Lentil Curry With Coconut Milk, Spooned Over Basmati Rice

It is 6:35 on a Thursday and you have a bag of brown lentils, a can of coconut milk and a feeling that tonight should be warm. This lentil curry takes 61 minutes, most of it the lentils simmering on their own, and it fills the apartment with the kind of smell that makes a neighbor knock.

Soft lentils, curry powder bloomed in the pan, and coconut milk that turns it all into a sauce.

You chop an onion, mince garlic, and simmer the lentils for 20 minutes until soft. Meanwhile the onion and garlic soften in a pan for about 5 minutes, and the curry powder goes in for a minute until it is fragrant. Stir the lentils and a can of coconut milk into the pan, simmer 10 minutes, and serve over basmati rice. It is a pantry dinner that tastes like you took it seriously.

How to make it

1. Finely chop 1 whole onion and mince 3 cloves garlic, about 5 minutes.
2. Rinse 1.5 cups brown lentils, then simmer them in water for 20 minutes until soft.
3. Saute the chopped onion and minced garlic in a pan until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add 2 tablespoons curry powder and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Stir in the cooked lentils and 1 can coconut milk.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
7. Cook the rice according to package directions, about 20 minutes. Keep warm.
8. Serve hot over 2 cups cooked basmati rice.

Notes

Cooked leftovers keep three to four days in the fridge, per USDA FSIS. This lentil curry thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of water when you reheat, and store the rice in its own container.

Day two can taste rounder, since the curry powder gets more time with the lentils. If you want to freeze a portion, leave the rice out and reheat gently over low heat, stirring now and then.

The 1 minute with the curry powder matters. Spices cooked briefly in a hot pan wake up and lose the dusty, raw taste. Stir constantly during that minute, and move on as soon as it smells fragrant, before it scorches.

Rinse the lentils before they go in the pot, as the method says. A quick rinse removes dust and debris, and it keeps the cooking water cleaner. Brown lentils hold their shape better than red, which is what you want here.

Cook the rice while the curry simmers so it is ready the same minute. Think of the rice as the plus-one: it should walk in at the same time as the guest of honor, not twenty minutes later while everyone stands around holding their spoons.

You can make a bigger pot of lentil curry in the same time, as long as the pot is wide enough for the lentils to cook evenly. The onion and garlic can soften while the lentils simmer, so the two jobs overlap and your hands stay free to start the rice.

Swaps that actually work

Leave the lentils and the coconut milk alone. The lentils give the dish body and the coconut milk gives it that rounded, creamy sauce.

A curry powder you like is the whole flavor, so use one you would be happy to smell on its own. If you want more heat, add a pinch of chili flakes or a spoonful of fresh grated ginger with the garlic. A squeeze of lemon or lime at the end sharpens everything. A handful of spinach stirred in during the last couple of minutes adds color.

Light coconut milk works but gives a thinner sauce. Naan or flatbread can stand in for the rice. If you want a different bowl, quinoa or plain boiled potatoes soak up the curry well.

The swap that costs you the dish: red lentils in place of brown. They fall apart quickly and turn the curry into a puree, which is a different, softer dish.

Salt is optional here. If you add some, hold it until the coconut milk is in, then taste and adjust. A pinch makes the curry powder taste more rounded and less like a dusty jar.

If it goes wrong

The lentils are still firm. They need more time or more water. Cook them a few more minutes, adding water if the pot looks dry, and taste to test.

It is watery. There was too much liquid left in the lentils. Like a slow first date, it usually gets better if you give it a few more minutes. Let it simmer a few more minutes uncovered, until the sauce clings to a spoon, or mash a few lentils against the side of the pan to thicken it.

It tastes raw or dusty. The curry powder did not get its minute in the hot pan. Return it to the heat with a splash of oil for a minute, or stir in a little more curry powder and cook it briefly.

It tastes flat. Usually salt, followed by acid. Add salt, taste, then squeeze in lemon or lime until it perks up.

The coconut milk separated or looks oily. It was boiled too hard or too fast. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, stir it back together, and let the sauce come together slowly.

What to serve with it

The default is the basmati rice in the method, with the curry ladled over it so the sauce soaks in.

The better version of the default is a spoonful of plain yogurt, a handful of chopped cilantro and a wedge of lime. If there is a flatbread in the freezer, warm it up and tear it for scooping.

Lentil curry makes a good lunch the next day, heated in a pot with a splash of water or packed in a thermos for the days you would like to eat something that is not a sandwich.

Why this one earns its place

Some nights you swipe right on the dinner that dresses up, and some nights you swipe right on the one in sweatpants. This is the sweatpants one: a warm bowl for a quiet night, comfort food after a long day, the dish you make when you want to feel looked after. You can swipe it into your week and the agent can shop the lentils, coconut milk and rice, so you only have to show up with a spoon.

If you want more curry in rotation, chickpea curry and chana masala are near neighbors, and decision fatigue and what to eat is worth a read for the nights when choosing is harder than cooking.

More like this: all Indian recipes in Crave Corner.