Healthy Vegetarian Recipes – Lentil Curry

In this lentil curry, or, lentil dhal I use equal amounts of four different types of lentils which I think gives the curried lentils a much nicer texture. I like to use mung beans, split red lentils, split yellow lentils and green lentils but you can easily substitute any one of them if you don't have them.

The lentil curry recipe should make enough for 3 to 4 people, and, as an accompaniment to the lentil curry why not try my
Easy Mango Chutney Recipe.



The ingredients you will need to make the lentil curry!

1/3 cup mung beans, soaked overnight
1/3 cup split red lentils, washed
1/3 cup split yellow lentils, washed
1/3 cup green lentils, washed
1 tsp grated ginger
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
2 tbs chopped tomatoes + 1 tbs juice from a tin of tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala (or to taste)
A good handful chopped cilantro (coriander)
Yoghurt or crème fraiche (optional, omit this if you prefer a vegan lentil curry)


You have the ingredients now get ready to make the lentil curry!

...or Amazon UK customers can follow the link below for:
Five Spices, Fifty Dishes

Everything you need to make the vegetarian lentil curry!

Chopping Mat

Sharp knife

Large spoon

Medium sized saucepan

Small frying pan

Mini chopper

First of all wash the lentils and put them into the saucepan.

Cover the lentils with boiling water to about ½ inch above the lentils.

Bring to the boil and spoon away any 'scum' that rises to the surface.

Season and reduce the heat to a simmer and add the turmeric, stir well and partly cover with a lid and simmer for between 30-40 mins stirring occaisionally and adding more water if necessary.

When the lentils are 'just' cooked turn off the heat and leave them partially covered.

While the lentils are cooking put 2 tsp oil in a small frying pan and fry the onions for about 1 minute before adding the chopped garlic. Fry until lightly golden then, if you have the mini chopper, whizz together the tomatoes and juice and add to the onion and garlic mix together with the ginger and chilli. Fry this until it resembles a dry, shiny paste.

Add the paste and the garam masala to the cooling lentils and stir well.

At this stage I leave the lentil curry until the next day.

Finishing off the lentil curry.

...or Amazon UK customers can follow the link below for:
How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian

Slimming World's Curry Feast:
120 Mouth-Watering Indian Recipes to Make at Home

Sometimes it's hard to believe how something like a curry can be so tasty and healthy too. But Slimming World show us how it can be done in their book 'Curry Feast'. So, if you are on a diet or worried about losing weight eating curries this may be the book for you!

With dishes from across India, Thailand and Malaysia, you can make your favorite healthy curry at home.
Although it's recipes cater for meat eaters too there are some lovely vegetarian curry recipes too including tarka dhal, chana masala, spiced beetroot with coconut and Mumbai aloo (cumin-scented potatoes). Add to that a selection of pickles and chutneys and you can make a perfectly healthy but delicious curry at home.

If you're looking for healthy recipes then this book is an absolute must for us curry lovers who want to lose weight!

Gently reheat the lentil curry and roughly chop a handful of fresh cilantro (coriander).

If you prefer your lentil curry to be a little bit creamier add a tablespoon of yoghurt or crème fraiche with most of the cilantro to the hot lentils and stir well then transfer to a warm dish and garnish with the rest of the cilantro and serve the curried lentils straight away with either boiled basmati rice or naan bread.


Click for a printable version of the Lentil Curry Recipe

If you are looking for more lentil recipes you may want to try my Vegetarian Moussaka Recipe or my Lentil Soup Recipes

...or Amazon UK customers can follow the link below for:
Vegetarian Meals for People On-the-Go

I have varied this recipe for lentil curry by adding a few small, cooked new potatoes and leaving them in the curry overnight, by griddling baby eggplants (aubergines) and adding them to the lentil curry whilst it is reheating or by adding cooked spinach to the lentil curry whilst reheating to make a yummy spinach and lentil curry. All taste fantastic!

For more vegetarian curry recipes try the following:
Easy Vegetable Curry by Gordon Ramsay
Butternut squash and chick pea curry - A vegetarian curry by Anjum Anand.
Chickpea, potato and kale curry - A vegetarian curry from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

My lentil curry recipe is an easy dinner recipe which gave me a taste for lentils and I wanted to find more ways to use them in recipes, for more ways to use lentils take a look at my Vegetarian Shepherds Pie Recipe, and check out the books below for even more great ideas for lentil recipes.