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This Indian-inspired Red Lentil Curry with Sweet Potatoes is creamy, hearty, and ready in just a few simple steps. Serve it for a satisfying and quick weeknight meal the whole family will adore- vegans and meat eaters alike!
This recipe was originally published on January 21, 2021. It was updated with new recipe information on October 22, 2024.
This red lentil curry recipe with sweet potatoes is a hearty, creamy, and flavorful plant-based meal you can make any day of the week. It’s the definition of crave-able yet nutritious comfort food: tender and creamy lentils simmer with warming spices in coconut milk to warm you up and satisfy from the inside-out.
Though the recipe does call for a handful of spices — many of which can be found at well-stocked grocery or Indian food stores — you’ll have them on hand for months to come since they store well, making it easy to add this recipe to your weekly recipe rotation. Make this lentil curry with coconut milk on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot, and add your own twist by adjusting the heat or stirring in extra veggies! For more tasty lentil recipes, check out my Lentil Meatballs, Lentil Taco Meat, and Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie recipes.
Ingredients
Red Lentils: The star ingredient of this dish! Red lentils are smaller, delicate lentils that don’t need to be soaked before cooking. They turn creamy upon cooking, helping them to meld with the coconut curry sauce. You can find them in the dried goods or rice aisle of most well-stocked grocery stores, in Indian groceries, and health food stores.
Aromatics: Yellow onion, garlic, and ginger add a dimensional flavor base to the red lentil recipes. Use fresh ingredients whenever possible, though you can substitute ginger paste and bottled minced garlic if necessary.
Spices: Curry powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, and turmeric powder add warm, earthy, savory, and spicy notes to the vegan red lentil curry, making it complex and satisfying. You can find these spices in Indian food stores, spice shops, and most well-stocked grocery stores.
Sweet Potatoes: These add heartiness a touch of natural sweetness, balancing the warmth and heat. Peel the potatoes if desired and cube. If desired, use Japanese sweet potatoes.
Coconut Milk: For the richest, creamiest vegan lentil curry, use full-fat coconut milk. Shake it well before adding it, and avoid using light coconut milk.
Canned Tomatoes: A common ingredient in many curry dishes, canned chopped or crushed tomatoes impart a naturally sweet and jammy flavor. You will need just one can.
How to Make Red Lentil Curry with Sweet Potatoes
Instant Pot Directions
Stove Top instructions Below.
Save time and fuss by making this recipe in the Instant Pot. Here’s how to make Instant Pot lentil curry:
- Sauté. Turn the Instant Pot to the HIGH sauté setting, and melt the coconut oil. Reduce the heat to medium heat and sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger for 3-4 minutes until turning translucent.
- Toast. Add the spices––curry powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri chili, salt, and pepper. Stir to toast for about 30 seconds.
- Add. Add the sweet potato, red lentils, coconut milk, diced tomato, and water. Cancel the sauté setting. No need to stir.
- Pressure cook. Lock on the lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes. When done cooking, natural-release the pressure for 10 minutes. Quick-release the remaining pressure.
- Season the curried red lentils to taste with more salt, and serve garnished with lime wedges and cilantro.
Stove Top Instructions
- Sauté aromatics. Add the oil to a large pot and melt it over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are tender and turning translucent.
- Toast Spices. Add the spices — curry powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri chili, salt, and pepper. Stir to toast for 30 seconds until translucent,
- Add sweet potatoes and liquids. Add the sweet potato, red lentils, coconut milk, diced tomato, and water. Stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer partially covered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender.
- Season and serve. Season the curry to taste with salt and pepper. If necessary, add water to thin the curry. Serve the vegan curry hot with steamed rice and garnished with lime wedges and cilantro.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Rinse and sort the lentils. Even sorted lentils can sometimes contain small pebbles or bits of debris collected in the harvesting process. Sort through the lentils to remove these parts, and rinse them well before starting.
- Simmer partially covered. When cooking stove-top, control the reduction of the red lentil curry recipe by simmering it partly ajar. I like to rest the pot halfway over the top. This also allows you to keep an eye on the curry as it simmers.
- Add extra water as needed. If it reduces or gets too thick during simmering, add more water by the 1/4 cup as needed, stirring it in well.
- Adjust cooking time for the size of the pot. Wider pots (think deep skillets) will cook for less time because they have a higher surface area exposed to heat, whereas narrower pots (Dutch ovens or saucepans) will cook for longer.
Recipe Variations
Adjust this red lentil coconut curry based on what you have on hand, making it flavorful and nutritious every time!
- Ultra-Creamy: Stir in 3 tablespoons of cashew or almond butter during the final few minutes of simmering to enhance the smooth and creamy texture of the red curry lentils and add nutty undertones. Bonus: this adds extra plant protein and healthy fats!
- Butternut Squash: Swap 2 1/2 cups of cubed butternut squash for the sweet potatoes for an autumnal twist on this red lentils recipe!
- Extra Veggies: Boost the nutrition by stirring in a large handful of chopped baby spinach or a cup of chopped roasted red peppers in the last 5 minutes of the cooking time. You can also stir in 1 cup of frozen green peas halfway through simmering.
- Mild: Reduce the heat by using Kashmiri chili instead of cayenne, or omitting it all together.
- Spicy: Increase the Kashmiri chili to 1 teaspoon or use it along with cayenne for extra heat.
Serving Suggestions
Serve bowls of hot sweet potato lentil curry topped with lime wedges and chopped cilantro with roti or vegan naan to dip alongside any of the following sides:
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Once completely cooled, you can freeze the lentil and potato curry in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Warm the dish over low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of vegetable broth to reconstitute, for 5-10 minutes until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you do not need to soak red lentils. They are delicate and small and cook up within 20-30 minutes without soaking. I do recommend that you rinse them well before cooking, however.
The red lentils cook well, becoming ultra-tender and scoopable, but you can puree it with a high-speed or immersion blender if you prefer a soup-like texture. If using a blender, be sure to remove the vent cover and lightly drape it with a dish towel before blending to prevent splattering.
More Vegan Main Dish Recipes
Red Lentil Curry with Sweet Potatoes
Video
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot optional
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil , or coconut oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, + more to taste when serving
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed (peeling is optional)
- 1 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed until water runs clear OR moong dal
- 1 13.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, or crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups water, 1 1/4 cups for the Instant Pot
- lime wedges, for garnish
- chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the coconut oil to a large pot and melt it over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are tender and turning translucent.
- Add the spices — curry powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri chili, salt, and pepper. Stir to toast for 30 seconds until translucent,
- Add the sweet potato, red lentils, coconut milk, diced tomato, and water. Stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer partially covered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender.
- FOR THE INSTANT POT: After sautéing the aromatics and spices, use 1/4 cup water to deglaze the pan if necessary. Scrape any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan. This step will help avoid a "burn food" alert from the Instant Pot machine. Add the sweet potato, red lentils, coconut milk, diced tomato, and water. Do not stir. Cancel the sauté setting. Lock on the lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes. When done cooking, natural-release the pressure for 10 minutes. Quick-release the remaining pressure.
- Season the curry to taste with salt and pepper. If necessary, add water to thin the curry. Serve the curry hot with steamed rice and garnished with lime wedges and cilantro.
- If you liked this recipe, please take a moment to rate it. Thank you!
Notes
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- Refrigeration: Leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
-
- Freezing: Once completely cooled, you can freeze the lentil and potato curry in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator.
-
- Reheating: Warm the dish over low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of vegetable broth to reconstitute, for 5-10 minutes until hot.
Very flavorful and delish! We couldn’t get enough of it!
Awesome!! Thank you for sharing and rating!
Any substitutions for the coconut milk? What about soy milk and almond butter or tahini? Coconut has too much saturated fat.
Thanks!
For sure. Tahini or almond butter would be delicious. I would replace the coconut milk in the recipe with water, then add 2 tablespoons of either nut/seed butter. Add more to make it thicker, if you’d like. Great question!
This recipe has become a family favorite.
This was so so so good! Just the right amount of spice and hearty for the winter. I used green instead of red lentils bit still turned out amazing. Will be part of my favorite meals! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your experience with this recipe. I am so happy you enjoyed!
Absolute trash instapot recipe. Tried once with original liquid ingredients, then again with extra liquid. Burned both times.
This is a staple in my house! So quick and easy and so delicious!
First time trying this recipe and I’m pleased with the outcome. Very flavorful!
I’m so glad you liked it! Please leave a star rating on the recipe if you haven’t yet. Thanks so much!!
Hi! I love your recipes. They are among some of my friends’ favorites when I host. I am making this dish as part of a vegan tasting menu for a dinner party I am hosting. Do you pressure cook on medium or high? Thank you
Thank you!! I’m honored to hear that. Pressure cook these on high 🙂
wonderful ecipes.
I used this recipe and was happily surprised. I will definitely make this again for myself and guests.