30-Minute Lentil Coconut Curry

This lentil coconut curry is a flavorful plant-based meal packed with veggies like sweet potato and baby spinach – and it takes just 30 minutes to whip up. [vegan + gluten free]

We’ve been really into lentils in my household lately.

I mean, what’s not to love? They’re tiny legumes that pack a powerful nutritional punch, and they can be incorporated into so many dishes – from lentil soup and plant-based shepherd’s pies to Indian-inspired dishes like my recipe today.

Benefits of Lentils

Lentils have A LOT to offer. One perk is that they’re loaded with polyphenols, which are active compounds that fight against harmful agents in the body, including cancer and heart disease. Lentils are also high in protein, iron, fiber, folic acid, magnesium, and calcium, to name a few benefits.

To put it simply, lentils are nutritional rockstars.

Lentil Coconut Curry

In addition to being loaded with lentils, other veggies featured in today’s coconut curry recipe are sweet potato, baby spinach and tomato (yeah, yeah, technically a fruit). The veggies are cooked in vegetable broth, then coconut milk is added in for creaminess and fresh lime is squeezed in for a bit of zing.

Curries are known for their inclusion of spices, and this lentil coconut curry features some spices that you see in traditional Indian cooking. My recipe calls for turmeric, fresh ginger, cinnamon and cumin. In addition to giving the dish lots of spunk, these spices also have great anti-inflammatory benefits.

This curry can be whipped up in 30 minutes flat, partly thanks to the produce prep being done as the curry begin to cooks. I often do this in the interest of whipping up dinner as fast as possible!

Another thing that makes this curry meal come together in half an hour is by serving it with pre-cooked brown rice. I love prepping a big batch of rice to use during the week for meals like this. This lentil coconut curry also goes wonderfully with naan, quinoa, or whatever other favorite grain you have.

The Recipe

30-Minute Lentil Coconut Curry

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5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

  

• 1 TBSP avocado oil
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1- inch piece of fresh ginger
• 1 TSP cumin
• 1 TSP turmeric
• 1/2 TSP cinnamon
• 1 C dry brown lentils
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 3 Roma tomatoes
• 3 C vegetable broth or water
• 3/4 TSP salt plus more as needed
• 1/4 TSP pepper plus more as needed
• 2 packed cups baby spinach
• 1-14 oz can full-fat coconut milk 
• 1 lime 

Instructions

 

• Warm the avocado oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Meanwhile, chop the onion and mince the garlic and ginger.
• Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin and cinnamon. Stir well until it's nice and fragrant.
• Meanwhile, peel and dice the sweet potato and dice the tomatoes.
• Add the lentils, sweet potato, tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper to the pot. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and lowly simmer for 15 minutes, or until the lentil and sweet potato are tender.
• To the pot, add in the baby spinach, coconut milk and juice from the lime. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes, until everything is evenly incorporated. Taste the curry and add in more salt and pepper as desired.
• Serve the curry with brown rice, naan, quinoa, or any other grains you'd like.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Tell me… What’s your favorite legume? Top way to eat lentils?