This red lentil curry recipe is perfect to have on a weeknight because it comes together in like 30 minutes. Plus, only one pot gets dirty.
Hellloooo-delicious curry😋
Guys, this recipe is so easy to make. Plus, it's packed with nutrition, naturally gluten-free and makes great meal prep lunches too.
If you love curries, soups and stews, then definitely check out these warm-you-up-from-the-inside-recipes too:
🔪Instructions
Cook the onion and garlic in a pot with olive oil warmed up. Add curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika and salt.
Cook the spices for a couple minutes. Add the chickpeas, diced tomatoes and coconut milk.
Add lentils and stir to combine. Cover and heat to medium. Bring the curry to a slow boil.
After about 7 minutes, add the spinach (or frozen kale). Heat until lentils are soft and serve.
Hot Tip
The coconut milk in this recipe gives an awesome creaminess. Be sure to go for the full-fat coconut milk for this recipe. (Not "light" coconut milk.)
I've found for the heat and length of cooking, this curry needs the extra fat from the coconut milk.
🥡Make it a Meal Prep
This curry is an all-in-one meal! You've got protein, carbs and veggies. So after cooking it, let the curry cool down and then divide it into containers and pop them in the fridge.
❓Do you need to soak red lentils?
Nope! You don't need to soak dry lentils, which is great. Through the cooking process with broth or water, they absorb the fluid and become soft - aka they "cook"😄
I hope you love this red lentil curry recipe like we do!
~April
📖 Recipe
Red Lentil Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small shallot or onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 small can chickpeas, drained and rinsed about 2 cups or 398ml
- 1 cup dry red lentils 250 ml
- 1 large can diced tomatoes 796 ml
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk 1 can, 400ml
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach About 3 large handfuls or frozen chopped kale
- limes optional, for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat
- Add the chopped onion and stir, cooking for about 30 seconds. Add in the garlic and stir.
- To the onion and garlic, add the curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika and salt. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes to release the aroma of the spices.
- Add the chickpeas, lentils, diced tomatoes and coconut milk. Stir to combine and place the lid on the pot. Turn up the heat to medium and bring the curry to a slow boil.
- Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until lentils are soft. Stir a few times as it cooks. If the curry is too thick, you can add a little vegetable broth or water.
- After about 7 minutes, add the spinach and stir. Taste the curry. Add salt if needed.
- Serve hot with a lime wedges if you want.
Katrina Andries says
This has become one of my favourite recipes, really tasty
April says
Thank you for commenting, Katrina. So you glad you liked it😄
Alan H says
I'm not what you'd call a sophisticated cook, and I didn't know the difference between coconut water and coconut milk. So I made it with coconut water....still great. I also added some spices I got a while ago at a local Afghani market. Fantastic, easy and only one pot to clean. This is going in my limited array/rotation of things to make for my twice-weekly cooking responsibilities.
Hi Alan, thanks so much for commenting and I love that it still turned out yummy with the coconut water! I'll have to give that a go next time. Best,
April