Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry
on Dec 07, 2019, Updated Jan 29, 2026
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This red lentil cauliflower curry is a packed with rice, red lentils, cauliflower and carrots and is easy to make in one pot in 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love this Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry
- It’s quick and easy to make in one pot in 30 minutes, rice included!
- It’s great for meal prep and stores well in the fridge or freezer.
- It’s vegan and gluten-free.
- It has lots of delicious Thai-inspired flavour.
If you’re looking for an Indian-inspired lentil curry, this Spinach Lentil Curry and Vegan Coconut Red Lentil Dahl.
Ingredient Notes
- Onion, garlic and ginger. Mmm, curry favourites onion, garlic and fresh ginger make up flavour base of this recipe. White or yellow onion works and if you don’t have fresh ginger on hand, ground ginger will do in a pinch.
- Thai red curry paste. If you’re looking for a vegan red curry paste, Thai Kitchen is an option as it does not contain fish sauce or anchovies. Not all store-bought red curry paste is vegan, so just give the ingredient list a look if you want this recipe to be 100% plant-based. If you’ve got red curry paste on hand don’t miss these red curry noodles and butternut squash curry!
- Carrots and cauliflower. The veggies in this recipe are carrots and cauliflower but you can always switch it up with different veggies or add additional veggies.
- Jasmine rice. Instead of serving this curry with rice on the side, the rice gets mixed right in for a quick and easy 1-pot meal!
- Red lentils. Red lentils are full of nutrition and have the perfect soft texture for curries and stews.
- Diced tomatoes. Any kind works but I like to go for a no salt added organic option if possible.
How to Make Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry
Step 1: Cook the onions, garlic and ginger in 2-3 tbsp of broth for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can saute using 1 tbsp oil.
Step 2: Add the cauliflower, carrots and curry paste and cook a few more minutes, stirring to coat the veggies.
Start by cooking the onions, garlic and ginger in a little broth for a few minutes. Add the cauliflower, carrots and curry paste, stir and cook for a few more minutes. Add everything else, simmer until cooked and enjoy!
Step 3: Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, cover and lightly simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the lid and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes until everything is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. Option to stir in 1/2 cup of coconut milk for extra creaminess. Season with salt, if needed.
Enjoy your curry on its own or over your favourite rice with fresh cilantro and lime, if desired!
FAQs
The curry can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Yes. To freeze, let cool then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
More Curry Recipes
Here are some more easy curries you’ll love:
- Kabocha Squash Curry
- Vegan Chickpea Curry Stew
- Lentil Sweet Potato Stew with Kale
- Vegan Chickpea Quinoa Stew
- Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
- Sweet Potato Lentil Curry
Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry
Ingredients
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 tbsp of red curry paste
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- 1/2 cup uncooked jasmine rice
- 1/2 cup uncooked red lentils
- 1 1/3 cup vegetable stock
- 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, with the juices
- 2 tsp coconut sugar, brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut milk, optional
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, cook the garlic, onion and ginger in 1-2 tbsp of vegetable broth over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened and fragrant.
- Add the carrots, cauliflower and red curry paste. Stir and cook for a 3-4 more minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, cover and lightly simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes until everything is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. Option to stir in 1/2 cup of coconut milk for extra creaminess.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published April 26, 2015.
So great even without coconut milk. My whole family loved, including my picky 9-YO.
Oh my gosh this is going to be a staple in our house ,we did add the whole tin of coconut milk but apart from that as as recipe ,sooo moorish thank you Deryn 👍
I just made this for dinner and I love it! A few changes: Added 1 rib celery, sliced; oven roasted cauliflower-broccoli-baby carrots mix;; used brown rice and when my daughter tasted it she said it’s could be hotter’ so I added a two-times-around -the-pan portion of Siracha, which I thought was perfect.,Also added the coconut milk, about 2/3 of a can. I will throw in the last of it when I put it away tonight.
Yum! Love all the sriracha! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for adding your feedback!
A warm hearty stew. Delicious! Even better the next day. Thank you for a great recipe
Super delicious and easy to make. I didn’t have the red curry paste so I used a powdered spice mix I found in the cupboard that was intended for making masala seafood – it was a vegan mix and more of an Indian flavour rather than Thai – but worked a treat. Used the coconut milk which gave it a creamy texture. I can see how any combination of vegetables would work, but I loved the taste of the cauliflower. So good, thank you!
I do not have a curry paste but many small jars of curry powder. Should I drop by the local grocery for the paste?
Do you have a low-carb alternative for rice? I was going to say riced cauliflower, but that would be a lot of cauli!
Haha, indeed it would. You can leave the rice out if you want, just reduce the liquid by about half and then slowly add more as needed. Or just double up the lentils, they’re still high in carbs but at least high in protein too!
Hi,
Is your wonderful plant based cookbook, when purchased, a cookbook via email? Thank you for the recipes!
Kindest Regards,
Leticia
Yes, it’s an ebook. You will receive the download by email right away. Thank you!
Made this last night. Super easy to prepare and tastes as great as it looks in the blog photos. I didn’t add the optional coconut milk this time because the mix was dry enough after cooking. But will definitely try it next time. Leftovers are just as tasty. Thanks.
Another winner! A nutritional powerhouse that’s so easy to prepare and so deliciously satisfying. Thank you for all the great recipes, Deryn. You are my go-to for whole-food, plant-based eating!
Hi Robin! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the review, much appreciated!