This tomato lentil curry is a hearty one-pot recipe that’s made with pantry staples. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
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Curry without coconut milk
A quick google search for vegan curry recipes might leave you wondering: can you make curry without coconut milk?
Yes, you can make a delicious curry without coconut milk such as this red lentil curry, this chickpea spinach curry, and this spinach curry.
Not everyone is a fan of coconut, and some people are allergic so having a list of quick and easy curry recipes that don’t call for coconut milk is a great thing to have on hand.
Today’s recipe is a hearty and warming tomato lentil curry that’s made with simple spices and pantry staples (and no coconut milk!)
Do you need to soak red lentils?
No, unlike dried beans, red lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking.
Just pour your red lentils into a strainer and give them a rinse under cool water to remove any dust and dirt and they’re ready to use.
Ingredients
You may already have most, if not all, of these ingredients in your kitchen right now. If not, they are easy to find in practically any supermarket.
Lentils: Dry red split lentils are a great ingredient to keep on hand in your pantry for not only curry but also vegan lentil soup and red lentil chili.
Aromatics: To start the flavor base of this tomato lentil curry, you’ll need an onion, a couple cloves of garlic and some minced fresh ginger. Here’s a tip if you don’t use fresh ginger too often: it freezes great for many months. Just cut up a hand of ginger into smaller pieces and place in a freezer bag.
Spices: I like to keep my curry recipes simple by not calling for a long list of spices that most people don’t have on hand. My recipe calls for just a generic curry powder, garam masala and cayenne pepper or Indian chili powder, also called Kashmiri chili powder. All of which can be found in any supermarket.
Tomato: One can of diced tomatoes adds a lot of juiciness to this curry as well as creating a nice tomato sauce.
Broth: A couple cups of vegetable stock are necessary to cook the lentils. You could also use water but vegetable stock adds more flavor. You can substitute a stock cube and water for prepared stock if necessary.
Oil and salt: Oil helps to carry the flavor of the spices and is necessary to fry off the aromatics. Finally, a touch of salt to season and bring everything together.
How to make tomato lentil curry
This tomato lentil curry recipe is easy to make in just one pan and only takes about 30 minutes.
Prep: Start by preparing your ingredients. Dice the onion and mince the garlic and ginger.
Place the red lentils in a colander and give them a rinse under cool water, swirling them with your fingers, to remove any dust and debris.
Fry: Heat the oil in a large saucepan with a lid over medium heat.
Fry the onion until soft and transparent then add the ginger and garlic and fry until soft and fragrant.
Season: Now add the curry powder and cayenne or Kashmiri chili powder and fry, stirring continuously, for about 30 seconds. This helps to bring out all the flavor of the spices.
Simmer: Add in the rinsed lentils, can of diced tomatoes, vegetable stock and salt.
Put the lid on the pan and allow it to gently simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender and most of the broth is absorbed. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Keep an eye on the level of liquid and add another splash or two of stock if you think the pan is getting dry.
Finishing touches: When the lentils are cooked, stir in the garam masala.
You can add any garnishes you like such as some chopped fresh cilantro or a squeeze of lime juice.
Serve with basmati rice.
Substitutions and variations
Veggies: You can add additional veggies if you like. Keep in mind that they will need to cook at the same time as the lentils so dice them rather small. Carrots, sweet potato, cauliflower, peas, and spinach are some good options to add.
Coconut milk: Although this recipe is conceived for people who want curry without coconut milk, if you want to add a touch of creaminess you can drizzle in some coconut milk at the end when adding the garam masala.
Spice: You can substitute the cayenne or chili powder for a fresh spicy chili pepper. Mince it and add it along with the ginger and garlic.
FAQs
Yellow lentils can be substituted for red lentils without making a difference to this recipe. Brown and green lentils take longer to cook and don’t break down like red lentils do. You will end up with more like a soup if you substitute but you can thicken it by blending a bit of the lentils with an immersion blender or in a stand blender.
Not every curry made with red lentils is the same as dal. Dal is made with a combination of whole and ground spices whereas this tomato lentil curry is made with curry powder. Additionally, to make dal, the lentils and seasonings are cooked separately and then combined at the end. For this curry, everything is cooked together in the same pot.
Yes. To make tomato lentil curry in the Instant Pot, start by sautéing the onion, garlic and ginger. Stir in the spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 5 minutes.
Yes, you can make lentil curry in the slow cooker. Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Make ahead and storage tips
This tomato lentil curry is great for meal prepping and keeps very well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Reheat it in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.
Red lentil curry also freezes wonderfully. Once the curry has cooled, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
How to serve tomato lentil curry
Lentil curry is best served over basmati rice. Or serve over healthy brown rice for a bit more nutrition.
If you want, you can garnish it with some fresh chopped cilantro and/or a squeeze of lime juice.
You can also serve lentil curry with an Indian-style flatbread such as naan, roti or chapati.
If you are looking for more Indian-inspired dishes to accompany this curry, check out my collection of vegan Indian recipes.
Tomato Lentil Curry
Ingredients
- 1 cup (220 grams) dry split red lentils
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 (15 oz / 425 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or Kashmiri chili powder, adjust to your spice tolerance
- 1 ½ - 2 cups (375 - 500 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, adjust depending on how salty your broth is
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- Optional garnishes: fresh cilantro lime slices
Instructions
- Place the lentils in a strainer and rinse under cool water. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Fry the onion until soft and transparent then add the ginger and garlic and fry for another 30 seconds to a minute until soft and fragrant.
- Add in the curry powder and cayenne pepper or Kashmiri chili powder and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds or until the spices are fragrant.
- Add in the lentils, can of diced tomatoes, 1 ½ cups (375 ml) of the vegetable broth and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and partially cover the pot with the lid.
- Simmer gently until the lentils are tender and most of the broth is absorbed - about 15 to 20 minutes. If the pan seems to be running dry before the lentil are soft, add the remaining vegetable stock as needed (I used 1 ¾ cups total stock when I made this last time).
- Stir in the garam masala.
- Serve with rice and garnish with fresh cilantro and a slice of lime, if desired.
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