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Coconut Curry Lentils

This is a flavorful, vegetable-rich curry that's high in fiber and micronutrients. Its biggest nutritional drawback is the full can of coconut milk, which makes it much higher in saturated fat than most dietary guidelines recommend for a single meal. If you're eating it occasionally, that's not necessarily a problem, but if it's a regular recipe, swapping to light coconut milk or using less coconut milk would substantially improve its nutritional profile while preserving much of the creamy texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup lentils - rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup broth
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 ½ tsp curry powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ginger powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ cup cauliflower
  • ½ cup acorn squash diced
  • ¼ cup cherry tomatoes
  • ¼ cup diced carrot
  • cilantro to garnish if you like it
  • rice for serving

Method
 

  1. sauté onions in olive oil. once translucent add garlic
  2. add tomato paste and stir to combine
  3. add spices stir and allow spices to become fragrant
  4. add in broth - I used my homemade, unsalted bone broth
  5. add lentils and allow to simmer 1-2 minutes
  6. Time to add in coconut milk and veggies
  7. simmer for about half an hour until lentils are cooked through
  8. serve over rice and garnish with cilantro
  9. enjoy!

Notes

Nutrient Entire Recipe Per Serving (¼ recipe)
Calories ~1,220 kcal ~305 kcal
Protein ~20 g ~5 g
Carbohydrates ~47 g ~12 g
Fiber ~15 g ~4 g
Total Fat ~104 g ~26 g
Saturated Fat ~76 g ~19 g
Sodium ~2,000–2,600 mg* ~500–650 mg

Where the calories come from

  • Coconut milk (1 can): ~700 kcal (the largest contributor)
  • Olive oil: ~120 kcal
  • Lentils (½ cup dry): ~340 kcal
  • Vegetables: ~60–80 kcal total

Nutritional strengths

  • ✅ Good source of fiber, especially from lentils and vegetables.
  • ✅ Rich in vitamin A from squash and carrots.
  • ✅ Provides potassium, folate, and iron from lentils.
  • ✅ Contains beneficial plant compounds from garlic, onions, tomatoes, and spices.
  • ✅ Olive oil contributes heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

Potential concerns

  • Very high in saturated fat because of the full-fat coconut milk. One can contributes roughly 70–75 g saturated fat.
  • Protein is modest. Although lentils contribute protein, the coconut milk dilutes the protein density.
  • Sodium can become fairly high if using regular broth.

Ways to make it more nutritious

If your goal is higher protein:
  • Increase lentils to 1 cup dry.
  • Add a can of chickpeas or white beans.
  • Stir in cubed tofu near the end of cooking.
If your goal is lower saturated fat:
  • Use light coconut milk, or
  • Use ½ can coconut milk + ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (stirred in after cooking), or
  • Use ½ can coconut milk + additional broth.
If your goal is more vegetables:
  • Double the cauliflower.
  • Add spinach or kale at the end.
  • Increase carrots and squash to 1 cup each.