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Easy Red Lentil Curry

Easy Red Lentil Curry

If you like red lentil curry, then this curry is for you! It's got the warming curry spices, the tomato base, a little kick, and of course the creaminess from the coconut milk. It tastes great the same day, but like many curries, it tastes even better the second day. It's also easy to make! Don't be intimidated by all of the ingredients. It's just a lot of spices and basic ingredients. The flavor and magic happens in the simmering.
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Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 jalapeno seeded & finely chopped
  • 1 inch ginger peeled and finely chopped or grated
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala - this and coriander adds a lot more flavor depth to the curry but if you don't have either, just up the curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 18.3 oz jar jovial crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup well rinsed red lentils
  • 1 can coconut milk - I used Trader Joe's coconut milk
  • 1 tsp maple syrup add more to taste once it simmers a bit
  • 1/2 tsp salt more to taste or even a squeeze of lemon at the end
  • fresh ground pepper to taste
  • serve with basmati rice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro or parsley if you have it on hand

Method
 

  1. In a large/deep saute pan, saute the onion, garlic, jalapeno, and ginger with coconut oil. You can also skip the oil all together and just constantly stir for a few minutes so it does not burn.
  2. Take the pan off of the heat or lower the heat and add in the spices. Stirring constantly another 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. 2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  3. Add the water, crushed tomatoes, and rinsed lentils. Give it a good stir. Cook covered or just slightly tilted on low-medium heat for around 25 minutes. The lentils will not be fully cooked at this point.
  4. Add in the whole can of coconut milk, maple syrup, salt, and pepper, and cook another 20-30 minutes or so (same lower heat and covered). The curry will thicken up here and the flavors will come through. Midway through cooking, give it a good stir and taste it. Adjust to taste if needed. You may even want a small squeeze of lemon stirred in.
  5. Serve with basmati rice and garnish with cilantro or parsley if you wish.

Notes

Plant-Based | Gluten-Free | Refined Sugar-Free | Inflammatory Oil-Free