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    Home » All Recipes » Gluten- Free

    Vegan Eggplant Lentil Curry

    Published: May 8, 2019 · Modified: Sep 16, 2021 by Megan · This post may contain affiliate links.

    3.7K shares
    Jump to Recipe
    curry with text "vegan eggplant lentil curry".
    A bowl of white rice topped with eggplant and lentil curry, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges

    This Vegan Eggplant Lentil curry is so comforting, filling, and it is truly the most nourishing weeknight dinner. For this recipe, I decided to branch out of our normal tofu curry and develop a curry where eggplant and lentils are the stars of this vegan, gluten-free, & nourishing meal.

    Vegan Eggplant and Lentil Curry on top of white rice with lime wedges and cilantro

    How to make eggplant lentil curry

    In case you've never made a vegan curry before, here are a few staples you need & a few links to the items and cooking utensils I use to make this eggplant lentil stew:

    The Most Important Ingredient- Lentils!

    What truly makes this vegan curry so unique and filling is the addition of lentils. Honestly, if there weren't lentils, this dish tastes a lot like a traditional Indian eggplant curry called Baingan Bharta which is made with minced and charred eggplant.

    The reason that I decided to cook with lentils for this recipe is that Lentils are a great source of nutrients for vegetarians and vegans alike. They happen to be high in Iron and Folate, two nutrients that are harder to get in a vegan diet, while also containing a good amount of protein.

    Why Red or Crimson Lentils Work Best In a Curry:

    One thing you may not know about cooking with lentils is that not all lentils are created equal. In fact, the cooking time DOES vary by color.

    Red or Crimson Lentils, which this recipe calls for, take a shorter amount of time to cook and generally lose their shape while cooking. This makes them the perfect lentil to use for this recipe. We are going for a mashed curry where you can get all the flavors of eggplant, lentil, tomato, and curry spices in one bite!

    For reference, red/crimson lentils lets take 15-20 minutes to cook whereas green or brown lentils can take up to 45 minutes!  So this is my nice way of staying- stick to the recipe with this one :).

    Vegan Eggplant and Lentil Curry

    A Really Good Cast Iron Pan To Cook The Curry

    Personally, I switch up between using my Berghoff Cast Iron Wok (hello favorite kitchen appliance!) & my Lodge 12" Cast Iron Skillet. Basically, Cast Iron is the way to go for a curry or stir fry!

    Bowls of Vegan Eggplant Lentil Curry over white rice and topped with cilantro and lime

    Curry Powder for an Easy Curry!

    Instead of making you go out and buy 6 different spices, I made this recipe really easy by flavoring it with Simply Organics Curry Powder. It's a mix of every spice you could need for a yellow curry including coriander, turmeric, mustard, cumin, fenugreek, paprika, cayenne, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.

    If you can't find curry powder at home, you can look up tons of recipes online for homemade curry powder like this Curry Powder from Minimalist Baker.

    Three bowls of eggplant lentil curry over white rice topped with cilantro and fresh lime wedges

    Canned Coconut Milk For Creaminess

    Make sure you use full-fat canned coconut milk vs. bottled coconut milk that is more of the liquid. Making this vegan eggplant curry with coconut milk is what makes it extra creamy. I personally have been really into Native Forest Organic Coconut Milk these days & highly recommend this brand of coconut milk.

    Fresh Lime Juice Is the Secret Ingredient!

    Seriously, don't skip it or buy the fake stuff. Lime juice does something extra special when mixed with curry spices and will bring this eggplant lentil curry from good to great. It's the secret ingredient to all my curries including my Chickpea Tomato Spinach Curry!

    three bowls of eggplant lentil curry over white rice and topped with cilantro and lime wedges

    I truly hope you enjoy this warming Vegan Eggplant Lentil Curry. It's become a classic comfort dish to get me through some pretty long, rainy Seattle winter days.

    Plus, this vegan eggplant curry is actually really healthy too! Did I mention it stores perfectly as leftovers for 3-4 days? I'm always looking for ways to create recipes with eggplant and this curry did not disappoint. Comforting, Healthy, Vegan, Gluten-Free, AND Filling is an absolute WIN in my book!

    -TSG

    More comforting plant-based dinner recipes you will love:

    • Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
    • Vegan Lo Mein with Tofu
    • Creamy Vegan Truffle Mushroom Pasta
    • Carrot Lentil Ginger Soup

    If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, or sign up for our newsletter!

    A bowl of vegan lentil eggplant curry over white rice topped with cilantro and fresh lime wedges

    Vegan Eggplant Lentil Curry

    A delicious and warming vegan curry made with eggplant, lentils, tomatoes, onions, & jalapeno. This homemade Vegan Eggplant Lentil curry is comforting & healthy too!
    4.78 from 31 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Vegetarian Lunch + Dinner
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Megan Horowitch

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    • 1 Tablespoon oil
    • 1 ½ Tablespoons curry powder
    • ½ cup dried red lentils
    • 1 small jalapeno pepper *finely minced
    • 1 medium onion *diced
    • 3 large tomatoes *chopped, campari or beefsteak tomatoes are best
    • 1 small eggplant (or ½ large eggplant *diced into small cubes)
    • 2 cloves garlic *finely minced
    • 14 ounces canned coconut milk
    • ½ cup vegetable broth
    • 1 teaspoon lime juice *or the juice from 1 small lime
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • fresh cilantro *optional, to top the curry

    Instructions

    • Add the oil to a large skillet pan or wok and heat. Once the oil is hot, add the curry powder and pan fry for 2 minutes to bring out the flavor in the curry powder.
    • Next, add the dried lentils and chopped vegetables to the pan including the jalapeno, onion, tomato, eggplant, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Pan fry for 5 minutes until all the vegetables and lentils are coated in the curry powder.
    • Add in the coconut milk and vegetable broth and bring the curry to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through, yet not mushy.
    • Remove the curry from the heat and add in your lime juice and additional salt & pepper to taste. Serve over rice and top with fresh cilantro and lie wedges for the best results. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Leftover curry can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. 
    • Red lentils cannot be substituted for other lentils without adjusting the cooking time. Green or brown lentils will need about 45 minutes to cook. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 1048mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 927IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anne N. says

      November 01, 2022 at 10:22 pm

      5 stars
      This is delicious! I usually don't have fresh tomatoes so I use canned diced tomatoes. I use a total of 28 oz. because I like the tang of extra tomatoes. This meal is becoming part of my regular rotation.

      Reply
      • Megan says

        November 02, 2022 at 2:00 pm

        Love to hear it worked well with canned tomatoes too, thanks for the review 🙂

        Reply
    2. Charity MacPherson says

      November 11, 2021 at 10:12 pm

      the lentils in the picture don't look like red split lentils, did you use brown lentils? just curious as i just made this with red lentils and it's very mushy

      Reply
      • Megan says

        November 11, 2021 at 10:46 pm

        I used crimson lentils which are most similar to red lentils- red lentils will get a bit mushy if cooked too long though

        Reply
        • Charity MacPherson says

          November 12, 2021 at 12:33 am

          thanks i'll look out for those for next time

    3. Linda says

      October 08, 2021 at 11:37 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this tonight for the first time and it was fantastic! It’s definitely going to be one of my go to recipes! It was so easy and very tasty!

      Reply
      • Megan says

        October 09, 2021 at 8:51 pm

        Yay I'm so happy to hear it- perfect for colder days ahead! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Malou says

      September 24, 2021 at 5:32 am

      Hi, can I use the Puy lentils - it's all I have.

      Reply
      • Megan says

        September 24, 2021 at 12:32 pm

        I'm not sure as I've never cooked with puy lentils, but from what I've read it is more similar to green/brown lentils so you'd likely have to add another 10-15 minutes of cooking time. The recipe should still work just keep that in mind and you may need a little more broth. Let me know how it goes.

        Reply
      • Vavrinec says

        October 17, 2021 at 1:08 pm

        Just finished that and it's very delicious. Instead of spices I used tikka masala paste bought in a shop and I added some fresh ginger.
        Cheers from Czechia

        Reply
        • Megan says

          October 17, 2021 at 3:48 pm

          Thanks for sharing! Tikka masala paste sounds like a delicious edition 🙂

    5. Lauren says

      February 27, 2021 at 2:47 am

      Could I do almond milk instead of coconut milk or will the lime juice end up making it curdle?

      Reply
      • Megan Horowitch says

        February 27, 2021 at 5:54 pm

        You can try! I personally don't think it will taste as good as using full-fat coconut milk as that's what makes it really creamy, but it should still work.

        Reply
    6. Carol Rodriguez says

      August 09, 2020 at 9:52 pm

      I’ve made this with mushrooms instead of eggplant and dried New Mexico green chile powder in place of jalapeño. It’s absolutely delicious. Thank you for the yummy recipe.

      Reply
      • Megan Horowitch says

        August 09, 2020 at 10:07 pm

        So glad to hear that- you're welcome!

        Reply
    7. Anna Von Rossum says

      May 11, 2020 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last night for meal prep, it turned out soooo good! I’m picky with curries but the flavour of this one is on point! I was tempted to use green lentils but decided to take your advice and went out and bought red lentils - I stuck to the recipe and I’m really glad I did! Even my meat-eating boyfriend loved it!
      Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    8. Anna Von Rossum says

      May 11, 2020 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last night for meal prep, it turned out soooo good! I’m picky with curries but the flavour of this one is on point! I was tempted to use green lentils but decided to take your advice and went out and bought red lentils - I stuck to the recipe and I’m really glad I did! Even my meat-eating boyfriend loved it!
      Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        May 11, 2020 at 3:06 pm

        So glad you and your boyfriend liked it! Thanks for the feedback.

        Reply
    9. Shelley says

      April 22, 2020 at 9:50 am

      5 stars
      This recipe was absolutely delicious and converted some of the "meat loving" family! I doubled up the recipe and also added I'd say another 1/2- 1 cup of lentils as it looked quite watery and I wanted to bulk it up to enjoy on its own without rice. The result was great and the taste sublime! Thank you.

      Reply
    10. Shelley says

      April 22, 2020 at 9:50 am

      5 stars
      This recipe was absolutely delicious and converted some of the "meat loving" family! I doubled up the recipe and also added I'd say another 1/2- 1 cup of lentils as it looked quite watery and I wanted to bulk it up to enjoy on its own without rice. The result was great and the taste sublime! Thank you.

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        April 22, 2020 at 3:13 pm

        Yum sounds SO good- I'm so happy your whole family enjoyed it even without any meat 🙂

        Reply
    11. Laura says

      April 17, 2020 at 9:22 am

      5 stars
      Relish! And beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    12. Laura says

      April 17, 2020 at 9:22 am

      5 stars
      Relish! And beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        April 17, 2020 at 3:18 pm

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Megan! I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn't have to be hard and it certainly shouldn't be boring. I am here to help you on your journey to eating food you actually feel good about and to make cooking at home fun again! 

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