Entrees

Easy Thai Peanut Lentil Curry (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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Thai Peanut Lentil Curry is a super simple, delicious vegan weeknight dish that’s ready in under 20 minutes.

This recipe is a special one. And yes, I realize everyone says that about their recipes and I’ve said it about many that have come before. But truthfully, this one has gone through a year of testing and retesting. It was one of those recipes that I told myself would go on the blog the next day after making it. But for some bizarre reason, the timing was never quite right whenever I attempted a shoot, despite my best intentions.

But today was the day. I woke up thinking about this Easy Thai Peanut Lentil Curry and decided I will make it, shoot and share it.

This Thai Peanut Lentil curry truly is one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made. It requires few ingredients and pretty minimal effort. But the payoff is big, with a big and delicious taste.

Easy Thai Peanut Lentil Curry

  • Ready in under 20 minutes
  • Vegan
  • Gluten and Grain-free
  • Flavorful and delicious
  • Easily customized
  • Quick weeknight dinner

What Are The Best Lentils For Peanut Lentil Curry?

That really depends on you. I tried several variations with green lentils, French lentils as well as red lentils and all of them worked. The only difference will be the cooking time.

Lentils in general don’t require much cooking and for this lentil curry, I actually prefer them to be slightly undercooked as they finish cooking in the peanut sauce.

Should You Soak Your Lentils First?

That depends on how you react to lentils. If you are sensitive to legumes in general, I recommend soaking your lentils overnight, rinsing and then cooking them when you’re ready. They will require even less cooking time after soaking. You want to start with 10 minutes and check every few until you reach desired consistency.

Ingredients for Easy Thai Peanut Lentil Curry

  • Coconut oil
  • Green lentils
  • Coconut milk
  • Red bell pepper
  • Onion
  • Fresh ginger
  • Peanut butter (no sugar or salt)
  • Coriander
  • Thai red curry paste
  • Dried lemongrass (or fresh)
  • Garlic
  • Cilantro
  • Lime
  • Coconut sugar (or maple syrup)
  • Water

Making Thai Peanut Lentil Curry

Step 1. If you’re going to soak the lentils, cover 1 cup of lentils with about 2 inches of water in a large pot. Cover with a lid and let sit 8 hours or overnight.

Step 2. When you’re ready to cook the lentils, drain and rinse with cold water. Add the lentils back to the pot along with 3-4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender but still have a bite. 10-20 minutes, depending on the lentils you’re using. When lentils have finished cooking, drain and set aside.

Step 3. Meanwhile, heat a separate stew pot over medium heat. Add coconut oil, onion, and red pepper, and cook stirring continuously until soft – about 8 minutes.

Step 4. Add minced garlic and minced ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Follow with coriander, lemongrass, Thai red curry paste, and stir for another 30 seconds.

Step 5. Add coconut milk, coconut sugar, peanut butter and water and cook for 5 minutes stirring all ingredients together.

Step 6. Add lentils and heat all ingredients together. Finish with a squeeze of lime and 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro.

Tips + Substitutions

Can You Use Fresh Lemongrass?

Absolutely! Instead of 1/2 tsp dried lemongrass, you can use 1 whole small stalk broken in several spots.

If You Don’t Have Fresh Ginger

Fresh ginger can be substituted with ground ginger but whenever possible, use fresh. The conversion would be 1/4 tsp for 1 tsp fresh.

Can Cilantro Be Substituted?

I realize some people have trouble with cilantro. If you’re one of them, a handful of Thai basil will work beautifully or regular fresh basil will also do.

If You Don’t Have Coconut Sugar

Regular sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup will work perfectly fine. The ratio will be 1:1 for all.

Adding Extra Veggies And/Or Tofu

If you want to play around with this more, you can always add fried tofu, sliced carrots or green beans as well.

More Recipes You Might Like

Peanut Lentil Curry in black bowl with red pepper rice, cilantro and crushed peanuts

Easy Thai Peanut Lentil Curry (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Thai Peanut Lentil Curry is a super simple, delicious vegan weeknight dish that's ready in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. If you’re going to soak the lentils, cover 1 cup of lentils with about 2 inches of water in a large pot. Cover with a lid and let sit 8 hours or overnight.

2. When you’re ready to cook the lentils, drain and rinse with cold water. Add the lentils back to the pot along with 3-4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender but still have a bite. 10-20 minutes, depending on the lentils you’re using. When lentils have finished cooking, drain and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat a separate stew pot over medium heat. Add coconut oil, onion, and red pepper, and cook stirring continuously until soft - about 8 minutes.

4. Add minced garlic and minced ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Follow with coriander, lemongrass, Thai red curry paste, and stir for another 30 seconds.

5. Add coconut milk, coconut sugar, peanut butter, and water and cook for 5 minutes stirring all ingredients together.

6. Add lentils and heat all ingredients together. Finish with a squeeze of lime and 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 432Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 187mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 6gSugar: 10gProtein: 11g

Your shares are very much appreciated!

Do you find this recipe helpful? Your shares would be much appreciated! You can find me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram . If you make and like a recipe, tag me on Instagram and I'd love to share your posts in stories! x - Daniela

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6 Comments

  • Reply
    Kristen Wood
    February 3, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    Oh my goodness, my friend!! This looks and sounds amazing! I’ve never used dried lemongrass before. I’m totally going to make this and I’m totally going to order some lemongrass from this post!! <3

    • Reply
      Daniela Modesto
      February 3, 2021 at 11:25 pm

      Thank you so very much, my friend!! I love lemongrass and when I can’t find fresh, I just turn to my dried one and it does the job beautifully! 🙂

  • Reply
    Geetu
    February 4, 2021 at 1:02 pm

    Wow. This sounds amazing. One question…by red pepper do you mean the spicy type, or a red bell pepper?

    Oh, I made the butternut squash lentil dish this weekend based on your recipe and it is soooo delicious 😋😋😋

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes

    • Reply
      Daniela Modesto
      February 4, 2021 at 1:31 pm

      That means the world and thank you so very much!! I so appreciate the kind words! And I just made the correction and thank you for pointing it out 🙂 It’s red bell pepper!

  • Reply
    Kim
    February 4, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    Would this recipe work with Thai green curry paste? It sounds delicious!

    • Reply
      Daniela Modesto
      February 4, 2021 at 5:07 pm

      Hi Kim! I think it will work though the flavor profile may just change a little since the green paste is using green chiles, but I’m certain it would be delicious! If you make it, I’d love to hear back! 🙂

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