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.Â
Do you want to know what’s an absolute tragedy? Â My kids don’t enjoy any meals where their food is mixed together or with any type of sauce. Â 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. Â I haven’t given up on the one-pot meal. Â I keep trying.
I served this dinner to Meghan and Luke along with whole grain naan bread, raw vegetables, and applesauce. Â 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. Â Luke will do what Meghan does usually, so he followed his big sister and ate his chickpeas. Â They both were a no-go to try the kale or saucy mix of lentils, and I didn’t push it. Â 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. Â 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!
PrintOne 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. Â 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. Â 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.Â
Artep says
Go to recipe. Love it.
Alice says
I do it once a month. Very reliable and the children love it.
Kim says
Very good. Quick to make. Loved the flavour and texture.