This cozy vegan lentil curry is the perfect one-pot dinner for a cold evening. Hearty sweet potatoes and cooked lentils give this rich curry a soft and creamy texture that is perfect for serving with rice. It's a vegetable curry made from traditional Indian spices, tomatoes and creamy coconut milk that's packed with flavor.

This recipe is a great way to ease into Indian cooking. If you're looking for a great gluten free and dairy free option for meatless Monday, this plant-based curry fits the bill. It also makes a great dish for meal prep as it can keep all week or even be frozen. It's one of my go-to quick meals that can be ready in less than an hour and doesn't require a lot of cleanup. That's my kind of family dinner!

A bowl of lentil curry with sweet potatoes served over brown rice.

If you're looking for more vegan dinner options, I recommend my sweet potato and black bean soup.

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Ingredient Notes
Substitutions & Variations
How to make a Vegan Lentil Curry
Expert Tip
Storage
More easy weeknight dinner recipes to consider:
Recipe

Ingredient Notes

This recipe uses just a few simple ingredients, which should be available in any grocery store. All of the ingredients are naturally gluten free and dairy free.

Oil - I use light flavored olive oil for all of my cooking, but any cooking oil, like vegetable oil or coconut oil, will work fine.
Yellow Onion - Onion provides the base savory flavor for this curry. It's a nice balance to the sweetness of the potatoes.
Coriander Seeds - This is a key ingredient in Indian curries. Heating the seeds in the oil along with the other aromatics adds a depth of flavor to the dish.
Garlic - Another aromatic flavor enhancer.
Lentils - You can use either brown lentils, green lentils, or black lentils in this curry recipe. Avoid red lentils as they can become too soft during the long cook time.
Sweet Potatoes - You know I love sweet potatoes and they add a lovely balance of flavor to this dish.
Turmeric Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Ground Ginger - This combination of spices gives us the traditional curry flavor.
Tomatoes - Fresh tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes will work fine for this recipe. The tomatoes will cook down into the broth as the curry simmers.
Full-Fat Coconut Milk - A can of full fat coconut milk creates a really creamy sauce with a slight sweet coconut flavor.
Baby Spinach - Sneak in even more vegetables with a little bit of baby spinach. It's the perfect leafy green finish to this vegan curry.

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

Substitutions & Variations

Potato Switchup - Swap sweet potatoes for white potatoes. I would recommend a waxy potato, like red potatoes, here since they will hold their shape. It will alter the flavor if you swap potatoes.
Replace the Potatoes - Use pumpkin or butternut squash in place of the potatoes. The cook time will be the same.
Richer Broth - Replace the water with vegetable broth for a richer flavor.
Cauliflower Rice - Serve with cauliflower rice for a vegetable rich Whole 30 option.
Fresh Cilantro - Stir in a handful of fresh cilantro or use it as a garnish.
Make it Spicier - I think the cayenne pepper adds a good bit of spice, but if you want hot add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the dish.
Use Fresh Ginger -Use freshly grated ginger in place of the ground ginger to add a bit of zing to the dish. I recommend 1-2 Tablespoons.

How to make a Vegan Lentil Curry

This easy lentil curry recipe is made all in one pot making for easy cleanup.

Onions being sauteed in a dutch oven pot.

Tomatoes and sweet potatoes added to the dutch oven pot.

Baby spinach being added to the cooked lentil curry.

STEP 1: Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and coriander seeds to the pot. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the onion has softened.
STEP 2: Lower the heat. Add the remaining spices, lentils, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, coconut milk and water (or vegetable stock). Stir together and bring to a simmer. Once simmering cover the pot and allow it to cook for 30-40 minutes.
STEP 3: Once the vegetable have cooked through. Add the spinach and stir it in. It will take just 2-3 minutes to wilt the spinach. Then you're ready to serve.

Expert Tip

Use fresh, good quality produce for making this lentil vegetable curry. Make sure not to overcook the vegetables, you want them to have a little bite when the dish is served.

Someone stirring a pot of lentil curry with a wooden spoon.

Storage

I think this curry is even better the next day, after the flavors blend together. Store leftover curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat individual servings when ready to eat. You can add a little water or broth to the sauce when reheating if it thickens during storage.

This lentil curry also freezes well. Wait until the curry has cooled and transfer it to a freezer safe container. Make sure to leave some head room for expansion. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the curry thaw in the refrigerator until you're ready to reheat and serve.

Two bowl of lentil curry served with rice sitting on a countertop.

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If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.

Recipe

Tiffany

Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.