This black lentil curry contains a handful of simple vegetables and coconut milk for added flavour and creaminess. Easy to make, it can be enjoyed as a side or vegan/vegetarian main dish. No need to soak the lentils!
See also sweet potato dahl!
This black lentil curry is made with black beluga lentils and is a simple dish that comes together in about 50 minutes. Creamy, high in protein, low fat and nutritious this recipe works well as a vegan main or side dish.
Black lentils (also called beluga lentils due to their black colour) have a soft, slightly crunchy, pleasant texture and mildly nutty, delicious flavour. They are a little rounder than other lentils and can be confused with small beans.
They are in fact a great substitute for small varieties of beans, with an added bonus. As with all lentils, there is no need to soak black beluga lentils!
This creamy beluga lentil curry is a quicker, healthier version of Indian dal makhani, which is made with black beans (urad dal) and red kidney beans (or other pulses) as well as cream. (Urad dal is sometimes confusingly called black lentils even though it's a bean, not a lentil).
Black lentil curry ingredients and substitutions
- Black lentils: these are not the same as black urid beans, which require soaking and are therefore not a suitable alternative.
- Vegetables: these make the base for the curry and consist of onion, ginger, garlic and red bell pepper.
- Tomato paste.
- Spices: I used ground cumin, coriander, garam masala and Kashmiri chili powder (you can use cayenne instead).
- Coconut milk.
- Vegetable oil.
- Water.
- Salt.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1. Chop vegetables: Place the onion, ginger, garlic and red pepper in a blender and pulse until very finely chopped.
TIP: You can use a stick blender, instead.
2. Cook vegetables: Heat the oil then add the vegetable mixture and cook over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Add black lentils: Stir in the spices and salt, add the lentils, tomato paste and water, cover and bring to the boil.
4. Cook curry: Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 40-45 minutes until the lentils are fully cooked, stirring often. After about 35 minutes add the coconut milk. Remove from the heat, top up with more water/coconut milk, if needed, adjust the seasoning and serve with freshly chopped cilantro.
TIP: Cooking times are approximate. If you want your black lentils to have a very soft texture cook the curry a little longer.
Top tips
- Black beluga lentils do not require soaking. Just rinse and make the recipe.
- Adjust cooking times and the amount of water/coconut milk to suit your taste.
- Storing: keep leftover black lentil curry refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days.
- You may have to add a splash of water or coconut milk to loosen the mixture when reheating.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
What to serve with beluga lentil curry
Curried black lentils can be enjoyed as a vegan main dish, served with rice, carrot mash, steamed or roasted vegetables or naan bread, with a dollop of yogurt.
You can also serve them in wraps. For a non-vegetarian meal idea serve with yogurt marinated chicken.
More vegetarian/vegan curried recipes to try next
See also these other easy side dishes and vegetarian meals!
Recipe
Black (Beluga) Lentil Curry
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) black lentils rinsed
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger ½-inch piece, peeled, roughly chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup (180 ml) coconut milk
- ⅔ teaspoon ground cumin and coriander each
- ½ teaspoon garam masala and Kashmiri chilli powder each
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ cups (360 ml) water
- 5 tablespoons cilantro, for serving finely chopped
Instructions
- Chop vegetables: Place the onion, ginger, garlic and red pepper in a blender and pulse until very finely chopped.TIP: You can use a stick blender, instead.
- Cook vegetables: Heat the oil then add the vegetable mixture and cook over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
- Add black lentils: Stir in the spices and salt, add the lentils, tomato paste and water, stir cover and bring to the boil.
- Cook curry: Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 40-45 minutes until the lentils are fully cooked, stirring often. After about 35 minutes add the coconut milk. Remove from the heat, top up with more water/coconut milk, if needed, adjust the seasoning and serve with freshly chopped cilantro.TIP: Cooking times are approximate. If you want your black lentils to have a very soft texture cook the curry a little longer.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make this curried black lentil recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Janette Findlay says
Just had black beluga lentil curry, not because I am vegan but because I am fed up with the same old meals. It was fabulous! I had to tweak it a bit as I will not allow cilantro in my house, so nobody gets it and hubby won’t eat garlic. I added it to my own plate. Going to try the Polish dishes too, except Golbaki, my Mother used to cook it, my worst nightmare,
Monika says
Glad you enjoyed it and were able to tweak it to your taste. It's a shame you don't like golabki, they are one of my favourite Polish recipes. There are different ways of making them, perhaps my method is different from the one your mother used?
Dave G says
That looks so good!
Monika says
Thanks Dave!
Balvinder says
I love all types of lentils and this dish looks so delicious!
Monika says
Thank you Balvinder:)
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
I love this dish!
[email protected] says
Thanks Christine!
Juliette says
Dear Monica I don't eat coconut. Could I use oat or almost or soya milk instead? Thanks Juliette
Monika says
Hi Juliette, if you've used other types of milk in curry recipes in the past and liked them then it should work in this recipe too. I think the coconut milk really adds to the flavour of this recipe and have never tried using substitutes so I really can't say what the end result will be like. Hope it works for you:)
[email protected] says
Thanks:)
[email protected] says
Thanks! I hope you like it:)