Red Lentil Curry (No Coconut Milk)

Rice and lentil curry in a bowl with a spoon on the side.

Red Lentil Curry (No Coconut Milk)

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 filling lentil curry recipe is vegan, gluten free, dairy free and made without coconut milk

Course dinner

Cuisine American, Indian

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

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 18

Total Time 21

Servings

Calories 343kcal

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. sea 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. If you use regular lentils, the curry will take longer to cook (closer to 30 minutes).
Cook the spices for 60 seconds 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.
As the cauliflower lentil curry cools, it will continue to thicken
Turmeric stains wood utensils. 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.
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