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Make this easy Vegan Curry Lentil Casserole whenever that craving for restaurant-style creamy lentil dishes hits. Brown lentils simmered in a fragrant coconut curry broth served over rice! So easy, so delicious. Gluten-free, too.
We all have that bag of dried lentils somewhere in the back of our pantry, just waiting for us to find them, add some spices and simple pantry staple ingredients to them, and create an unexpectedly delicious and healthy dish that everyone will LOVE!
This recipe for vegan Lentil Curry Casserole is one of those unexpectedly AWESOME lentil recipes that has to potential to become a family favorite! Especially if you are a fan of rich and creamy curries! It is one of my family’s favorite weeknight dinners – packed with plant-based protein, nutrients, and spicy goodness! A simple and nourishing curry casserole the whole family will enjoy tucking into.
Just look at that thick and creamy gravy – all those amazing coconut and curry flavors are layered deeply into the lentils as they slowly bake. The perfect one-pot / one-casserole meal and the perfect comfort food dish for the cold season!
Think of this lentil casserole as an easy westernized version of restaurant-style Indian daal, with plenty of warming spices, creamy coconut milk and some nut butter for extra richness. You might have most ingredients at home already. Let’s get cooking!
MORE INDIAN DISHES TO TRY
- Butter Tofu GF
- IP Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce , with Cauliflower. GF
- Tofu Amritsari Masala.GF
- Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chickin(soycurls). GF – Creamy, Delicious
- Mushroom Matar Masala GF
- Bombay Potato and Peas GF
- Tofu in Spinach Curry – Palak Tofu GF
This is a simple one pot meal baked into a casserole instead of on the stove top. Baking allows for amazing roasted flavor and also hands off cooking. You can easily convert it to stove top.
This is a generic curry inspired from Indian flavors. You can change up the spices and flavors to preference. Let’s make it!
Lentil Curry Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tsp oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 hot green chili, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ – 1 tsp garam masala or curry powder
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 1 good pinch of cinnamon
- ¾ cup of lentils, brown or green
- 14 oz can tomatoes
- 14 oz can coconut milk
- 2 ½ cups Vegetable broth or water , divided
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- 2 Tbsp almond butter or cashew butter, or use sun butter to make it nut-free – warmed
- Lemon juice and cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Add oil to a casserole dish. (8 by 11 inch or similar size) Add in garlic, onion, green chili, spices and ¼ tsp salt – mix well. Preheat the oven to 400℉ (205C)
- Once heated, place the casserole dish in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until onions start to turn golden
- Remove dish from the oven and add in the lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, remaining salt and 2 cups of broth, mix well. (reserve 2 tbsp coconut milk for garnish if you wish)
- Place the dish back in the oven and cook for 1 hour or 1 hour and 10 mins or until lentils are cooked to preference (taste using a spoonful to see if they’re done)
- Once done, remove the dish from the oven, and while the mixture is still hot, first mix almond butter with warmed 1/2 cup of broth, add this mixture in, and stir until combined
- Adjust flavor and spice as needed. Add in some lemon juice and cilantro for garnish, as desired
- Serve with some fresh rice, flatbread, naan bread, or pita bread
Video
Notes
- You can also use red lentils in this recipe. Use 1 cup red lentils and check to see if they are done after 35 minutes.
- I recommend full-fat coconut milk for the ultimate creaminess.
- You can use sun butter instead of almond butter to make it nut-free.
- As always, feel free to add more veg or more seasoning to really make this your own.
- To make this without garlic and onion, omit them and add 1/8 tsp fenugreek seed powder to the spices.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients for Vegan Curried Lentil Casserole:
- like any curry dish, we start with the umami-boosting trifecta of onion, garlic and fresh chili
- spices: ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala or curry powder, pepper, and cinnamon
- Lentils: For this recipe, I use brown lentils but you could use red lentils.
- canned tomatoes – a must for lentil dishes
- coconut milk, you can also use unsweetened oat milk or soy milk
- almond butter or cashew butter or any other nut or seed butter for that perfect creaminess. But I do recommend you go with a subtle taste. Peanut Butter, f.ex. would be a bit dominant in flavor.
Tips & Substitutions:
- You can also use red lentils in this recipe. Use 1 cup red lentils and check to see if they are done after 35 minutes.
- I recommend full-fat coconut milk for the ultimate creaminess.
- You can use sun butter instead of almond butter to make it nut-free.
- As always, feel free to add more veg or more seasoning to really make this your own.
- To make this without garlic and onion, omit them and add 1/8 tsp fenugreek seed powder to the spices.
Add oil to a casserole dish
Add in garlic, onion, green chili, spices and ¼ tsp salt – mix well
Remove dish from the oven and add in the lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, remaining salt and 2 cups of broth, mix well
Place the dish back in the oven and cook for 1 hour or 1 hour and 10 mins or until lentils are cooked to preference (taste using a spoonful to see if they’re done)
What to serve with this Curry Lentil Casserole?
This vegan lentil casserole is best enjoyed
- Over a plate of steamed basmati rice, or cauliflower rice
- With some fresh bread or Vegan Naan Bread
- You could use leftover lentils as a filling for a wrap, lentil lettuce wraps, or spoon some into tacos
I’ve made this recipe before and it was delicious! But today I had to make it for someone who is celiac, and the only dried lentils I could find all had “may contain wheat” on the bags. So I used canned lentils instead. It’s been in the oven for over an hour and it’s still like a very liquid soup. I obviously messed up and should have used more of the lentils since canned is already cooked. Can you please tell me if I can fix the recipe now? Do I simply add more lentils to the dish? And if so, how much? Help! 🙂 Thanks!
Oh no. The dried lentils absorb all that liquid. If using canned or precooked, just add 1/2 to 1 cup coconut milk or water as liquid and that’s it.
You can scoop out some liquid from the current one or add another can of lentils. Add some more spices and salt as well.
If I am making it the day before would you stop at any point and finish it the next day – or would you make it completely and then reheat it?
Thanks! I love every recipe of yours that I have ever made – can’t wait to try this one.
Make it completely and then reheat it.
Looking for recipes that can be made in advance, frozen and reheated. Would this freeze well?
Yes, this would freeze well.
Love this recipe, since finding it late last year I have made it every 1-2 months. Sometimes I have added extras such as adding a can of chickpeas with the lentils, or added potato/sweet potato/carrot, even doubling just the onion and garlic, or the spices, works. It is such an adaptable recipe. I have successfully frozen the lentil casserole leftovers and it defrosts and reheats well.
So happy you like it!
I made this today and used everything exactly as written but it came out quite soupy? Any ideas? To be fair, it tastes amazing and a bit more like a creamy dal.
What type of lentils did you use?
I used brown lentils. Maybe it was using an 8.5 X 8.5 inch dish?
Yea size of dish, oven etc matter. Just bake a bit longer
Super easy, super quick and taste fantastic. This is a go to when I’m not sure what to cook for dinner.
Glad you like it!
I absolutely adore this recipe! It is on frequent rotation in my house and has been served to many guests who always ask for the recipe. One of the things I particularly enjoy is that it is a primarily one pot meal with the added advantage of going in the oven hence no fuss.
So happy to hear!
This is one of my new favorite comfort food receipes. It was perfect for a day when I wanted something creamy, hot and tasty but felt super lazy. I never imagined that baking lentils could result in such an amazing dish. I made it exactly according to the recipe and it was perfect. The flavors were so good. It was a stop and savor every bite type of dish.
Awesome! Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Definitely going into my rotation!
So glad you liked it!
I just wanted to say that I signed up for your 2024 Challenge and have been really enjoying your recipes! I had eaten vegan during lockdown when I had more time for food prep but then things got back to “normal” and I fell back into old habits. There was just no time to cook everything from scratch and to clean all those blenders and food processors! I am loving your one-pan casserole recipes and this creamy lentil curry is another favorite. Thank you!
Congratulations on completing the challenge!