lentil & vegetable curry

It's freezing outside again. Just when I thought summer was here to stay! Well, it's a good thing I'm always cooking up comfort foods no matter the season. A curry is one of my favorite foods to experiment with, whether I incorporate the flavors into a sandwich, soup, or even mac and cheese! There's store-bought versions of various curry-style sauces available, but it's also super satisfying to gather all the necessary spices and ingredients to make it yourself. Plus once you add these items to your pantry, you'll have them readily available to make all sorts of spicy, authentic dishes in the future - just like this lentil & vegetable curry! 

If you don't have the exact spices I use in the recipe, you can definitely substitute or omit some. You can also use ground cumin and coriander instead of whole seeds. Garam masala can be omitted easily if you don't have it. You could also use yellow curry powder in the mix as well as a little smoked paprika or chinese five spice!

I kept it simple with this recipe and served it on a bed of rice. You'll love this easy lentil & vegetable curry as a Meatless Monday dish, especially since it's a great way to use up all the veggies left over in your fridge.

lentil & vegetable curry

Warm up with this easy lentil & vegetable curry recipe that’s perfect for any night of the week!

4.37 from 11 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: curry, lentils, vegan soup, vegetable soup

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Lauren Toyota

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 C brown & wild rice mix (or basmati rice)
• ▢ 3 ½ C water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoon coconut oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
• ▢ ½ C finely chopped onion
• ▢ 6 C chopped vegetables of your choice (red pepper, carrot, celery, cabbage, broccoli etc.)
• ▢ 1 C dried red lentils
• ▢ 2 C low-sodium vegetable stock
• ▢ 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• ▢ 1 C frozen shelled edamame or peas
• ▢ 2 tablespoon lime juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

garnish (optional)

• ▢ coconut yogurt
• ▢ finely chopped chives

Instructions

• In a pot, bring rice, water, and vegan butter to a boil. Then lower heat to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 45 minutes. 
• Meanwhile in a large deep pan heated to medium, add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric, chili flakes, and garam masala. Toast the spices for 6 minutes until fragrant. If swapping out whole seeds for ground spices you will still add the spices and just toast for a little less time. Lower the heat so the spices don’t burn, then add minced garlic, ginger, and onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir frequently until the onions are translucent and soft.
• Add another tablespoon of coconut oil and all your vegetables, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until they just start to get soft but are still bright in color. Then add lentils and stir frequently for another 5 to 6 minutes, allowing the lentils to toast up and absorb some moisture. Then bring the heat back up to medium and gradually stir in low-sodium vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cover with a lid for 10 minutes.
• Add coconut milk, lime juice, sea salt, ground black pepper, and any frozen vegetables you want to add. Stir well to combine. Cover with a lid and cook for another 20 minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with a dollop of coconut yogurt and finely chopped chives.