This creamy red lentil curry is flavored with coconut milk and red curry paste and finished with a bright cilantro chutney. It’s a cozy, plant-based weeknight dinner!
Some recipes earn their spot in the rotation the very first time you make them. That’s what happened with this red lentil curry! I created this curry for my first cookbook, Pretty Simple Cooking and it quickly became a reader favorite. So, I decided to add a version of it on this website, with a few tweaks from testing it over time!
The lentils are all about cozy creaminess, simmered with coconut milk, tomatoes, and a spoonful of red curry paste. But then you add the cilantro chutney: tangy, bright, a little sweet from golden raisins — and it’s truly magic (I’m not sure how else to describe it!) It’s become one of my top plant based recipes and vegan dinner recipes to recommend when people need dinnertime inspiration.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredible flavor: The tangy cilantro chutney balances the rich warmth of the coconut curry to make one of my favorite meals ever.
- A 30 minute meal: With a prep time of just 10 minutes and a cook time of 20 minutes, you should be able to finish this in 30 minutes (if you make the chutney while the lentils simmer).
- Naturally healthy. Red lentils are loaded with plant-based protein, and the entire meal is vegan and gluten free
- Meal prep friendly. This curry is deal for packing lunches all week!
5-Star Reader Reviews
“This is fabulous! The cilantro chutney is super tasty! It was such a fantastic addition to the curry. So cozy and like a hug. We’ll be making this over and over again.” -Tanvee
“This recipe came together so quickly! Perfect for a midweek meal. The cilantro raisin chutney added a perfect tangy pop of flavor, don’t skip making it. SO good!!” — Renata & Steve
What You’ll Need
There are many ways to make a red lentil curry. In fact, the word “curry” is a Western invention used broadly to describe any dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables (read about curry history here). It’s made in many countries with varying flavor profiles, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, England and more. Here are the key ingredients you’ll need for this spin on red lentil curry:
- Onion, garlic, and fresh ginger: These aromatic vegetables provide the flavor base.
- Red lentils: Also known as masoor dal, red lentils cook faster than other varieties and meld into a creamy, velvety texture. Avoid substituting another type of lentil in this recipe.
- Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste: The tomatoes add a tangy base here.
- Red curry paste: This jar is a jarred paste that takes all the flavor of a Thai curry and concentrates it! Curry paste is made with chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, and more. It brings a massive amount of flavor and lasts for months in the fridge.
- Coconut milk: This curry uses coconut milk for a silky, smooth flavor.
Tips for Using Curry Paste
Here are a few notes for using red curry paste in this recipe:
- The heat level varies based on the brand. I often use Thai kitchen curry paste because it’s very mild (and goes over well with our kids!). There are many great brands to try: just make sure to taste your curry paste before using it. If it’s very spicy, use a little less than the recipe specifies.
- Find it near the Thai products in most grocery stores. It keeps for months in the refrigerator. You can also buy it online: Thai Kitchen red curry paste.
How to Make Red Lentil Curry
This red lentil curry is quick to make! Here are a few notes for the process (or jump to the recipe for quantities):
- Step 1: Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fresh ginger and sauté for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Step 2: Simmer the lentils. Add the red lentils, crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, water, red curry paste, tomato paste, and kosher salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to a very gentle bubble. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the lentils are completely soft and have melted into a creamy consistency. Stir in a few tablespoons more coconut milk.
- Step 3: Meanwhile, make the chutney. While the lentils simmer, blend together the cilantro, golden raisins, white wine vinegar, olive oil, water, and salt until a smooth sauce forms.
- Step 4: Serve. Spoon the red lentil curry over rice, top generously with the cilantro chutney, and garnish with extra cilantro leaves if you’d like.
Ways to Serve It
Red lentil curry is a complete meal over a scoop of rice, but the right pairing makes it even better. Here are my favorite ways to serve it:
- Jasmine rice: This meal is best served with white rice. I especially like jasmine for its fragrant flavor. (Here’s how to cook jasmine rice.)
- Basmati rice: Fluffy and light, basmati rice is another excellent option, especially if you’re leaning into Indian-style flavors.
- Brown rice: A nuttier, more wholesome base with extra fiber. Here’s how to cook brown rice.
- Naan or flatbread: Warm garlic naan bread is great for sopping up this curry.
- Simple sides: A quick cucumber salad is a refreshing pairing.
Storing Leftovers
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The curry will thicken as it chills. To reheat, warm it gently on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring to prevent scorching and adding a splash of water, vegetable broth, or coconut milk to thin it back out to the desired consistency.
The cilantro chutney also keeps for up to 1 week refrigerated. To reheat rice, add it to a pot with a splash of water, cover, and warm it over low heat until heated through.
This curry also works well for meal prep: you can portion it into containers with rice for easy weeknight dinners all week.
Dietary Notes
This red lentil curry is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free. It also works as a Mediterranean diet recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! Spinach and peas are great additions that don’t require extra cook time. Add them during the simmer time.
Cauliflower, carrots, and potatoes are other good options, but require sauteing first (which adds prep time to this recipe).
Yes! Red lentils are one of the most nutritious legumes you can eat: they are high in plant-based protein, fiber, and B vitamins. (See Benefits of Lentils.) Combined with coconut milk and tomatoes, this curry delivers a balanced meal with healthy fats. It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free.
I don’t recommend it for this recipe. Red lentils (also called split lentils or masoor dal) break down as they cook, creating the creamy texture that’s perfect for curries. Brown and green lentils hold their shape, which gives a very different result. If you’d like a recipe with brown or green lentils, try my seasoned brown lentils or curry lentil soup instead.
Absolutely. Italian parsley gives the chutney a fresh, herby flavor without the polarizing taste of cilantro. (My parents are cilantro haters, so I get it if you are too!) The overall flavor of the chutney will be a little more mild, but it still works as a bright contrast to the curry.
In theory yes, though I haven’t tested this. You could use the Sauté function to cook the onion, garlic, and ginger first. Then you could add the lentils, tomatoes, curry paste, tomato paste, salt, and water (hold back most of the coconut milk). Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then allow a natural pressure release. Stir in the coconut milk after opening. The texture may be slightly different from stovetop, so proceed at your own risk.
Red Lentil Curry
Pin RecipeThis creamy red lentil curry is flavored with coconut milk and red curry paste and finished with a bright cilantro chutney. It’s a cozy, plant-based weeknight dinner!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Curry
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry white rice, for serving
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes (from 1 15-ounce can)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk, divided
- 2 to 4 tablespoons red curry paste (see Notes)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 1 ½ cups packed; see Notes)
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Start the rice, according to the package instructions.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat, then add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes, 1 cup coconut milk, 2 cups water, red curry paste, tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a simmer then simmer very gently, just barely bubbling, for 10 to 15 minutes until the lentils are soft, stirring often (if not, cook a few minutes more until tender). Stir in 2 tablespoons more coconut milk; taste, then add more kosher salt or coconut milk to taste.
- Meanwhile, make the chutney using an immersion blender (or regular blender) to blend the cilantro, golden raisins, white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ cup water, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Blend into a thick, smooth sauce.
- To serve, top lentils with chutney and serve over rice.
Notes
- Curry paste heat levels vary: Taste a little and if your brand of red curry paste is very spicy, start with 2 tablespoons and add more to taste. The brand we use most often (Thai Kitchen) adds flavor without excessive heat, but other brands we’ve used are spicier.
- Cilantro prep: For the cilantro, simply pull the leaves and tender stems off of the bunch (don’t use the thicker parts of the stem at the bottom). Italian parsley works as a substitute if you are cilantro averse!
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water or vegetable broth.
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