This beautiful vegan, vegetarian and gluten free curry is just too good to be true in terms of how easy and delicious it is. If you’re looking for a stress free dinner, this is the recipe for you.
It’s at times like this when I just can’t get enough of how useful a slow cooker is! Raw lentils have never been easier to cook. And not only is this curry delicious, but it’s healthy too!
This dish is low in fat, and lentils are a fantastic source of protein and fiber. So there is no reason to skip this dish!
How easy is this curry?
It’s literally is simple as putting all of your ingredients expect for your coriander and yoghurt in the slow cooker, mixing it, then cooking the lentils on low for 4 hours.
Once the curry is done, garnish it with coriander and the yoghurt, then serve.
Yep, that’s it, like I said, it couldn’t be easier.
What to serve with this curry
Now, curry is always better with an accompany ingredient or 2. So let’s go over some sides that will be perfect for this curry!
Rice – Probably the most simple side to have with this curry, but you can’t go wrong with it!
Paratha – Possibly my favourite out of all the flat breads because it’s a bit like pastry, in that the dough is thinly layered, leaving you with a beautiful crispy texture.
Roti – A nice light, malleable flatbread, great for replacing cutlery, use the roti to pick the lentils up instead and then eat the whole thing!
Naan – Especially garlic naan, that is a favourite of mine. It is slightly heavier than roti and not as mailable, but it’s still delicious and it works so well with a curry like this!
Is this curry vegan and/or vegetarian?
Yes, the only ingredient that isn’t vegan friendly is the optional ingredient, which is yoghurt. However, you can simply replace the yoghurt with vegan yoghurt.
And not only is this recipe vegan, it’s also gluten free, so it’s accessible to so many people!
Which lentils should I use?
I went with whole green lentils for this recipe, but make sure you use the whole lentils and not split lentils (the split lentils will cook to quickly and go mushy).
I used green lentils precisely because they take some time to cook. Remember, although we’re cooking these lentils in a slow cooker, they will be cooking for 4 hours. So we certainly don’t to end up with overcooked lentils.
And I would also avoid red lentils because they cook very quickly and will most likely go mushy. In my experience, red lentils are much better for quick dhal recipes. Speaking of which, feel free to check out my Red Lentil Dhal Recipe if you’re interested.
Should I soak the lentils?
Now, unlike beans for example, the overwhelming majority of opinions say that lentils do not need to be soaked. You can soak them if you want to help reduce the amount of cooking time of the lentils, but other than that, most people say it’s not necessary.
However, there are a few websites that recommend soaking them in order to improve their digestibility and nutritional value. And there is mention of anti nutrients in the outer shell of the legume.
You can read more about it in the following links:
Hair Buddha – Why Soak Beans and Lentils Before Cooking
So overall, do I think it’s something to freak out about if you don’t soak the lentils? No. Can you do it just to stay safe? Absolutely.
My curry is dry!
The lentils can soak up a lot of that moisture, and when I made this curry I noticed that the lentils were cooked, and they had wonderful flavour, but they were also very dry.
If this is the case for you, then just add 1 cup of water to loosen up the cup the curry. And from there you can season the curry to taste and add your coriander.
Other Curry Recipes
Here are some other curry recipes if you’d like to see some alternatives.
Easy Potato Curry with Green Beans (Vegetarian)
Thai Green Chicken Curry Meal Prep
I really hope that this stress free curry recipe serves you well, don’t forget to subscribe if you’d like to stay updated for new recipes.
Have an amazing day and I’ll be posting again soon!
Slow Cooker Lentil Curry
One of the easiest curries you'll ever make. Vegan, gluten free and dang tasty. You're going to love this one.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups whole green lentils
- 2.75 cups Vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon of coriander sprigs
- 2 tablespoons of cornflour
- ½ tablespoon of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons of ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon of chilli powder
- 4 dried curry leaves
- ½ tablespoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon of curry powder
- Fresh Coriander leaves
- Yogurt or vegan yoghurt for garnish optional
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
Instructions
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Put your lentils, vegetable stock, coriander springs, cornflour, tomato paste and all of your spices and seeds in the slow cooker and mix everything together (do not add your yoghurt or your fresh coriander leaves).
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Cook the lentil curry on high for 4 hours.
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If you find that the lentils are dry once they're cooked, add 1 cup of water and stir it through.
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Add you coriander leaves and stir through. Then season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Feel free to garnish your curry with yoghurt before serving. Then you can serve with rice, flatbreads or any other side that you like.
Recipe Notes
- Rice, parathas, roti and naan are beautiful sides for this curry.
- If you're vegan and want to garnish the dish with yoghurt, use vegan youghurt.
- Green whole lentils work wonderfully for this recipe. Avoid split lentils and red lentils, they will overcook and go mushy.
- If you want to, you may soak the lentils before cooking them if you wish. The link to this post and this post will give some information as to why you may want to.
- If you find that the lentils are dry once they have been cooked, then add 1 cup of water to add some moisture to the curry.
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