Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry
Red lentils and sweet potato simmered in a coconut curry until thick — a vegan main heavy on fiber and warmth.
Ingredients
- 250 g Masoor dal (red lentils)
- 2 Sweet potato
- 400 ml Coconut milk
- 1 Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Garam masala
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 240 g Basmati rice
- 1 tbsp Ginger (optional)
- 3 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear, then cook it in twice its volume of water, covered, until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Dice the onion and sweet potato; mince the garlic and ginger.
- Soften the onion in the oil over medium heat, then add the garlic, ginger, and garam masala and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the lentils, sweet potato, coconut milk, salt, and a cup of water, and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer gently until the lentils have collapsed and the sweet potato is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Scatter the cilantro over and serve, over rice or with flatbread.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry
This red lentil and sweet potato curry sits in the broad tradition of Indian dal cookery, where lentils are simmered soft and enriched with aromatics and spice. Red lentils collapse as they cook, doing double duty as protein and as the body of the sauce, while chunks of sweet potato hold their shape and add a soft, honeyed contrast. A base of onion, garlic, and ginger fried with garam masala provides the warm, layered spice, and coconut milk rounds everything into a thick, mellow gravy.
On the plate it is rich but not fiery — creamy from the coconut, gently spiced rather than hot, with the natural sweetness of the potato playing against the savory lentils. It is a hearty vegan main that eats like comfort food and leans heavily on fiber, satisfying enough to stand as the center of a meal. Cilantro scattered over at the end keeps it fresh, and it is best spooned over rice or scooped up with warm flatbread. The trick to this version is patience: letting it simmer until the lentils have fully broken down thickens the curry without a single added starch.
Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry?
A serving has about 830 calories — 24.3g protein, 113.1g carbs, 33.7g fat, 13g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry take to make?
About 35 minutes start to finish, but only around 16 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out ginger, cilantro — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.