Sweet Potato Red Lentil and Coconut Curry Recipe

Published: Aug 30, 2021 · Modified: Sep 11, 2021 by Katie

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Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite ingredients, especially during fall. This Sweet Potato Red Lentil and Coconut Curry is vegan comfort food at its best and consists of a handful of simple ingredients. It's vegan and gluten-free. The best part is that it's ready in under 30 minutes and includes a great variety of plants as well as some plant-based protein.

Sweet Potato Red Lentil and Coconut Curry Recipe - Wholefood Soulfood Kitchen (1)

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
How to Make Sweet Potato Red Lentil Curry
Sides- What To Serve With This Curry?
FAQs
More easy 1-pot recipes
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Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's super nutritious! Sweet potatoes are high in antioxidants and vitamins (beta-carotene, vitamin C and potassium for instance).
It also contains lentils- they are a great source of plant based protein.
It's ready in less than 30 minutes!
It's freezer- and meal-prep friendly!

Ingredients & Substitution Notes

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Red Onion: I prefer using red onion for this recipe simply because of the taste. White onion would work just as well though.
Lentils: I usually use red lentils for this recipe but any type of lentils would work here. You could use red, yellow or green lentils. Make sure to adjust the amount of veggie stock/ water though. Green lentils usually need more liquid (and a longer cooking time) than red or yellow lentils. You could also replace the dry lentils with canned lentils. In that case, just leave out the veggie stock, let sweet potatoes simmer in a mix of chopped tomatoes and coconut milk. Add canned lentils at the end, when sweet potatoes are already soft.
Veggie Broth: I usestore bought veggie broth powderin all my recipes that contain veggie stock. I make sure that it contains almost no additives- it might take a while to find an appropriate one but once you've found a brand that you like, it saves a lot of time and energy. With the veggie stock powder that I use, 1 tablespoon of powder is enough to produce 2-3 cups of veggie stock.
Indian Spices: The spice blend of curry, coriander, cumin and garam masala powder is absolutely essential for this recipe. They give this curry its distinct taste and shouldn't be replaced or omitted. I used mild curry powder in this recipe- feel free to use hot curry powder it you prefer a spicier taste. Adding some chilli flakes would do the job as well.
Coconut Milk: I used full-fat creamy coconut milk for this recipe to achieve a really creamy texture. If you'd like you could use only half of the coconut milk and add some water or another type of plant milk instead- the result won't be as creamy though. Instead of coconut milk you could use yoghurt- but the taste and texture will change slightly!
Rice: I love having brown rice as a side dish for this sweet potato curry. Alternatively you could also enjoy it with cauliflower rice. Naan bread would also make an amazing side dish.

How to Make Sweet Potato Red Lentil Curry

Preparing this curry is really easy so it's a great option if you're short on time.

Sweet Potato Red Lentil and Coconut Curry Recipe - Wholefood Soulfood Kitchen (3)

STEP 1: Fry onion & garlic. Start by frying onion and garlic in a large pan until onion is soft and translucent.

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STEP 2: Add other ingredients. Then simply add all of the following ingredients: spices, chopped tomatoes, a pinch of salt,

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sweet potato cubes, lentils and veggie broth. Let simmer until lentils are soft and ready to eat.

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STEP 3: Coconut Milk. In a last step, add some coconut milk to make this curry even creamier.

Feel free to throw in some extra veggies. Baby spinach or olives would taste great for instance!

Serve with side dish of choice (I highly recommend (brown) rice or naan), sprinkle on some cashews and enjoy!

The amount of time needed for the lentils to be soft will depend on the type of lentils you use. The recipe works with a variety of lentils- just make sure to adjust the liquid needed for each type. Start by adding 1,5 cups of veggie broth and gradually add more until your lentils are soft. For the recipe below I used red lentils.

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Sides- What To Serve With This Curry?

Flatbread: I absolutely love naan as a side dish with every curry there is.
Rice: Rice makes a great addition to this curry. I prefer using brown rice over white because of its nutritional value.
Salads: Different salads would also taste great with this curry, especially as a starter.

FAQs

Can I use an instant pot to prepare this curry?

Many people like using an instant pot to prepare their stews and curries. Especially if you're using lentils that need to be cooked for quite some time, using some sort of slow cooker might be a great idea. However, I personally haven't tried it yet.

Meal Prep Friendly?

This dish is great for meal prepping. It can easily be prepared the evening before and left in the fridge overnight. Simply warm it up the next day. If you're adding cashews, I would not add them the night before but shortly before enjoying it. Otherwise, they might lose their crunchy texture.

Freezer Friendly?

This curry is also freezer-friendly. If you cooked really big batches you could divide it into various small portions and freeze it.

How long does it last in the fridge?

Between 3-4 days. Make sure you store it in an airtight container.

More easy 1-pot recipes

Red Lentil Dahl with Coconut Milk
Vegetarian Lentil Soup
Loubia Recipe (Moroccan Stewed White Beans)
Easy Potato Goulash (Authentic Austrian Recipe)

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Author: Katie

This Sweet Potato Lentil Curry is the perfect one-pot meal when you’re after a really healthy yet easy recipe. It combines sweet potatoes and lentils with some delicious curry flavors. This meal is also ready in less than 30 minutes, making it a great option for everyone who’s short on time.

If you love this recipe as much as we do, click on the 5-stars below!

4.45 from 72 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: dairy-free, gluten-free, Indian, vegan

Servings: 2

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil *sub soy sauce for an oil-free recipe
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 big (or 2 small) sweet potatoes, diced
½ cup red lentils *see notes
1 ½ cups veggie broth *see notes
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
1x 15 oz tin chopped tomatoes
1x 15 oz can creamy coconut milk *see notes
side dish of choice (rice, naan...)

You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

Instructions

Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic and fry until translucent.
In the meantime, give the lentils a good wash (works best in a sieve).
Add sweet potato cubes, lentils, veggie broth, spices, chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt.
Bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer with a lid on for about 10-12 minutes.
Then add coconut milk and let simmer without a lid for another 10 minutes. At that point you could also throw in some extra vegetables like baby spinach leaves, some kale or olives (optional).
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve with side dish of choice (rice, naan…) and a drizzle of fresh lime juice. I also highly recommend adding some chopped cashews on top.
Enjoy right away or store it in an airtight container - it will taste just as good the next day!
It’s also freezer-friendly!

Video

Notes

Lentils: The amount of time and liquid needed for the lentils to be soft depends on what type of lentils you choose. The amount of veggie broth mentioned above works for red lentils. If you use green or yellow lentils, you might need to adjust the amount of vegetable broth.
Spices: The intensity of spices can vary from brand to brand. Make sure to taste and adjust seasoning.
Coconut Milk: If you would like to omit the coconut milk, you could use yoghurt instead. However, this will change the texture as well as taste of this curry a bit and you will need to add more veggie broth.
How long does it last in the fridge? Between 4-5 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight container!
Freezer Friendly? Yes.

Nutrition

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.

Tried this recipe?Leave a rating and comment telling us how you liked it! Or tag @wholefoodsoulfood__kitchen on Instagram so we can admire your creations!

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