Skip to main content

Coconut Black Lentil Curry (Vegan Dal Makhani)

Coconut Black Lentil Curry

Coconut Black Lentil Curry is a creamy and crazy delicious vegan curry recipe. We made it without the ginger and used regular chickpeas instead of black, and it was great paired with short-grain brown rice.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 366 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup dried whole black lentils or chickpeas
  • ¼ cup dried chickpeas
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 large onion finely minced
  • 4 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 2 tsp cumin seads
  • 2 tsp crushed coriander seeds
  • 3 medium tomatos finely chopped
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric and chili powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 15 oz can of coconut milk

Optional

  • 2 inch piece of ginger finely minced

Instructions
 

  • Put the dried lentils and chickpeas in a pot, cover them with a few inches of water and set aside to soak for 2 hours or longer.
  • Drain the water from the pot of beans, rinse, and replace with fresh water. Bring the water to a boil then down to simmer, covering the pot and letting it cook until the beans are soft, about 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
  • In a large pan over medium-high heat, add the coconut oil. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and optional ginger and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add the cumin seeds and coriander seeds to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until the oil begins to glisten, about 5 minutes.
  • Add 1 cup of water, the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and the cooked lentils and chickpeas to the pan and stir. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Using the back of a spoon, mash a few of the lentils. Stir in the coconut milk and heat through. Taste and add more salt if you'd like.

Notes

Giant Steps Notes: 
You can also use black chickpeas, also known as Kala channa or Bengal Gram, instead of regular chickpeas.
If you sub canned chickpeas you will not need to cook them.
Pair with steamed basmati rice or cauliflower rice or short-grain brown rice.

Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe
calories: 366kcal, carbohydrates: 46g, protein: 16g, fat: 13g, saturated fat: 10g, polyunsaturated fat: 1g, monounsaturated fat: 1g, sodium: 689mg, potassium: 453mg, fiber: 15g, sugar: 5g, vitamin a: 872IU, vitamin c: 19mg, calcium: 87mg, iron: 6mg