This easy lentil and coconut curry is a delicious dinner that the whole family will love! It’s rich, flavorful, vegan, gluten-free and can be made either in the instant pot, slow cooker or simply on the stovetop. There’s a method for everyone!
In fact, if you make this easy coconut curry in the instant pot or on the stovetop, it can be
ready in just 50 minutes, which is far from the several hours that most aromatic curries take to cook. However, of course, it takes much longer to cook in a slow cooker. I like to either make mine on high for 4 hours, or low for 7-8 hours. Plenty of time for the flavor to develop and for the lentils to become perfectly tender!
What do I need to make this recipe?
Well, for a lentil coconut curry, you’re obviously going to need lentils, coconut oil and coconut milk, but there are definitely a few other ingredients worth mentioning!
- Ginger: you can use either grated fresh ginger root here, or ground ginger powder if you prefer. Personally, I prefer fresh ginger, but the ground ginger makes a good substitute if you’re in a pinch!
- Curry powder: this is not the same as garam masala, so please stick to curry powder instead of trying to substitute it!
- Ground turmeric: I’m afraid that here, you really can’t use fresh turmeric instead. Plus, you’d need such a tiny amount that it would probably feel like a waste to buy some - providing a store near you even sells it in the first place!
- Lentils: I know I mentioned these above, but there are a couple of important notes. You can use either green or brown lentils, and you must rinse them before cooking. Trust me on that one!
To be honest, those are the main ingredient notes. I do include fresh cilantro and lime juice on the ingredients list (see the recipe card below). However, to be honest, they’re just for garnish - although I do adore the freshness that the lime juice brings to the curry!
How do I make this easy coconut curry?
Well, as I mentioned previously, there are 3 choices of methods; instant pot, slow cooker, or stovetop. It’s really important that you follow the right method out of the 3 because they all have fairly significant differences. After all, they are 3 completely different methods of cooking things!
For the full methods, please scroll down to the below recipe card.
In the Instant Pot
- Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add oil, then onion and soften. Add garlic and ginger, other seasonings and carrots.
- Turn pot off. Add lentils, tomatoes (and their juices), water and coconut milk. Stir.
- Put the lid on and cook on high. Then allow natural release.
- Release any remaining pressure and open lid. Stir and taste. Adjust seasonings. Serve over rice with lime and cilantro.
See? Easy! Then again, most recipes using an Instant Pot are pretty easy - they’re brilliant gadgets to have!
In the Slow Cooker
- Add everything except the coconut milk to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
- Stir in the coconut milk and taste. Garnish and serve.
It’s literally 3 steps - what could be easier than that? I know slow cooker recipes are usually easy, but this one is definitely easier than most!
On the Stovetop
- Heat the oil. Add onion and carrots, then let them soften. Add garlic, ginger and other seasonings and toast.
- Add lentils, tomatoes (with juices) and water. Stir to combine then simmer.
- Stir in coconut milk, season, serve and garnish.
Once again, just 3 steps! And to be honest, you don’t even really need to be in the kitchen for most of the time (while the lentils cook) - you can go and put your feet up! That’s the dream, right? Dinner and a rest at once?
Is this lentil and coconut curry healthy?
Short answer: yes! Absolutely lentils are a healthy food source! They contain several vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium and B vitamins. They are also a good source of iron and folic acid, and an excellent source of fiber. They contain a good amount of protein, making lentils a good meat replacement. And finally, lentils contain polyphenols which are compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.
What should I serve with this curry?
I’d personally recommend that you serve this lentil coconut curry over rice and/or with a side of naan (Indian bread).
Got a spare instant pot? You can make perfectly fluffy brown rice in it using this recipe!
What should I do with leftover lentil curry?
You can store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze for up to 6 months. Then just defrost (if frozen) and reheat until piping hot - simple!
What should I make next?
Looking for more vegan slow cooker recipes? This Mexican quinoa is perfect for filling tacos and burritos!
Perhaps you’d prefer a simple vegan soup? Well, so long as your broth is vegetarian, then this healthy minestrone soup will do the job perfectly! Plus, it uses plenty of colorful fresh veggies.
Or, are you after more quick and easy curry recipes? Either way, this chana masala is perfect - and naturally vegan!
Perhaps you’re more interested in learning to cook with lentils more often? This beginner’s guide to lentils is exactly what you need!
However, if you need a recipe that uses lentils, is a curry and is made in the slow cooker then this lentil madras is exactly what you need! Or, how about this slow cooker curried lentil soup? There are so many delicious recipes to choose from!
But if you’re here for the instant pot, then you definitely need to take a look at this list of 15 weight watchers instant pot recipes - they’re all just heavenly, and there’s so much choice - it’s impossible to decide what to make first!