Spinach Lentil Curry – Running on Real Food
This creamy Spinach Lentil Curry is comforting, richly spiced without being heavy and made with just a few pantry staple ingredients in about 30 minutes.
🔍 A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes.
- Cook Time: 20 minutes.
- Servings: Makes 4 servings of approximately 1.5 cups each.
- Nutrition: 269 calories with 17g protein + 19g fibre.
- Dietary Info: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free.
- Difficulty: Easy! One-pan recipe with minimal ingredients and prep needed.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Red Lentils: This recipe is best with red lentils for their soft, creamy texture when cooked. Though you could sub green lentils or brown lentils, the dish would have a different texture and longer cooking time.
- Spinach: Fresh baby spinach is best. You can use frozen if you thaw it first and drain off excess liquid.
- Spices: You’ll need garam masala, turmeric, cayenne pepper and coriander for the spice base.
- Tomato: Fresh tomatoes are best. The recipe calls for two ripe Roma tomatoes but if you have a different variety on hand, that will work.
- Onion: Yellow or white onion is suitable.
- Garlic and Ginger: Fresh garlic and ginger are best for this recipe.
- Vegetable Broth: You can use any vegetable broth (carton, cubes, bouillon) or you could substitute water or chicken broth. I used broth cubes and water.
- Cilantro: You’ll cook the tender cilantro stems for an added layer of flavour, then use the cilantro leaves for a topping.
These is also an optional tadka for topping your curry. If you’d like to make it, you’ll need oil or ghee, cumin seeds, garlic and chili flakes.
Tadka is a traditional Indian technique where whole spices are fired in hot oil to release their aroma and then poured over a dish for added flavour and depth.
Variations and Adjustments
- Add cauliflower florets or diced sweet potato with the lentils for an even heartier curry.
- For extra richness, stir in up to 1 cup coconut milk or cashew cream at the end.
- For a milder curry, omit the cayenne.
Expert Tips
- Rinse the lentils to remove any starch, dust or debris.
- Don’t skip the lemon at the end, it helps to brighten everything up.
- Season with salt when you add the spices and tomato and again when you add the broth and lentils.
- It’s easier to stir the spinach in over a few batches rather than dumping it all in one. Each handful should take about 1 minute to wilt and mix into the curry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this is an excellent curry to make ahead of time. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The curry will thicken as it sits but you can loosen with a bit of water or broth when you reheat it.
Yes. You can freeze the curry in a freezer-safe container or freeze bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat.
The curry contains just 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper so it’s mild. You can increase this to 1/2 tsp for medium spice.
You can serve the curry on its own or with naan or over basmati rice. You can also make tadka for topping:
In a small skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil (or ghee if you prefer a richer taste) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add 1 tsp cumin seeds. They should sizzle and turn a shade darker within 10–20 seconds. Add 2 thinly sliced cloves of garlic and a pinch of chili flakes. Fry the garlic, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute until the slices turn a pale golden brown. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Drizzle over your curry.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced, about 2 cups
- 5 cloves garlic, minced, about 1 tbsp
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, stems and leaves separated
- 1 ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced, about 1 ¾ cups
- 1 ¼ cup red lentils, rinsed
- 3 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups packed baby spinach
- fresh lemon
- cooked basmati or warm naan, for serving
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Finely chop cilantro stems.
1 handful fresh cilantro
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Sauté Aromatics: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5–7 minutes until softened and translucent.
1 tbsp oil, 1 large yellow onion
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Add the garlic, ginger, and chopped cilantro stems. Cook for 1 minute.
5 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp fresh ginger
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Stir in the garam masala, coriander, turmeric, cayenne and diced tomatoes. Season with salt. Cook for 2–3 minutes until tomatoes begin to break down.
1 ½ tsp garam masala, ½ tsp coriander, ½ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp cayenne, 2 roma tomatoes
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Cook Curry: Stir in the rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Partially over and simmer for 16–20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and have absorbed most of the liquid.
1 ¼ cup red lentils, 3 cups vegetable broth or water, 1/2 tsp salt
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Finish Curry: Once the lentils are cooked, stir in the baby spinach one handful at a time. The residual heat will wilt the leaves in about a minute. If the curry is too thick, add a splash of more water to reach your desired consistency. Stir in a generous squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavours of curry.
4 cups packed baby spinach, fresh lemon
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Prepare Optional Tadka: Heat or ghee in a small pan or skillet. Add cumin seeds. They will sizzle and turn a darker shade in about 10-20 seconds. Add garlic and chili flakes. Fry the garlic, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until the slices turn pale golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat.
3 tbsp oil or ghee, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 cloves garlic, pinch of chili flakes
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Garnish and Serve: Divide curry between bowls. Drizzle over the tadka, if using, and swirl into the bowls. Top with the cilantro leaves.
Leftover curry can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat stovetop or in the microwave, stirring in a little water or broth to thin if needed. You can also freeze curry once cooled in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 269kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 614mg, Potassium: 870mg, Fiber: 19g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 3162IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 5mg
