Lentils are my favorite legume (tied with chickpeas). I just love their taste and how well they embrace the flavors of whatever you cook them with. While on this journey to cooking more vegetarian meals (I shared a little about this on my Instagram recently), I knew lentils were going to be a big part of it.
Their known for their fiber, folic acid and potassium, just to name a few, and offer a great amount of protein-which is something that’s really important to me. I’ve made some other lentil recipes that have been yummy, but this Creamy Coconut Curry Lentils has without a doubt been my favorite. Its hearty, flavorful and has the perfect little kick (which you can of course do without-but I’d totally recommend it!)
Creamy Coconut Curry Lentils
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 TBS coconut oil
- 3/4 of 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- 2 TBS ginger, minced or grated
- 3 TBS Red Curry Powder
- 1 TBS Jamaican Style Curry Poweder
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
- 2 TSP salt
- 1/4 TSP cayenne pepper, can omit if you are very sensitive to any heat
- 1 15oz can of coconut milk
- 1 cup lentils
Directions:
Soak lentils in water for 20-30 minutes. Not entirely necessary, but it softens them up a great deal which then helps them cook faster and absorb flavors more quickly.
Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic to the pot and let it brown a bit.
Add the crushed tomatoes, ginger, red curry powder, Jamaican style curry powder, cayenne pepper and salt to the pan and cook, stirring the pot a few times, for about 5 minutes.
Then pour the lentils and the water into the pot, give it a stir and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer for 40 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
Every 19-15 minutes, give the pot a few stirs to prevent the lentils from sticking. If at any point your curry starts to look too dry, you can add in some water 1/4 cup at a time, until you’re at the right consistency again.
Once you curry is thick and your lentils soft, pour in the coconut milk and allow the pot to get back to a simmer. Then remove the pot from the heat and serve!
