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This coconut lentil curry is a fast and easy dinner idea that’s both healthy and full of flavor. It’s perfect for weeknight meals! Over the years, it’s become a fan favorite recipe that’s highly-rated by readers.
Alex and I have been working on our repertoire of fast and easy dinner ideas for years. It’s a constant challenge, trying to figure out those standbys that are quick, healthy, and delicious at the same time!
This coconut lentil curry comes from an idea I had one night trying to decide how to use some kale from the garden. I ad-libbed with some lentils and a can of coconut milk we had on-hand, threw in some curry paste, and voila! It turned out so tasty that we had to share it here. Fast forward a few years and this coconut lentil curry recipe has gone on to become a fan favorite, with loads of positive reader reviews!
Featured reader comment
“All I can say is MMMMM, MMMMM, MMMMM!!! Served it over rice…. absolutely AMAZING!!! Thank you for this recipe, I will definitely be using it often.” -Chrissy
“Great recipe. Simple but super flavorful, always have the ingredients in the pantry. I go back to this often for weeknight dinners.” -Jen
Tips for making coconut lentil curry
This coconut lentil curry is a quick way to get to something on the table that tastes like it’s been cooking all evening! This is not an authentic Indian or Thai curry, just a coconut lentil curry inspired dish that’s a fast dinner idea.
It has a fairly short ingredient list, so it’s feasible to make on a weeknight. The base of the curry is simple: just lentils, coconut milk, Thai curry paste, and tomato paste. (If you need a sub for coconut milk, head to our substitutes for coconut milk in curry.)
It’s also a great way to eat your dark leafy greens! You can throw in handfuls of any of your favorite greens. The easiest is throwing in handfuls of baby spinach that’s prewashed and boxed: or you can also add chopped kale or Swiss chard. When we talk to people about delicious ways to eat leafy greens, a curry is one of our top recs because the greens pick up all flavor of the lentil curry!
A key ingredient: Thai curry paste
The secret to this coconut lentil curry is using Thai red curry paste. Thai curry paste has beautifully fresh flavors: garlic, lemongrass, and ginger to make whipping up curry recipes a breeze. Grab a jar from the store in the international aisle, and it keeps for months in the refrigerator.
Some Thai curry pastes are spicy and some don’t have too much heat. Our favorite brand of Thai curry paste is Thai Kitchen, and it doesn’t add much heat to the overall dish. If you can’t find it at your local grocery, here’s a link to Thai Kitchen red curry paste on Amazon.
More great curry recipes? Vegetable Curry, Chickpea Curry or Quick Vegan Curry
Dietary notes
This lentil curry recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Coconut Lentil Curry with Greens
This Coconut Lentil Curry is a 30 minute easy dinner idea that’s healthy and full of flavor; it’s a plant based recipe flavored with Thai curry paste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai Inspired
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked white or brown basmati rice, to serve (or Instant Pot basmati rice)
- 2 cups brown or green lentils
- 8 cups chopped leafy greens: spinach, kale, or chard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the rice according to How to Cook Basmati Rice (or Instant Pot Rice).
- Place the lentils in a saucepan with 6 cups warm water. Bring to a low boil, then boil for about 20 minutes until tender (taste to assess doneness). Drain, then add a few pinches of salt.
- Meanwhile, wash the greens, remove the stems and chop the leaves. (If using prewashed baby spinach, you can skip this step.) In your largest skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the greens and sauté for several minutes until tender and bright green.
- When the lentils are done, add them to the skillet with the greens. Over medium high heat, stir in the coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, tomato paste, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Cook for a few minutes until heated through and the sauce is thickened.
- Taste and add a few pinches of salt if desired. Serve with rice.
More fast and easy dinner recipes
Looking for more easy dinner recipes? Here are a few quick and easy ideas:
- Go for mac and cheese with broccoli or pesto tortellini
- Mix up blackened tilapia, sauteed shrimp or honey garlic shrimp
- Opt for quick chickpea tacos or an easy quesadilla
Yummy, easy to make and versatile for substituting other ingredients. A fav in our house!
Is the nutritional information per serving?
What is the serving size?
The info is below the card! We don’t have a cup size for servings, sorry!
Due to health issues I’ve been looking for some more recipes that have a good, hearty, amount of protein. This recipe with the added benefits of iron and other nutrients is definitely a winner!! I made this with spinach, cut the Thai chili paste down to about half of what the recipe called for and added in some sliced, sauteed shitake mushrooms and all I can say is MMMMM, MMMMM, MMMMM!!! Served it over rice cooked in broth instead of water…. absolutely AMAZING!!! Thank you for this recipe, I will definitely be using it often. Btw… tastes just as good, if not better, the next day.
I just made this for lunch. Yum! I did find that I wanted a more punchy flavor so. I made lemon rice by tossing in a squeeze of lemon and a bit of peel to my cooking rice. I also used half brown rice and half wild rice for a chewy texture. To the lentils I added some curry powder since the Thai curry is very mild. To that some cardamom, garlic powder and smoky paprika. Delicious! I topped it with diced snacking tomatoes in various colors. It was fresh and flavorful with a nicely light, aromatic curry flavor. My husband who isn’t a fan of curry anything gave it 2 thumbs up.!
YUM! I drizzled pomegranate molasses over this! A fantastic meatless meal!! Thank You! Merry Christmas!
🎉🎄🎅🎁⛄️❄️🎄🎉
I think this would have turned out better with half the lentils. the proportions are off… for my taste. i’m gonna let it sit until tomorrow and go back in. :) thanks for making your recipes available. :)
Could I sub in 2 tablespoons of yellow curry powder for the red curry paste?
The flavor would be very different, but still taste good!
Thank you
Eating this right now. DELICIOUS! Added some grated ginger for an additional punch – highly recommend!
I only had red lentils and I should have red the directions first, as they apparently only take 9-13 minutes. This was kinda mushy. BUT, it was still good! I cooked my lentils with a clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary and could have eaten the lentils straight.
Took this to a potluck and it was one of the only dishes that was devoured completely. Thanks for the easy recipe!
How large is this serving–it says it serves 6, but the pan looks very full. Trying to count calories–thanks!
Sharon
We don’t have a cup measure, sorry!
Easy and tasty
This makes a very LARGE amount. Can it be frozen and reheated?
Yes!
Really simple recipe for a beginner in the plant based diet scene 👌🏽
Wonder if this recipe would work frozen greens (like spinach) since that is what I tend to have as it lasts for a while
Yes, should work fine!
Perfect, easy to follow, quick and delicious. Added onions and garlic.
I made this Coconut Lentil Curry recipe and it was delicious! I didn’t have any greens so just made broccoli on the side. I did dice up a carrot and put it in with the lentils. My husband and I both liked it and we will be making it again! Thank you for sharing it!
Thanks for making! So glad you enjoyed.
Have made this recipe a few times and we love it!! On busy work nights, we make as is and when we have more time we chop onion, garlic, and ginger and add in. Delicious either way. Thanks for enriching our lives and diets with your recipe ❤️
You’re welcome!
Thai red chili paste normally has anchovy extract – be careful, this may not be vegetarian
I absolutely love this recipe! I made it as stated the first time, using spinach only for the greens. It is so so good, and my husband loved it too. I did add salt to mine as I like food pretty salty but my husband ate his as is. I’m going to make it again this week and play around with some additional ingredients that some other commenters suggested like onions, garlic, ginger and something to make it spicy. Great recipe that has been added to my list of go-tos.
So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for making it.
an earlier commenter asked about the amount of spinach, and you said 8 cups, loosely packed. i could use some further clarification:
i bought a tub of pre-washed baby spinach measuring 8x6x3 inches. according to the label, the package contains about one and a half 2-cup servings (5oz total), so around 3 cups altogether, by their reckoning. however, when i dump it into my two-quart measuring cup, it overflows.
so: do i measure out 8 cups with my giant Pyrex, which is less than one spinach tub?
or do i go by the package label, in which case i need nearly 3 tubs? (at first, that seemed a bit much, but now that i’ve cooked through this recipe once, i don’t think tripling the spinach would be totally unreasonable…) any chance you have a weight measurement for this ingredient so i can eschew questions of leaf packing density? :0)
finally, is there any reason to wilt all this spinach and assemble the dish in a skillet rather than a stockpot? my 12-inch All Clad Fry Pan was nearly at capacity, and it was hard to stir the ingredients without spilling, so i’m inclined to try it in a larger vessel. but perhaps there are considerations related to heat distribution or water evaporation i’m not accounting for…
I added the tub of spinach same size as yours and it was the perfect amount
can you link to a 15 oz can of coconut milk like you did for the red curry paste? i can only seem to find coconut CREAM in a 15 oz can, while all the coconut milk i find at the grocery store or online comes in 13.5 or 13.66 oz packages.
i doubt 1.5 oz of coconut milk will make or break this dish, but now i’m wondering whether there’s a typo in the recipe.
You are correct: we’ve updated the coconut milk to be 13.5 ounce can. Thank you!
Great recipe. Simple but super flavorful, always have the ingredients in the pantry. I go back to this often for weeknight dinners. Thanks!
Excellent recipe. Like many other commenters I added garlic, Ginger, and onions. I also added a pepper since I had one. Added some turmeric and sriracha too. Great stuff!
We loved it. It was so quick and easy to make and a great way to include more spinach in our diet.
This is amazing! I added frozen peas and a frozen Tumeric pod as well as some mushrooms and it was a 100/10!
Can you substitute escarole for the spinach or kale?
Thanks!
I’ve never had escarole warmed before — I’m not sure!
This recipe is really bland as is. I think it could use some fresh ginger, garlic and sofrito.
I have to say… I found this recipe and have made it so many times over the last couple years! It’s affordable, healthy, filling, and above all, delicious. Thank you so much!
We love to hear this! Thanks for making it!
Yummy yummy yummy!!!!!!!!
Looks great! Could this be done in a slow cooker?
I’m not sure, sorry!
This was delicious! I had lentils that I didn’t know what to do with so I just cooked them and then found this recipe. You could make both the lentils and rice in advance or used leftover. I loveIndian food and this was a treat. Thank you for sharing!
Can I used lite coconut milk or do I need to used full fat?
Both will work, but we prefer full fat.
I’ve cooked with lentils, (soups and stews) but never a dish where they were the ‘main event.’ Now I probably should have made it ‘straight’ the first time, but I looked at all the comments and thought “why not?” So…started with a sauté of chopped onion with garlic & ginger, once that got going I added the tomato paste (I like it cooked into a recipe at this stage — it seems more mellow somehow). Once that was cooking for a few more minutes, added the baby spinach (4 cups as directed, next time I think I’d add more as the colour and alternate ‘mouth feel’ of the greens, added something we like). Served it over potatoes as I thought they would provide greater variety of flavour and texture than rice. Drizzled some sriracha on top as we like things spicy. And…this was a lovely supper. We both thoroughly enjoyed it and will look forward to making it again.
So glad you enjoyed it!
But Alex he had to add a whole bunch of ingredients to your recipe.
New to using lentils. Are these canned or dry lentils? I have dry and they say to soak them overnight.
Hi! These are dried lentils, but no need to soak!
Worked well for me! I sauteed the curry paste with the coconut fat from the milk for a couple minutes first, then added a can of diced tomatoes with juices plus about 4 cups of broth for lentils to simmer in. Added the rest of the coconut milk then all the chopped spinach once the lentils were cooked through (about 20 min). Lentils turned out tender and delicious but not mushy. So quick and easy– will definitely make again!
Great to know! Thank you.
This sounds delicious….as for method, why cook the lentils first? I will just simmer them in the curry.
Hi! We’ve found that if you add all the ingredients first, the lentils don’t cook as well.
I made this yesterday and it turned out great. I served over cauliflower rice and it was still really good, although probably much much better over actual rice as recommended. Really enjoyed – Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I made this with lentils and chickpeas and corn, only needed one tablespoon of curry paste as we are very weak to spice haha. Made 6 servings
Could this be cooked in an insta pot?
We don’t have a recipe for it, but you could certainly play around with these seasonings and our IP lentils: https://www.acouplecooks.com/instant-pot-lentils/#tasty-recipes-39985
Loved this recipe!! I used fresh baby spinach with a little diced garlic and onion sautéed with it and otherwise just followed the recipe and it turned out fantastic, we have a new addition to our regular meal rotation. This was my first dish ever with lentils and you’ve made me a convert, thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you loved it!
Do you recommend substituting a cauliflower rice or quinoa for the regular rice as a healthier alternative?
Quinoa would be great!
Hey fellow bloggers! Want to let you both know that I posted your recipe on my blog and linked to you! Thanks for the inspo! Came out great. I hope my followers enjoyed it as much as I did! If you’d check out my blog, I’d be so grateful.
Tonight I wanted to finish up a batch of lentils I cooked this weekend. When I found this recipe I saw that I had everything but the greens. So I quickly got a bag of spinach by the supermarket around the corner. It was so easy to make and delicious. The red curry paste I have is a bit spicy but I like it. To finish the potatoes I had bought for another recipe a month ago I cooked those and served the lentil curry on that instead of serving it with rice. It was a great combination. Thank you for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Did it. Because of quarantine, I was thankful for your coconut milk alternatives as we’re out. Quite good and I’lll add it to the rotation of dishes that we eat. Be well.
This sounds delish. I’m curious if you think it would freeze well? I’ve never frozen a lentil dish before but I’m looking for healthy meals I can cook in bulk and freeze for easy future meals. Thank you for all your great recipes!
Yes, this should freeze well if you let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
This was delicious! The only thing I added was some scorpion pepper puree for an extra kick. This was extremely filling and IMO at least 8 meals if you are serving it with an equal volume of cooked rice. Had dinner for two and meal prepped lunch for myself for six days. I’ll definitely be making this curry many more times in the future!
I made this as soon as I read the recipe and really loved it. I will definitely make again. Lentils can be a little blah, but this recipe made them enjoyable and me wanting more. I did add a little lemon juice to the recipe for a little more zing! But I add lemon juice to everything. I also drained the lentils and maybe I shouldn’t have, since I ended up adding vegetable broth to make it a little more soupier.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This is the second recipe on your site that I’ve tried and you guys are 2/2! Even one of my kids tried it, which is huge! I’ve bookmarked the page and will continue to explore. Thanks again!
You’re welcome! So glad the kids even are getting into it :)
I cut up an onion before realizing I don’t even need it for this recipe, so I went ahead and made this recipe and the chickpea curry! Both were so fast and easy to make, and now I have really tasty food for the week :) It’s not easy to find time to cook with a four month old, ans your website has been so helpful with so many great plant based dinner ideas that are so easy and fast to put together. Thank you!
This makes us thrilled to hear! I’m so glad you found the chickpea curry to use up your onion! It really means a lot that you’ve been able to find plant based dinner recipes that fit into your lifestyle — big win!!! It’s really encouraging to us. Thanks for the note!
I used green lentils.
I began by cooking the lentils as prescribed. At the same time, I cubed three organic chicken breasts and seasoned them liberally with salt pepper and garlic, and browned them in a dutch oven on medium heat for a couple minutes before adding 1 packet of thai red coconut curry starter (powder + water) and letting the chicken sit in that for a few minutes. I also sauteed a mix of spinach, kale and chard, half a red onion chopped in long thin slices, and added minced garlic at the last minute to avoid burning it. I added all that to the dutch oven with the chicken, added a mostly drained can of diced tomatoes and the tomato paste. I took the second packet of thai curry starter that I had bought and blended it with the can of coconut milk before pouring that on top of everything, and adding the lentils in with salt and pepper. It was PHENOMENAL. Obviously the chicken wasn’t necessary, but it ended up so tender it just fell apart when I touched it with a fork. This recipe was super easy, straightforward, and will absolutely be a staple in my family’s cooking rotation! Thanks so much.
Is there a preference of brown vs green lentils? I am new to cooking with lentils so am uncertain of varying texture/taste. TIA for feedback!
Great question! We prefer brown lentils here because green lentils are a little more peppery in flavor. But it’s very subtle, so you could use either one!
One of my new favorite healthy dishes! I would recommend to anyone who is looking to improve their eating habits with this recipe to use brown rice, you get a higher quality protein and lots more vitamins.
Since I am not known for my healthy eating habits (am trying to change) I was a little skeptical about this recipe. Oh my goodness, it was really good! Great flavor! Thanks so much!
Hah! So glad you enjoyed it :)
Hi – I have the Instant Pot mini (3 quart) – Can I just divide the measurements in half and still get the same good results?
Hi! I think so! We only use the Instant Pot for the rice in this recipe.
Is the coconut milk unsweetened?
Yes!
Hi I cant find red curry paste near me, what could I substitute and how much of it?
You could substitute the same amount of green curry paste! You can also order red curry paste online: here’s the red curry paste we use. Unfortunately it really carries the flavor here: so there’s no great substitute!
Tasty and easy!!
It wasn’t spicy enough for me so I added some cayenne pepper on top.
I will definitely make this again and I’m planning to add some extra veggies in it!!
Would red lentils work in this? I know they cook faster..
Great question! Because red lentils get more mushy when cooked, it might turn out with more of a pureed like texture. But if you cook them until right before they fall apart, it might work! Give it a try and let us know what you think.
Have had this recipe for a couple weeks and just made it tonight. I had bought some fresh beets for the week as well and cooked those up — saving the beet greens for this lentil recipe. Waste not, want not. Followed the recipe but cooked my lentils in 1/2 water, 1/2 chicken broth and used the beet greens. All I can say is “Y-U-M!!” Thanks for an amazing dish! Much appreciated.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is one of the best recipes of lentil out there <3 Thanks so much for sharing. I've only been using one recipe and now this. The only little change I made was sauteeing the spinach w/ garlic and onions. Followed you on instagram :)
Wonderful! Thank you for the comment.
This sounds like an amazing recipe and I’d like to try it. Is there any information on nutritional value? With and without the rice? Trying to do the low carb, high protein, low sugar thing. Thanks!
Hi! I updated the recipe card to include the nutrition. If you remove the rice, it’d reduce about 200 calories per serving.
Thank you!
This was a hit with my 12 yr old and my 56 yr old ;) I made the mistake of adding too much salt so had to improvise and added about a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a lot more curry paste. Also added onions. A very forgiving and adaptable recipe. Also love the insta pot method for rice. Thanks for a new healthy meal idea!
8 Cups of spinach?
Yes! We use 8 cups loosely packed. It wilts down quite a bit.
Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe idea. I just made it and like it but found it lacking in flavor so I added garlic and ginger. Next time I’ll leave out the tomato paste because I didn’t think it worked. Thanks again, love to eat lentils.
Thanks for letting us know!
Yes, I was wondering why basic aromatics like onions or garlic were left out of this recipe.
Good question! This curry was designed to be super quick, so the curry paste brings in all the flavor (it has garlic, lemongrass, etc).
This sounds delicious!! Is it freezable or how long does it keep in the fridge for?
Yes you can definitely freeze it! You can probably keep it for a few months (or more!).
Made this tonight and it was a hit! I usually make coconut curry with chick peas so it was a nice variation using lentils. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh we are so glad to hear that! Thank you so much for making it!
Made this today with mustard greens, and it is absolutely delicious! I am torn between wishing my husband would eat it, and being glad I get to keep it for myself.
Yum, mustard greens are such a good idea! Glad you got the entire thing for yourself – ha!
So tasty! Made no substitutions and ate half of it by myself. I love the simplicity of the ingredients but how wonderfully they all come together.
Oh we’re so glad to hear it! Thank you so much for making it!
Used Green Thai paste instead, came out well despite having to translate cups into metric ; )
So, so glad to hear this! Thanks for making it!
Loved this healthy, easy weeknight meal. I think we might cook the lentils in a mix of water and veggie broth next time for a bit more flavor.
That’s a great idea! Veggie broth would definitely add some great savoriness to the lentils! Thank you for making this recipe!
I hit this with some onions, peppers, and cashews the other night, and of course a healthy amount of Sriracha – it left nothing to be desired.
Glad to hear it! :)
Do you think it would be good with coconut oil instead of olive oil?
I’m sure it would be fine!
Hell yes it would Diane
This recipe sounds seriously delicious. I wish my husband would eat things like this. He might eat a little. Once. Then it’s all mine. Not that it’s a problem, but he could do with a little more of the greens and lentils in his diet. I could live on them. I will be trying this. I have everything but Kale. Maybe frozen spinach would do?
Hi Chris, sorry for the very late response on this! Frozen spinach would most certainly work. You wouldn’t even need to saute it — you could just add it together with the lentils, coconut milk and spices. Let me know if you tried it out!
This is seriously delicious and super simple. I used spinach and kale, added a TBSP of coconut manna for extra creaminess (and because I had it in the house) and sriracha because I love heat and I have to say it’s a keeper!
Oh, so glad you enjoyed it! Your additions sound excellent.
Recipe says 6 servings. What is a serving size?
We don’t have a cup measure, sorry!
Amazing! I said “this is my new favorite lentil meal” at dinner tonight and my two year old said “this is MY favorite lentil meal too” through a full mouth. Wonderful.
Oh, how nice! The thought of a sweet 2-year-old saying this made my day :) Thanks for writing!
this is a real comfort meal! quite healthy and tasty, loved it. It turned out great!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yum! I know what I’m having for dinner tonight now :)
Made this for lunch and loved it. Lentils had just the right texture to them and it’s appropriately saucy. I added some onions and garlic and used canned spinach and it was perfect. Thanks for the inspiration.
I love lentils for a quick meal (of course, I think you could add curry to anything and I’d eat it!)
This sounds delicious! I love lentils & I love indian food…it’s making me hungry!