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.
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 :).
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!
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.
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!
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:
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Vegan Eggplant Lentil Curry
Ingredients
- 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.
Charity MacPherson says
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
Megan says
I used crimson lentils which are most similar to red lentils- red lentils will get a bit mushy if cooked too long though
Charity MacPherson says
thanks i'll look out for those for next time
Linda says
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!
Megan says
Yay I'm so happy to hear it- perfect for colder days ahead! 🙂
Malou says
Hi, can I use the Puy lentils - it's all I have.
Megan says
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.
Vavrinec says
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
Megan says
Thanks for sharing! Tikka masala paste sounds like a delicious edition 🙂
Lauren says
Could I do almond milk instead of coconut milk or will the lime juice end up making it curdle?
Megan Horowitch says
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.
Carol Rodriguez says
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.
Megan Horowitch says
So glad to hear that- you're welcome!
Anna Von Rossum says
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!
Anna Von Rossum says
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!
ShortGirlTallOrder says
So glad you and your boyfriend liked it! Thanks for the feedback.
Shelley says
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.
Shelley says
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.
ShortGirlTallOrder says
Yum sounds SO good- I'm so happy your whole family enjoyed it even without any meat 🙂
Laura says
Relish! And beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Laura says
Relish! And beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
ShortGirlTallOrder says
So glad you liked it!