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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
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.
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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