Red Lentil Curry

In Dinner, Recipes by Muriel2 Comments

I grew up eating black lentils all the time, but I only really discovered red lentils as an adult. And I love them. They’re beautiful, nutritious, easy to cook, and cheap. While most legumes (especially beans) are best soaked overnight before cooking, these guys don’t need any of that forethought that organised people have. Especially split red lentils (same thing, but each bean is in two halves): their cooking time is way shorter than whole red lentils. It’s a wonderful thing for busy (or lazy) people.

This is a simple recipe for a red lentil curry: a straightforward formula that you’ll see in a lot of other Indian-inspired recipes: onion, garlic, cumin, coriander. Ginger for extra spiciness, chilli for heat, turmeric for colour, and tomatoes for a bit of acidity and depth of flavour. It’s simple and it works—taste it and you’ll know what I mean.

By the way, I got all the ingredients for this recipe at Nude Foods. Besides being #zerowaste, it’s just such a beautiful, zen place. It’s honestly the only store that I love to go shopping—everywhere else is stressful but at Nude, I’m like a kid in a candy store! They have pretty much everything that a healthy plant-based kitchen could need, including organic produce and earth-friendly home-cleaning products. Check them out (they deliver).

If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @PlantifulCoach + #PlantifulCoach! I’d love to see your foodie creations 🙂

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5 from 1 vote

Red Lentil Curry

I grew up eating black lentils all the time, but I only really discovered red lentils as an adult. And I love them. They’re beautiful, nutritious, easy to cook, and cheap. While most legumes (especially beans) are best soaked overnight before cooking, these guys don’t need any of that forethought that organised people have. Especially split red lentils (same thing, but each bean is in two halves): their cooking time is way shorter than whole red lentils. It’s a wonderful thing for busy (or lazy) people.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cm ginger grated
  • 2 tsp curry powder choose your own heat
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 6 tomatoes chopped
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes optional
  • 1/2 cup coconut cream
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

To serve

  • 1 cup rice basmati is delicious, brown rice is healthier
  • 1 handful fresh coriander chopped

Directions

  • Rinse the lentils with fresh water, and put the rice on to cook while you prepare the curry.
  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, and add the chopped onion.
  • Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent.
  • Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for a few minutes (watch that the garlic doesn’t burn).
  • Add the curry powder, ground cumin, ground coriander and tumeric, and saute for a minute or two.
  • Stir in the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, red chilli flakes (if using) and lentils.
  • Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and leave simmering for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft, stirring every few minutes.
  • Before serving, stir in the coconut cream and lemon juice, and add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Enjoy with cooked rice, and a garnish of chopped cilantro.

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    YUM! I made this for my omni family recently and there was not a single bite left. I did modify the recipe slightly, as I used large tomatoes, and felt that 6 would’ve been too many (I used 4). I also cooked it slightly longer, and I wanted the lentils to soften up a bit more (but not become mushy – which they didn’t) Initially I thought the garlic was going to be overwhelming, but I added all 4 cloves and it was just perfect. All the flavours are really well balanced. Wish I had a photo of the results, but the pot was emptied in record time… Will just have to make it again.

    1. Author

      Red lentils are a winner, right?! So happy this went down well with your fam, especially an omni fam! Amazing.

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