Chickpea and Lentil Curry

This naturally vegan chickpea and lentil curry is a flavorful and healthy weeknight dinner that comes together quickly! 

Packed with lentils, chickpeas and lots of spice, this easy vegetarian curry makes for a quick and satisfying dinner any day of the week. Chickpea and lentil curry is all of the things we look for in a nutritious comforting meal: rich, creamy and wonderfully hearty!

making vegetarian curry with lentils and chickpeas

What makes this a great weeknight dinner? It’s packed with flavor and can be made in five easy steps:

1. Start with the aromatics. Saute the onion, garlic, ginger and green chile in a bit of oil until tender.
2. Mix in all of your spices.
3. Stir in the diced roma tomatoes.
4. Add the lentils and 1.5 cups (350 ml) of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Stir in the coconut milk and chickpeas and cook until heated through.

mix it up!

spice substitutions

We use a total of six ground spices to get the perfect flavor: coriander, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cayenne and fenugreek. But don’t worry if you’re missing a spice or two, you’ll definitely still be able to get great flavor by adding a bit more of the other spices or making a few substitutions. 

Garam masala, which is a blend of spices, makes a great substitute for the cumin or coriander. Additionally, paprika and cayenne can be subbed for any red chile powder (just be mindful of any differences in heat). And the fenugreek isn’t essential so feel free to skip it if you don’t have any on hand.

add some veggies

Our favorite way to round out this curry is to stir in fresh spinach or kale for the last five minutes of cooking.

If you’re looking for other ways to sneak in your vegetables, diced red bell peppers (added with the onion) or chopped sweet potatoes or carrots would also make excellent additions!

For more delicious vegetarian dinner ideas, make sure to give these recipes a try!

• chipotle jackfruit quesadillas
• falafel + spicy tahini sauce
• easy tortellini in white wine cream sauce
• misir wat | ethiopian lentil stew
• rice stuffed pumpkin
• easy poolish pizza dough

chickpea and lentil curry

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★★★★★

5 from 1 review

• Author: Brittney
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 4

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Description

This naturally vegan chickpea and lentil curry is a healthy weeknight dinner that comes together quickly! 

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Ingredients

• coconut oil 2 tbsp
• (or any neutral oil)
• onion, diced 1 small
• garlic, minced 3 cloves
• ginger, minced 1 inch (2.5 cm)
• green chile, diced 1 small
• ground coriander 2 tsp
• paprika 2 tsp
• ground cumin 1 tsp
• ground turmeric 1 tsp
• ground cayenne ½ tsp
• ground fenugreek ½ tsp
• roma tomatoes, diced 2 small
• water 1.5 c (350 ml)
• green or brown lentils* ½ c (100 g)
• (rinsed and picked through)
• full fat coconut milk 1 (14 oz) can
• chickpeas 1 (14 oz) can
• (drained and rinsed)
• salt to taste
• cilantro to garnish

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Instructions

1. Melt the coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
2. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent (approximately 10 minutes).
3. Add the garlic, ginger and green chile and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the spices (coriander, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cayenne and fenugreek). Continue to cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
5. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes more.
6. Pour in the water and add the lentils. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
7. Add the coconut milk and chickpeas. Generously season with salt to taste and cook uncovered until lentils are tender and sauce has slightly thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Slightly increase heat if necessary.
8. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Notes

Lentils: Any variety of lentils that can be cooked in about 20-25 minutes will work for this recipe.

• Category: dinner
• Method: stovetop
• Cuisine: indian

Keywords: chickpea and lentil curry, lentil chickpea curry, vegetarian curry

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