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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 broth, 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’d forgotten how much I loved your Baked Chickpea Sweet Potato Curry until I made it again last week! And this weekend it’ll be time to try this delicious-sounding lentil recipe for the first time. One question before I do: it would be unusual for me to make an Indian dish without using ginger, but I notice you don’t use it here. Is there anything in particular behind your choice, and is there any reason that you consider it would be an unwise addition for me to make?
You can add ginger. All Indian curries don’t always have ginger. It depends on the recipe. You can add some here to add more flavor
Thank you for your reply. I did use the small piece of ginger that was lurking in my fridge. I can’t say how much difference it made, but I can say that the overall result was incredibly tasty and will be a great winter warmer over the coming chilly UK months. I love “close the oven door and walk away” cooking; your “Vegan Vegetable Curry Casserole” is next on my list.
So glad you liked it!
This recipe turned out so great and flavourful….as usual :). I would like to double it next time. Should I double ALL ingredients, including the broth? I wonder if it might it be too much liquid. Thanks!
Yes double everything except water. Use a bit more than 1.5 times the amount
We just made this dish last night for friends and they said it was the best curry they had ever had! I added in some air fryer cooked tofu at the end and it was delicious. I was looking for a oven-based curry recipe because it is great for having people when you can just pull it out of the oven and it is ready to go, rather than being tied up in the kitchen cooking until the last minute. This freed me up to visit with our guests and it was both easy and delicious. Thank you!!
Awesome! So glad everyone enjoyed it.