This Coconut Lentil Curry Bowl is a one-pot dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes. It’s so easy to make with very little hands-on prep time. This vegan, gluten-free meal is full of flavor and is immensely satisfying.
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Do you want to know what’s an absolute tragedy? My kids don’t enjoy any meals where their food is mixed together or with any type of sauce. Yes, the one-pot meal, a busy mom’s dream dinner, is my kids’ worst nightmare.
I’m a persistent gal, though, and one thing I’ve learned about feeding children is that their tastes and preferences do change, especially if you continue to serve them a variety of foods over time. I haven’t given up on the one-pot meal. I keep trying.
I served this dinner to Meghan and Luke along with whole grain naan bread, raw vegetables, and applesauce. I added more to the meal (easy things I didn’t have to cook) because I knew they wouldn’t eat a lot, if any, of the one-pot meal I was serving as the main entree.
I reminded Meghan that she loves chickpeas, and even though she was reluctant, she picked them out and ate them. Luke will do what Meghan does usually, so he followed his big sister and ate his chickpeas. They both were a no-go to try the kale or saucy mix of lentils, and I didn’t push it. They devoured their naan (a favorite) and also ate all of their carrots, red peppers, and applesauce.
I’ll never give up trying to get my kids to love a one-pot dinner. If you’re lucky enough to have kids who don’t mind everything mixed together, give this one a try. I might be a little jealous, but I’m happy to make your life a little easier.
Recipe Ingredients
It’s always my goal to have easy-to-find ingredients that make incredibly delicious meals on top of being healthy. I think I’ve accomplished that here! I recommend canned coconut milk for this, and Lite coconut milk is what I usually use, but the full-fat version works just as well and makes it richer.
How to Make This Easy Coconut Lentil Curry Bowl Recipe
- In a large high-sided skillet, combine the red lentils, tomatoes with their juices, coconut milk, water or broth, curry powder, ginger, turmeric, and salt.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 18 minutes.
3. Stir in the chickpeas and kale and allow to cook another 3-5 minutes, until the kale is wilted and bright green. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and serve.
That’s it! This is a super quick and easy dinner. Quick, easy, AND healthy. Not an easy-to-come-by combination!
Oh, and full of flavor. I just love coconut and curry together, and the fresh ginger, lime, and cilantro just bring the whole thing together.
I didn’t eat any bread with this because of my anti-inflammation diet, but it’s perfect with warm naan bread. If you want to bulk up the meal more and keep it gluten-free, it would also be amazing with this super easy Coconut Rice Recipe. If you need a vegan, gluten-free, weeknight meal that is super satisfying, this is exactly what you need.
If you try this, please give it a star rating below! It’s so helpful for other people to see who’s tried and liked the recipe. I think you may also love this Vegetable Grain Bowl recipe!
One pot coconut curry lentil bowl with chickpeas and kale
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This is a one-pot dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes. This vegan, gluten-free meal is full of flavor and is immensely satisfying. It pairs perfectly with warm naan bread.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup red lentils
- 1 (15 1/2) ounce can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion with juices (I blended mine a little to avoid big tomato chunks that my family dislikes, but that is optional)
- 1 (15 1/2) can lite coconut milk
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth
- 1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
- ~1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (15 1/2 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups roughly chopped, deveined kale
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large high-sided skillet, combine the red lentils, tomatoes with their juices, coconut milk, water or broth, curry powder, ginger, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 18 minutes.
- Stir in the chickpeas and kale and allow to cook another 3-5 minutes, until the kale is wilted and bright green.
- Stir in the lime and cilantro and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Canned coconut milk is what you need here. Lite is my preference, but full-fat works, too.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: main meal
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 12.5g
- Sodium: 655mg
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 97.3g
- Protein: 32.8g
Even though I am going to wait a month to give you a detailed update of how things are going with my new diet and finger pain, I can’t wait to tell you how things are going. After one week on an anti-inflammation diet, I have seen a significant improvement in my finger pain!
One week ago, I could not bend my finger in the morning and throughout the day making a fist was impossible. I can do both of those things now and the pain is much less. I did not expect to feel a difference so quickly, but I am more determined than ever to continue with the changes I’ve made. I’ll give you more details in time, but I just wanted to give you a quick update since I’m so excited about the results so far. Thanks again for all of your comments and support.
Note: This post was first published in 2014. Photos were updated and a video added in January 2020.
Go to recipe. Love it.
I do it once a month. Very reliable and the children love it.
Very good. Quick to make. Loved the flavour and texture.