you added Chinese broccoli!!!
Charlie says
Looks great! I’ll give it a go soon, thanks!
Lisa Lin says
Fantastic!
Maya says
Made this curry the minute I saw it and it was absolutely delicious! Super easy and quick to make. Thank you for sharing this recipe ❤️
Lisa Lin says
Maya, thank you so much for making this!!
Melanie Z. says
I happened to have all of these ingredients in the pantry (lentils and coconut milk and tomato soup) and so when I saw this recipe on instagram thought it was perfect since I don’t typically cook with lentils. I subbed the crushed tomatoes with tomato soup, and also added in ground turkey and carrots and used water instead of veg. stock and it still turned out amazing, all of my housemates enjoyed it as well. Super easy to make as well (I did it in a big pot, since I doubled the recipe)
Lisa Lin says
Melanie, Thank you so much for making this recipe! Love all the modifications you made!
BLESSING says
I made this curry today! It was so delicious. I’m so happy I found your recipes! They’re amazing and susper easy to follow.
Janelle says
Looks like a tasty recipe—until I saw the 11+gms of saturated fat per serving. Yikes! I would make it without the coconut oil and coconut milk. Saturated fat is the biggest driver of inflammation in the body (according to Dr. Greiger of “Nutritionfacts.org”)