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When the evenings turn a little chilly, this is the kind of dinner that warms you from the inside out. Creamy coconut, tender lentils, fluffy quinoa, and a bright lime-mango topping—it checks every cozy box.
It’s a one-pot situation with big flavor and simple steps, the kind you’ll make once and then on repeat all season.
Watch the How To Video Here:
Curry on a cold, cold Monday? That is just the BEST. I don’t know about you guys, but here in Colorado we have had some seriously cold weather since before Christmas. I feel like I am pretty much shivering at all times. I will not lie, it’s a little miserable. My dad walked into my house on Saturday and I was sitting on the floor, wrapped tightly in a blanket, with a sweatshirt and hat on, and my computer on my lap.
He looked at me and said, “what the heck are you doing?”.
Me: “working and fighting to stay warm”.
Dad: “why are you using your laptop?”.
Me: “because it acts as a personal lap heater”.
Dad: “why are you on the floor?”.
Me: “because the floor is heated”.
Dad: “Geeze”.
Me: “please don’t open the door…like ever again”.
And that was our little Saturday conversation…clearly I am a weird one, but hey it is kind of cool that my floors are heated, right?!? Win, win!!
Let’s have a quick chat about this healthy, vegan curry. While, vegan minus the greek yogurt, but I love greek yogurt so you know I had to include it in my own personal bowl. I also HAD to include some mango, because I’ve become obsessed with tropical fruits during these cold winter days. Prepare yourselves, there are more to come!!
But the curry! It’s simple, quick and delicious… and full of muscle-building protein and fiber! Can you say win, win…again?? YUP! This dish is also full of good for us veggies like baby kale, red bell peppers and carrots! Not to mention a heavy dose of ginger, lemon AND lime. I mean, we might as well just call this superfood curry!
Oh, and then there is also naan…yummy, soft and buttery naan! No this not is not vegan, and no this naan really has very little health benefits, but yes, this naan is incredibly delicious and clearly I love it! Maybe a little too much, but then it’s naan. It kind of deserves a lot of love, you know? It’s also perfect for dipping and scooping this yummy curry.
Sooo, what do you say? Maybe a little superfood curry for dinner tonight? It will make you all warm inside and leave you feeling energized, and healthy too! Sorry, I don’t mean to sound like an ad, but all is true, and I really cannot tell you how much I love this recipe.
It’s the ultimate, quick and healthy meal for a cold winter night! Seriously.
Oh, and if you are looking for me, I’ll be hiding in the blankets with a giant bowl of curry and a piece of naan the size of my face.
FAQ:
Can I use red lentils instead of green/brown?
Yes—red lentils cook faster and break down, giving a creamier, thicker curry. Expect a softer texture and adjust liquid as needed.
What kind of coconut milk works best?
Full-fat gives the richest, silkiest sauce; light coconut milk will be thinner. If using light, simmer a touch longer and taste-adjust salt and lime.
How do I control the spice level?
Bloom spices gently so they’re fragrant, then add heat in layers (chili, cayenne, or chili oil) and stop when it’s warm enough. If you overshoot, a splash of coconut milk and lime calms things down.
Can I make this ahead and freeze it?
Absolutely—this curry holds up well. Store in the fridge 3–4 days or freeze 2–3 months; reheat gently with a splash of liquid and finish with fresh lime before serving.
Simple Coconut Quinoa and Lentil Curry with Lime Mango.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 2-3 carrots, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2-3 tablespoons thai red curry paste, I like to use 3
- 1 tablespoons curry powder, I like using spicy curry powder
- 1 (14 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
- 4 cups coconut water OR vegetable broth OR water
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce if vegan
- 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
- 1 cup mixed red and white quinoa
- 3-4 big handful baby kale
- juice + zest from 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro + basil, chopped
- 1 mango, sliced or chopped
- fresh limes, naan, greek yogurt, fresno chiles + almonds, for topping
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy bottomed pot set over medium heat. Once hot, add the red pepper and carrots, cook 2-3 minutes or until lightly charred on the edges. Add the garlic + ginger and cook 30 seconds. Add the thai red curry paste and curry powder, continue cooking for another minute or until the curry is fragrant. Slowly pour in the coconut milk, coconut water (or broth or just water) and fish sauce or soy sauce. Stir to combine and then bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the lentils and quinoa. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender and the quinoa soft. Stir in the kale and continue cooking, uncovered for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat the and stir in the lemon juice + zest, the cilantro and basil.
- Ladle the curry into bowls and top with mango. Drizzle the mango with lime juice + zest. Garnish the curry the with a dollop of greek yogurt, fresno chilies and almonds. Serve with fresh naan. EAT.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Take that Monday! 🙂
P.S. Happiest birthday to the world’s BESTEST mother ever. Hope you and Nonnie are brunching, shopping till you drop, lunching and having the best time!
Making this right now and it smells so awesome in my kitchen. One question, in the list of ingredients it calls for lime zest and juice, but the instructions call for lemon zest and juice. Which one would be better with this recipe
I love using a little of both, but either one is fine! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Could this be made in the instant pot? If so, how?
Sure! Add everything up to the kale, then cook on high pressure for 12-15 minutes, use the natural or quick release then add the remaining ingredients. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Hi Tieghan! Is there a good way to cook tofu into this? Or do you have any other recipes for tofu curry? Been craving it and I can’t seem to find a good one online!
I am vegetarian, and I make HBH Butter Chicken recipe by substituting tofu for the chicken. It’s delicious!
HI Josh! Sadly I am not really familiar with tofu as I don’t love it very much. That said, I am sure you could pan fry cubes of tofu and stir them into this curry! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! I have been on a lentil kick lately and am always looking for new ways to use them. Definitely will be making this over the cold weekend!
Thank you Emilia!
This web site definitely has all the info I
wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
I don’t like kale, lentils, or quinoa but I like curry and coconut.
My wife doesn’t like cooked carrots, bell peppers, or coconut but likes lentils, quinoa, and curry.
My daughter doesn’t like anything I cook because she’s sixteen and I’m her dumb parent. She also declared she was a vegetarian recently.
We all liked this recipe though. Thank you.
p.s. Served with a yummy diced ghost pepper on the side that really transformed the dish. Don’t forgo the pepper!
Wow I am so glad you all liked this recipe Keith! Thank you so much!
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Browsing your blog article is a real brilliaznt experience.
Thankks again for thinking abvout readers like me, and I
desure for you the best of achievements being a professional in this field.
Thank you!
You may want to consider putting a “captcha” on your blog because some of these comments are (Russian) bots inserting links to up their SEO ratings. Sorry. 🙁
Thank you for this! I will look into that!
I made this last night when I had a friend coming over for dinner. It was so delicious and hardy for a vegan meal. I can’t wait to make it again. Also such a quick recipe! I want more like this. My one year old also loved it.
I am so glad to hear you loved this! Thank you Katie!
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This dish was fantastic and much easier to make than I thought it would be. The mango went so well with all the other flavors. My husband had 3 bowls and would not stop talking about how good it was. Thank you for the recipe!
That is amazing! Thanks Jeni!
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AMazing dish. So want to make it. I’m in the market for a large pot to make dishes like this but I don’t want to spend a lot, do you have any recommendations?
Thank Mani!! Yes I love the pot below!
Let me know if you have questions and I hope you love recipe! 🙂
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Asking questions are actually good thing if you are not understanding something totally,
except this article offers nice understanding yet.
Thank you
This sounds amazing! If I were to make it in a crockpot, do you think I can put all of the ingredients in at the same time?
Yes, I think you can put everything in at the same time. Hope you love this recipe!