This Easy One Pan Lentil Daal Curry is the perfect easy and healthy weeknight meal that can be made vegetarian, vegan and dairy-free! Skip the Indian Restaurant and make this delicious Indian Daal Curry recipe at home in minutes!
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I don’t know about you, but restaurant take-out just doesn’t have the same charm as it used to. I don’t know if it’s the exorbitant cost or the fact that by the time you get it home it’s barely warm and all soggy from being in those styrofoam containers, but I’d much rather replace take-out on a busy weeknight with a good, solid, homemade weeknight meal like this Easy One Pan Lentil Daal Curry!
I’ve got to be honest – this is our family’s FAVOURITE weeknight meal. I’m serious…my kids actually beg me to make this Easy One Pan Lentil Daal Curry with rice and our favourite homemade Naan bread all the time and this has become the one meal where they practically lick their plates when dinner is done. And as a busy work-at-home mom, what could be better than that!!??
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This Easy One Pan Lentil Daal Curry recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and rivals any Indian restaurant curry I’ve ever tried. It’s so delicious and flavourful, and it’s made with super basic ingredients that are easy to find at your local supermarket. It’s vegetarian, can easily be made vegan, and it’s dairy-free too! If you love Indian food even a little bit, this Easy One Pan Lentil Daal Curry will become a healthy staple in your family’s meal plan for sure!!
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I hope you love this easy curry recipe as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite healthy weeknight meal? I’d love to know!
KITCHEN PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND:
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Creamy Enchilada One Pot Pasta
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Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
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QUICK & EASY WEEKNIGHT MEALS
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RECIPE VIDEO
Watch the video below to see exactly how I make this easy meal! You can find more delicious recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
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Easy Lentil Curry
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, finely diced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespooon mild red curry paste
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- a pinch or two of salt and pepper
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 1/2 cup split red lentils
- 5 cups vegetable stock (use chicken stock if you prefer)
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
- fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- extra coconut cream for garnish, if desired
Recipe: Instructions
- Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the onions, ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant and soft.
- Add the curry paste, turmeric, tomato paste, and salt and pepper, and stir to combine, allowing the mixture to toast slightly over the heat for about one minute.
- Add the carrots, red bell pepper, and lentils and stir to coat in the spice mixture.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and stir well, covering the pan and allowing the mixture to come to a boil.
- Cook the lentil mixture for about 20-25 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the bottom from burning, until the lentils are puffy and soft and begin to lose their shape.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the coconut milk and spinach, stirring just until combined.
- Cover and allow the spinach to wilt for a few minutes in the hot curry.
- Serve over steamed rice with fresh Naan bread, your favourite crusty white bread for dipping, or bakery fresh pita bread as an easy alternative to homemade Naan.
Recipe: Notes
Meal Prep Instructions
This recipe can be made in advance for meal prep and stored in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.Flavour Adjustment Notes
This recipe makes a very mild curry suitable for families with young children. If you'd like to add heat to this recipe according to your tastes, simply add a fresh chopped red chili pepper at the same time as the onions. Add the seeds for a spicy curry, or leave the seeds out for a medium heat.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Dried or canned lentils??!?!?!?
Hi Lisa – use dried split red lentils for this recipe!
Absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. Will be making again.
So happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
I made this with regular red lentils and it turned out good! I cooked it for 30 minutes which was plenty long. I’m glad I didn’t add any extra stock because it was still pretty thin and watery, next time I will decrease the liquid amount to probably 4.5 cups and see how that works. Great flavor though!
Thanks for the feedback Stacey! Depending on the type of lentils, you might have to use more or less liquid.
Delicious ! Do you think I can switch tumeric with yellow curry?
We’re happy you linke it! Thanks for your feedback. Switching turmeric with curry paste will give you a less yellow dish with a more potent curry flavour. I wouldn’t advise it unless you’re looking for more power from the curry.
Can I use ginger powder instead of fresh, I don’t have fresh right now? If I can how much should I use?
You can use about 1/2 tsp of ginger powder depending on how strong your ginger powder is and your taste preference.
The taste of the recipe is a 5 star. But I agree with another person who rated this recipe. The lentil turned to mush and there was way too much liquid. We had to use soup spoons it was so liquidy. I will make again, but modify the amount of liquid (broth) and reduce the cooking time for the lentils or use a different lentil.
Thanks for the comment Bonnie. The idea behind this curry is that the lentils are cooked until they release their starch, creating a velvety sauce.
My family loved this recipe. It was my first time making a curry and your recipe was so easy to follow, definitely gave me confidence to try more new things. I will be making this one again! Thank you so much!
We’re so happy you and your family enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
This was delicious and a big hit for all of us including my picky 9 year old. We will be making it again for sure. I wasn’t sure if the lid was to remain on or off once it came to a boil.
We’re so happy you enjoyed it! The lid can stay off after it comes to a boil. Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
I have tried this recipe and would just like to let you know that it is such a great recipe. It is quick and easy to make and absolutely delicious, I served with brown rice and homemade Naan and it was a big hit in our home, Definitely will be making again! Thanks for the recipe 👏
We’re so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! We usually enjoy it with our coconut lime rice, try it out! https://thebusybaker.ca/easy-coconut-lime-rice/
Very excited to try this recipe! However, I could only find whole red lentils vs split red lentils at my local grocery stores 🙁 Should I change the amount of liquid/cook time since the lentils aren’t split? Thanks in advance!
You should cook it a bit longer and you might need to add a bit more (about 1/4 cup) of vegetable stock or water, but don’t add it in until you see that it is needed.
Can the leftovers be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
At what temperature do I cook the lentils? Can this be made with regular red and brown lentils?
As it says in the recipe, I cook it on the stove on medium heat. As for the lentils, I’ve never tried this recipe with anything other than split red lentils. However, I wouldn’t recommend a mixture of different lentils as they might cook at different rates. Hope this helps! Happy cooking ☺️
Hey
Just wondering if you use Thai red curry paste or Indian curry paste like Patak’s?
Thanks,
Rebecca
I personally use Thai red curry paste but I suppose you could any mild red curry paste (as long as it is a cooking paste not a ready made sauce). Happy cooking ☺️
Just curious if you think this could work in the crock pot? I’m going to make it today regardless because it sounds delicious but I love using my slow cooker for Sunday meal prep.
I have never tried it myself so I couldn’t tell you, but if you do try, please let us know! Happy cooking ☺️
I am going to try this recipe this weekend. if I wanted to cook it in the instant pot how would I change this to do that? Also where could I get the curry paste.
Hi Amber, here is an instant pot recipe: https://thebusybaker.ca/instant-pot-curry-with-lentils/. Hope this helps!
Really easy and really tasty! My 3 year old loved it!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment Charlotte! 🙂
Sooo yummy!! Even the fussy eaters liked this one.
I’m so glad!! 🙂 Thanks Amanda!
Absolutely delicious!! It’s become a regular meal in our house and my family are far from vegetarian.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much Jules for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
This is even better with some lime juice and a little chili powder.
Hi Nancy! I love that addition! Thanks so much for your positive feedback on the recipe!