This creamy pink lentil curry is flavored with coconut milk and pink curry paste and completed with a vivid cilantro chutney. It’s a comfortable, plant-based weeknight dinner!
Some recipes earn their spot within the rotation the very first time you make them. That’s what occurred with this pink lentil curry! I created this curry for my first cookbook, Fairly Easy Cooking and it shortly grew to become a reader favourite. So, I made a decision so as to add a model of it on this web site, with just a few tweaks from testing it over time!
The lentils are all about cozy creaminess, simmered with coconut milk, tomatoes, and a spoonful of pink curry paste. However then you definitely add the cilantro chutney: tangy, vivid, a bit of candy from golden raisins — and it’s actually magic (I’m unsure how else to explain it!) It’s turn out to be one in all my prime plant based mostly recipes and vegan dinner recipes to advocate when folks want dinnertime inspiration.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unimaginable taste: The tangy cilantro chutney balances the wealthy heat of the coconut curry to make one in all my favourite meals ever.
- A 30 minute meal: With a prep time of simply 10 minutes and a prepare dinner time of 20 minutes, it’s best to be capable of end this in half-hour (when you make the chutney whereas the lentils simmer).
- Naturally wholesome. Crimson lentils are loaded with plant-based protein, and all the meal is vegan and gluten free
- Meal prep pleasant. This curry is deal for packing lunches all week!
5-Star Reader Evaluations
“That is fabulous! The cilantro chutney is tremendous tasty! It was such a incredible addition to the curry. So cozy and like a hug. We’ll be making this over and over.” -Tanvee
“This recipe got here collectively so shortly! Excellent for a midweek meal. The cilantro raisin chutney added an ideal tangy pop of taste, don’t skip making it. SO good!!” — Renata & Steve
What You’ll Want
There are numerous methods to make a pink lentil curry. In truth, the phrase “curry” is a Western invention used broadly to explain any dish with a spiced sauce and meat or greens (examine curry historical past right here). It’s made in lots of international locations with various taste profiles, together with India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, England and extra. Listed here are the important thing substances you’ll want for this spin on pink lentil curry:
- Onion, garlic, and contemporary ginger: These fragrant greens present the flavour base.
- Crimson lentils: Also called masoor dal, pink lentils prepare dinner sooner than different varieties and meld right into a creamy, velvety texture. Keep away from substituting one other sort of lentil on this recipe.
- Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste: The tomatoes add a tangy base right here.
- Crimson curry paste: This jar is a jarred paste that takes all the flavour of a Thai curry and concentrates it! Curry paste is made with chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, and extra. It brings an enormous quantity of taste and lasts for months within the fridge.
- Coconut milk: This curry makes use of coconut milk for a silky, easy taste.
Ideas for Utilizing Curry Paste
Listed here are just a few notes for utilizing pink curry paste on this recipe:
- The warmth degree varies based mostly on the model. I typically use Thai kitchen curry paste as a result of it’s very gentle (and goes over nicely with our youngsters!). There are numerous nice manufacturers to attempt: simply ensure that to style your curry paste earlier than utilizing it. If it’s very spicy, use rather less than the recipe specifies.
- Discover it close to the Thai merchandise in most grocery shops. It retains for months within the fridge. You can even purchase it on-line: Thai Kitchen pink curry paste.
The right way to Make Crimson Lentil Curry
This pink lentil curry is fast to make! Listed here are just a few notes for the method (or leap to the recipe for portions):
- Step 1: Sauté the greens. Warmth olive oil in a big skillet over medium warmth. Add the diced yellow onion and prepare dinner till translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and contemporary ginger and sauté for 1 minute extra till aromatic.
- Step 2: Simmer the lentils. Add the pink lentils, crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, water, pink curry paste, tomato paste, and kosher salt. Deliver to a simmer, then scale back to a really mild bubble. Cook dinner for 10 to fifteen minutes, stirring typically, till the lentils are fully delicate and have melted right into a creamy consistency. Stir in just a few tablespoons extra coconut milk.
- Step 3: In the meantime, make the chutney. Whereas the lentils simmer, mix collectively the cilantro, golden raisins, white wine vinegar, olive oil, water, and salt till a easy sauce varieties.
- Step 4: Serve. Spoon the pink lentil curry over rice, prime generously with the cilantro chutney, and garnish with additional cilantro leaves when you’d like.
Methods to Serve It
Crimson lentil curry is an entire meal over a scoop of rice, however the precise pairing makes it even higher. Listed here are my favourite methods to serve it:
- Jasmine rice: This meal is finest served with white rice. I particularly like jasmine for its aromatic taste. (Right here’s tips on how to prepare dinner jasmine rice.)
- Basmati rice: Fluffy and lightweight, basmati rice is one other wonderful choice, particularly when you’re leaning into Indian-style flavors.
- Brown rice: A nuttier, extra healthful base with additional fiber. Right here’s tips on how to prepare dinner brown rice.
- Naan or flatbread: Heat garlic naan bread is nice for sopping up this curry.
- Easy sides: A fast cucumber salad is a refreshing pairing.
Storing Leftovers
Maintain leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 1 week. The curry will thicken because it chills. To reheat, heat it gently on the stovetop over medium warmth, stirring to forestall scorching and including a splash of water, vegetable broth, or coconut milk to skinny it again out to the specified consistency.
The cilantro chutney additionally retains for as much as 1 week refrigerated. To reheat rice, add it to a pot with a splash of water, cowl, and heat it over low warmth till heated via.
This curry additionally works nicely for meal prep: you’ll be able to portion it into containers with rice for simple weeknight dinners all week.
Dietary Notes
This pink lentil curry is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free. It additionally works as a Mediterranean eating regimen recipe.
Continuously Requested Questions
Positively! Spinach and peas are nice additions that don’t require additional prepare dinner time. Add them in the course of the simmer time.
Cauliflower, carrots, and potatoes are different good choices, however require sauteing first (which provides prep time to this recipe).
Sure! Crimson lentils are one of the vital nutritious legumes you’ll be able to eat: they’re excessive in plant-based protein, fiber, and B nutritional vitamins. (See Advantages of Lentils.) Mixed with coconut milk and tomatoes, this curry delivers a balanced meal with wholesome fat. It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free.
I don’t advocate it for this recipe. Crimson lentils (additionally known as break up lentils or masoor dal) break down as they prepare dinner, creating the creamy texture that’s good for curries. Brown and inexperienced lentils maintain their form, which provides a really completely different outcome. In case you’d like a recipe with brown or inexperienced lentils, attempt my seasoned brown lentils or curry lentil soup as an alternative.
Completely. Italian parsley offers the chutney a contemporary, herby taste with out the polarizing style of cilantro. (My mother and father are cilantro haters, so I get it in case you are too!) The general taste of the chutney will likely be a bit of extra gentle, however it nonetheless works as a vivid distinction to the curry.
In concept sure, although I haven’t examined this. You can use the Sauté operate to prepare dinner the onion, garlic, and ginger first. Then you may add the lentils, tomatoes, curry paste, tomato paste, salt, and water (maintain again a lot of the coconut milk). Cook dinner on excessive strain for 10 minutes, then enable a pure strain launch. Stir within the coconut milk after opening. The feel could also be barely completely different from stovetop, so proceed at your individual danger.
Crimson Lentil Curry
This creamy pink lentil curry is flavored with coconut milk and pink curry paste and completed with a vivid cilantro chutney. It’s a comfortable, plant-based weeknight dinner!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 20 minutes
- Complete Time: half-hour
- Yield: 4 to six 1x
- Class: Fundamental Dish
- Technique: Stovetop
- Delicacies: Curry
- Food regimen: Vegan
Substances
- 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 pink 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 pink 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
Directions
- Begin the rice, in response to the bundle directions.
- In a big skillet, warmth 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium excessive warmth, then add the onion and sauté till 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, pink curry paste, tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Deliver to a simmer then simmer very gently, simply barely effervescent, for 10 to fifteen minutes till the lentils are delicate, stirring typically (if not, prepare dinner a couple of minutes extra till tender). Stir in 2 tablespoons extra coconut milk; style, then add extra kosher salt or coconut milk to style.
- In the meantime, make the chutney utilizing an immersion blender (or common blender) to mix the cilantro, golden raisins, white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ cup water, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix right into a thick, easy sauce.
- To serve, prime lentils with chutney and serve over rice.
Notes
- Curry paste warmth ranges range: Style a bit of and in case your model of pink curry paste may be very spicy, begin with 2 tablespoons and add extra to style. The model we use most frequently (Thai Kitchen) provides taste with out extreme warmth, however different manufacturers we’ve used are spicier.
- Cilantro prep: For the cilantro, merely pull the leaves and tender stems off of the bunch (don’t use the thicker components of the stem on the backside). Italian parsley works as an alternative in case you are cilantro averse!
- Storage: Refrigerate in an hermetic container for as much as 1 week. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water or vegetable broth.
