Red Curry Lentils
on Mar 10, 2021, Updated Aug 27, 2026
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These red curry lentils are an easy plant-based dinner made with red lentils, coconut milk, red curry paste and a few simple ingredients. The lentils cook directly in the creamy curry sauce, making this a hearty, satisfying meal that’s ready in about 30 minutes.
Serve these creamy red lentils over rice or quinoa, or enjoy them on their own as a thick curry or stew. They’re also excellent for meal prep and freeze well.
5-Star Review
Delicious! Perfect for meal prep, served with turmeric rice. A lifesaver for busy weeknights!
Why You’ll Love Red Curry Lentils
- Ready in about 30 minutes.
- Made in one pot with simple ingredients.
- Vegan and gluten-free when made with gluten-free tamari.
- A good source of plant-based protein and fibre.
- Made with red lentils, which cook quickly without soaking.
- Creamy from coconut milk and naturally thick from the red lentils.
- Easy to customize with vegetables, tofu or chickpeas.
- Great for meal prep and freezer-friendly.
For red lentil curry with Indian-inspired flavours, try my spinach red lentil curry and coconut red lentil dahl.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Oil: You can use olive oil or coconut oil to cook the vegetables.
- Red Lentils: Red lentils are ideal for this curry because they cook quickly and soften as they simmer, creating a naturally thick and creamy texture. Rinse them well under cool water before adding them to the pot. I recommend sticking with red lentils for this recipe. Green or brown lentils require a longer cooking time and will hold their shape rather than creating the same creamy texture.
- Red Curry Paste: Red curry paste gives the lentils their main flavour. Use your favourite brand and adjust the amount to taste depending on how spicy you like your curry. If you need the recipe to be vegan, check the ingredient label carefully. Some Thai curry pastes contain shrimp paste or fish-based ingredients. Try this red lentil cauliflower curry, Thai red curry vegetables, red curry noodles and butternut squash curry. You can substitute Thai yellow curry paste.
- Coconut Milk: Full-fat coconut milk will give you the richest, creamiest result, while light coconut milk works if you prefer a lighter curry that’s lower in calories.
- Onion: You can use white or yellow onion in this recipe.
- Garlic and Ginger: Fresh garlic and ginger build the best flavour. You can substitute 1 tsp ground ginger if needed but fresh is recommended.
- Broth: Vegetable broth provides the liquid needed to cook the lentils while adding more flavour than water. You can use water if that’s what you have on hand.
- Tamari or Soy Sauce: Either works well. Use tamari if you need the recipe to be gluten-free.
- Sugar: Brown sugar or coconut sugar can be used to help balance the acidity.
Variations
- Add vegetables: Stir in up to 2 cups of chopped vegetables such as bell pepper, zucchini, broccoli, carrots cauliflower or carrots. Add them with the lentils so they have time to cook through.
- Add greens: Stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach during the last 2–3 minutes of cooking.
- Make it heartier: Add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas for extra texture and plant-based protein.
- Make it spicier: Red curry paste is mild (though brands vary). TO make it spicer, add up to 1 tsp red chili flakes or fresh Thai chilies as desired.
How to Make Red Curry Lentils
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger and red curry paste. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the onion is well coated in the curry paste.
- Add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, coconut sugar, tamari or soy sauce, and rinsed red lentils. Stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, partially cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the curry is thick and creamy.
- Remove from the heat and stir in a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more curry paste, tamari or lime juice if needed. Serve on its own or over rice or quinoa, topped with fresh cilantro, Thai basil, green onion or red chili flakes, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Rinse the red lentils first. Give them a good rinse under cool water before adding them to the pot. Red lentils release a lot of starch as they cook, so rinsing helps remove some of the excess and gives you a smoother, more consistent curry.
- Don’t skip cooking the curry paste. Once you add the garlic, ginger and red curry paste, cook them together for a 2-3 before adding the coconut milk and broth to help build the flavour.
- Keep the pot partially covered while the lentils cook. This gives the lentils enough moisture to cook through while allowing some steam to escape so the curry doesn’t end up too watery.
- Check and stir more often toward the end. As the red lentils soften, they release starch and the curry thickens quickly. Give it a stir every few minutes, especially during the last 5–10 minutes, to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom.
FAQs
No. Unlike some other dried legumes, red lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking. Simply rinse them and add them directly to the pot.
Red lentils usually cook in about 15–20 minutes, depending on the cooking heat and the specific lentils. In this recipe, they simmer directly in the curry sauce until tender and creamy.
I recommend using dry red lentils for this recipe. They cook quickly and break down into the curry, which helps create the thick, creamy texture. Canned lentils are already cooked and would not produce the same result.
Generally, no. Red curry lentils are usually mild to moderately spicy, depending on the curry paste you use. I tested this recipe with Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste, which gives the dish plenty of curry flavour without making it very spicy. Different brands can vary significantly in heat, so if you’re sensitive to spice, start with less curry paste and add more to taste.
Yes. The original version of this recipe included cauliflower, carrot and bell pepper and you can add them back in if you prefer a vegetable-packed curry. Broccoli and zucchini also work well. Add up to 2 cups total vegetables when you add the lentils. If you’re adding spinach or kale, add those at the very end and stir in to wilt.
Serve red curry lentils over basmati or jasmine rice, brown rice or quinoa. You can also serve them with naan or another flatbread. Fresh cilantro, lime wedges, Thai basil and sliced green onion make simple toppings.
Store leftover red curry lentils in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The curry will thicken as it chills but you can add a splash of water or vegetable broth when reheating, if desired.
Yes. Cool the curry completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as needed.
Yes, this recipe is vegan as written when you use a vegan red curry paste and a plant-based tamari or soy sauce. Check the curry paste label because some red curry pastes contain shrimp paste or other fish-based ingredients.
How to Store Lentil Curry
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through.
- To freeze, cool completed then transfer to a freezer-safe container or freeze bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge then reheat.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
Red Curry Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 can coconut milk*, 14-oz
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1¼ cups uncooked red lentils, rinsed
- 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice, or to taste
Instructions
- Cook the onion. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add garlic, ginger and curry paste. Add the garlic, ginger and red curry paste. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the onion is well coated in the curry paste.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, coconut sugar, tamari or soy sauce and rinsed red lentils. Stir well to combine.
- Simmer. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook partially covered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the curry is thick and creamy. If the curry becomes too thick, stir in a splash or water or broth to adjust the consistency to your preference.
- Finish with lime. Remove from the heat and stir in fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve. Serve warm on its own or over cooked rice or quinoa. Top with fresh cilantro, Thai basil or green onion, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published August 13, 2014.
So good! One of my go-tos bc the ingredients are so simple
Perfect! So glad you love it.
Can one make this with yellow split peas as well? I seems to have plenty of those.
Yes, that should be fine. They have a slightly different flavour, the cooking time may vary a bit and you may need to adjust the broth amount but they will work. Thanks!
Very easy and very nourishing!!! My son helped me chop everything up! We cleaned our bowels. 🙂
Haha, perfect! Sounds like a success to me! Thanks for your review.
Could you motify this to use in an instapot? I currently do not have a full kitchen due to a renovation. I would love to do this in my instapot but am not sure at what pressure and for how long. Could you please make a suggestion? Thank you!
I haven’t tried but but I would suggest following the first 3 steps, using the saute function on the Instant Pot. Then add everything else and try 5 minutes cooking time with 5 minutes natural release. Like I said, I haven’t tested it but that would be my suggestion. Let me know if you try it.
I have yellow split peas over, can I substitute these?
delicious
This is so delicious!! Thank you for all your great recipes!
You’re so welcome, Brenda!
This was so delish! Hubby called it *comfort food.* thanks for creating and sharing. Your recipes are always yummy!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you guys enjoyed it. You can’t beat comfort food!
This was easy to make, very delicious and hearty enough that I did not need rice or quinoa? Will definitely be keeping this on rotation.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Just made this tonight. I left out the sugar, as I’m trying to cut down on the stuff; I don’t think it needs it! This dish is so creamy and decedent. I had to add a lot more water to prevent it from becoming a solid – might be the altitude here or perhaps my coconut milk is thicker. Definitely a keeper!
Love your blog. I’m an ex-vegan (23 years), but moving towards vegetarianism again. I’m trying to work more natural (unprocessed) vegetarian protein into my diet, so lentils are a must. Thanks for this recipe. 🙂