Vegan Red Lentil Curry

Vegan red lentil curry is thick, creamy and so easy to make. This lentil curry without coconut milk is made with simple pantry ingredients and is made in one pot with minimal steps. This cauliflower red lentil curry has hidden vegetables and is mild, adaptable and budget friendly!

Why you will love this recipe

• Easy to make – making this non-traditional lentil curry is so easy! Saute the onions, add the spices then add the rest of the ingredients and allow it to simmer on the stove. So easy! You won’t believe how delicious it all smells when cooking too!
• Simple, pantry ingredients – you likely have everything you need to make this vegan lentil curry recipe right now in the pantry and freezer. I love recipes like this because they are great when you feel like you have nothing on hand to make, you usually have the ingredients for curry in the pantry.
• Versatile and adaptable – modify this curry based on what you have on hand and what you love. Perhaps you love adding fresh ginger and garlic or you want to add more veggies or make it spicier. You can easily make modifications based on your preferences. You can also make this vegan lentil curry in the instant pot or in the slow cooker so even if you don’t feel like turning on the stove, you can make this curry!

Ingredients

• Onion – you can use red onion, yellow onion or white onions to make this cauliflower lentil curry recipe. The onions help to create the base flavor for the dish. You could also add finely minced garlic
• Ginger – you can use fresh ginger (peel and finely grated), freeze dried ginger (my personal favorite) or dried ground ginger. The ginger adds a different type of spiciness to the curry without overpowering it.
• Spices: Curry powder, turmeric, cumin, salt, garlic powder – these spices give the curry it’s unique flavor. Use whatever type of curry powder you prefer, my favorite is maduras curry powder. The added turmeric adds an earthy flavor to the dish and also helps to cut the acidity in the tomatoes. Cumin adds a smoky flavor and the garlic powder adds umami to the dish.
• Red split lentils – red split lentils are like red lentils that have been split, which makes them very quick cooking. Red lentils cook in about 8-10 minutes and become soft and creamy when cooked. Red lentils are great in curries and soups since they cook so quickly and break down to help make the curry thick and creamy.
• Water – water is added to help cook the lentils. You could also use vegetable broth or chicken broth to add even more flavor.
• Frozen cauliflower rice – frozen cauliflower rice is so easy to add to this curry. Because of the shape, the cauliflower rice just melds into the curry, helping to add bulk without being detected. It’s a great way to sneak in some added veggies. If you don’t have frozen cauliflower rice, you can add frozen cauliflower florets or use fresh cauliflower (florets or riced) but I love how easy it is to add a bag of frozen cauliflower rice.
• Crushed tomatoes – I love using crushed tomatoes in gives the tomato flavor without the texture. The tomatoes add an acidic bite to the curry, which is calmed by the turmeric and the cashew cream (or coconut milk) that is added at the end.
• Soaked cashews – soaked cashews and water come together to make a cashew cream which is used to help reduce the acid from the tomatoes and helps to mellow out the spice from the curry. The cashew cream also helps to make the curry rich and creamy and gives it a beautiful color.  You can use coconut milk instead here if needed.

How to make vegan red lentil curry

Preheat a large pot over medium heat.

Chop the onion and peel and chop the ginger. When the pot is hot, spray with some avocado oil or olive oil spray and add the onion and ginger. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the spices to the pot and stir well. Cook about 1 minute to toast the spices.

Rinse the lentils. Add the lentils, water, frozen cauliflower and crushed tomatoes to the pot with the onion mixture. Stir well. Cover the pot, turn the heat up to medium high and cook for 12-15 minutes until the lentils are soft and tender and staring to fall apart. Check the lentils after about 8-10 minutes to stir.

While the lentils are cooking, pour boiling water over the cashews and let them soak at least 5 minutes. Drain the cashews and add them to a blender with ½ cup of fresh water. Blend on high until smooth.

When the lentils are soft and done cooking, pour the cashew mixture into the pot with the lentil curry. Stir well and serve hot.

Top tips

• Red split lentils cook quickly which is what makes this red lentil curry perfect for weeknight meals. If you use regular lentils, the curry will take longer to cook (closer to 30 minutes). 
• Cook the spices for 60 seconds or so before adding the liquid to slightly toast the spices.
• If you notice the spices sticking to the bottom of the pot, add about ½ cup of water to the pot to scrape down the bottom before adding the rest of the ingredients. This helps to ensure that you get all the flavor off the bottom of the pot.
• The longer you allow the lentils to cook, the softer they get. They will begin to break down and give the curry and even creamier texture if you let them simmer for 10-15 more minutes.
• As the cauliflower lentil curry cools, it will continue to thicken as the lentils continue to absorb more of the liquid. If you are going to freeze the leftovers, let the curry cool completely or even overnight in the fridge before freezing.
• Turmeric stains wood utensils. Turmeric will turn your wood utensils yellow, so don’t use them unless you don’t care about them changing color. I recommend using a stainless steel spoon when making this recipe.

Other ingredients to add

• Veggies: Red bell peppers, fresh spinach, fresh kale, shredded carrots, frozen peas shredded sweet potatoes.
• Spices: Red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, fresh serrano chilis
• Other additions: Chickpeas, tofu, ground chicken, ground turkey or cooked shrimp

How to serve cauliflower lentil curry

This lentil cauliflower curry is best served in a big bowl with your favorite grain or flatbread. Some of my favorites ways to serve this are alongside of:

• Jasmine rice, cilantro lime brown jasmine rice or turmeric garlic rice
• Quinoa or cilantro lime quinoa
• With naan or oat flour flatbread

How to make instant pot red lentil curry

You can make this lentil curry recipe in the instant pot very easily. Here are the steps:

• Put the instant pot on saute mode. Chop the onions and ginger. When the instant pot is hot, spray with olive oil or avocado oil and add the onions and ginger. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the spices to the onion mixture and cook 1 minute.
• Add about ½ cup of water to the pot and scrape down the bottom with a stainless steel spoon or wooden spoon you don’t care about (the turmeric and curry will stain the wood). Scraping off any of the brown bits from the onions or spices helps to ensure you won’t get a burn notice.
• Add the rinsed lentils, the rest of the water, cauliflower rice and crushed tomatoes to the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Allow the pot to naturally release at least 5 minutes before manually releasing the pressure.
• Soak the cashews in boiling water for at least 5 minutes while the curry is cooking. Drain the water and add the cashews to a high speed blender with fresh water. Blend on high until smooth.
• When the pressure has been released, pour the cashew cream into the lentil curry in the instant pot then stir well. Serve hot.

Can you make red lentil curry in the slow cooker

Yes! This recipe is so good when made in a slow cooker.

• All you have to do is dump all the ingredients in (besides the cashews) and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
• Soak the cashews in boiling water for at least 5 minutes while the curry is cooking. Drain the water and add the cashews to a high speed blender with fresh water. Blend on high until smooth.
• When you are ready to serve, add the cashew cream to the slow cooker and stir well. Serve hot.

Common questions

Can you use curry paste?

For this recipe, I used curry powder because I always have it on hand. If you want to use curry paste instead, you certainly can! Instead of curry powder, use about 2-3 tablespoons of curry paste in it’s place.

Do you have to soak lentils before cooking them?

Unlike other legumes, you do not need to soak lentils before cooking them. This means that you can cook lentils from dry in under 30 minutes. Split red lentils (like the lentils used in this vegan red lentil curry) cook up even faster since they have been split which speeds up the cooking time.

I do suggest rinsing the lentils before using them though. Red split lentils have a starchy exterior that I prefer to wash away but if you forget, it’s ok.

Can you double this recipe?

This recipe can easily be doubled if you want to make it for meal prep or to feed a large crowd. This vegan red lentil curry freezes well and would be great for meal prep. You may need to add 5 minutes to the cooking time as using 2 bags of frozen cauliflower rice will cause it to take longer to come up to a boil to cook the lentils.

Storing leftovers

• Fridge: Store leftover cauliflower red lentil curry in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
• Freezer: Freeze leftover lentil curry for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or container. Be sure to allow the curry to cool completely before freezing, as it will continue to get thicker and break down as the curry cools. I recommend storing in the fridge overnight before transferring to the freezer.
  • To make serving leftovers easy, I like to freeze the curry in 1 cup portions using Soupercubes. Once frozen, pop them out of the silicone mold and transfer to a freezer safe bag. When you are ready to serve, you can pop the cube right in the pot and cook from frozen over medium low heat covered until hot (10-15 minutes).
• Reheat leftover red lentil curry in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or on the stove, covered over medium low heat until heated through 5-7 minutes.

Substitutions

• Onion – use whatever onions you have on hand – red, yellow, white or you can even use shallots. If you don’t have onion, you can simply omit.
• Fresh ginger – fresh ginger can be tough to keep on hand (you can store it in the freezer) so I always keep freeze dried ginger on hand instead. This is so easy to use in recipes and easy to keep in the spice drawer. If you don’t have fresh or freeze dried, you can use ground dried ginger (about 1 teaspoon).
• Spices – If you don’t have curry powder, you can use curry paste instead (2-3 tablespoons). If you don’t have turmeric, simply omit it. If you don’t have cumin, you can add smoked paprika or omit it. If you don’t have garlic powder, you can use onion powder or dried garlic granules or simply omit it.
• Red split lentils – if you don’t have red split lentils, you can use regular lentils, but you will want to increase the cooking time from 12-15 minutes covered to 15-20 minutes covered. Note that using green or brown lentils won’t create the same creamy consistency if you continue to cook them down.
• Crushed tomatoes – you can use diced tomatoes or even whole canned tomatoes that you crush (either by hand or with an immersion blender). I have not tested this with fresh tomatoes.
• Cashews – if you don’t have cashews, you can use hemp hearts (which don’t need to be soaked in advance) or you can use ½ a can of coconut milk. Be sure to shake the can vigorously before opening.

If you love this recipe, you should try

Apricot Chickpea Curry

Red Pepper Lentil Soup

Lentil Tortilla Soup

Red Lentil Flatbread

Sweet Potato Lentil Burgers

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Vegan Red Lentil Curry

Cauliflower red lentil curry is rich, creamy and so easy to make. This vegan red lentil curry is made in one pot and is made with simple, pantry ingredients. This healthy lentil curry recipe is vegan, gluten free, dairy free and made without coconut milk

5 from 1 vote

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Course: dinner

Cuisine: American, Indian

Keyword: cauliflower red lentil curry, lentil curry without coconut milk, vegan red lentil curry

Prep Time: 3 minutes mins

Cook Time: 18 minutes mins

Total Time: 21 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Author: Samantha Rowland

Ingredients

• 1 onion (red, white or yellow) - chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 1 package frozen cauliflower - 16 oz. package
• 2 tbsp curry seasoning
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 14 oz. crushed tomatoes - canned
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

• Preheat a large pot over medium heat.

  Chop the onion and peel and chop the ginger. When the pot is hot, spray with some avocado oil or olive oil spray and add the onion and ginger. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the spices to the pot and stir well. Cook about 1 minute to toast the spices.
• Rinse the lentils. Add the lentils, water, frozen cauliflower and crushed tomatoes to the pot with the onion mixture. Stir well.
• Cover the pot, turn the heat up to medium high and cook for12-15 minutes until the lentils are soft and tender and staring to fall apart. Check the lentils after about 8-10 minutes to stir.
• While the lentils are cooking, pour boiling water over the cashews and let them soak.
• Once the curry is done cooking, turn off the heat. Drain the cashews and add them to a blender with ½ cup of fresh water. Blend on high until smooth then pour the cashew mixture into the pot with the lentil curry. Stir well and serve hot.

Notes

Top tips

• Red split lentils cook quickly which is what makes this red lentil curry perfect for weeknight meals. If you use regular lentils, the curry will take longer to cook (closer to 30 minutes). 
• Cook the spices for 60 seconds or so before adding the liquid to slightly toast the spices.
• If you notice the spices sticking to the bottom of the pot, add about ½ cup of water to the pot to scrape down the bottom before adding the rest of the ingredients. This helps to ensure that you get all the flavor off the bottom of the pot.
• The longer you allow the lentils to cook, the softer they get. They will begin to break down and give the curry and even creamier texture if you let them simmer for 10-15 more minutes.
• As the cauliflower lentil curry cools, it will continue to thicken as the lentils continue to absorb more of the liquid. If you are going to freeze the leftovers, let the curry cool completely or even overnight in the fridge before freezing.
• Turmeric stains wood utensils. Turmeric will turn your wood utensils yellow, so don’t use them unless you don’t care about them changing color. I recommend using a stainless steel spoon when making this recipe.

Storing leftovers

• Fridge: Store leftover cauliflower red lentil curry in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
• Freezer: Freeze leftover lentil curry for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or container. Be sure to allow the curry to cool completely before freezing, as it will continue to get thicker and break down as the curry cools. I recommend storing in the fridge overnight before transferring to the freezer.
  • To make serving leftovers easy, I like to freeze the curry in 1 cup portions using Soupercubes. Once frozen, pop them out of the silicone mold and transfer to a freezer safe bag. When you are ready to serve, you can pop the cube right in the pot and cook from frozen over medium low heat covered until hot (10-15 minutes).
• Reheat leftover red lentil curry in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or on the stove, covered over medium low heat until heated through 5-7 minutes.

See how I calculate food cost.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Amount per Serving

Calories

343

Fat

 

9

g

Carbohydrates

 

52

g

Fiber

 

20

g

Sugar

 

8

g

Protein

 

20

g

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.

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