Name: Cauliflower And Lentil Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or vegetable oil); ½ medium onion, diced; 3-4 garlic cloves, diced or pressed; ½ teaspoon mustard seed (optional); 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained; 2 tablespoons mild curry paste; 2-3 cups vegetable broth; 1 medium cauliflower, cut or broken into bite-sized pieces; 2 cups baby spinach, tightly packed; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice; ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped; ½ cup greek yogurt

Jump to Recipe

With a touch of greek yogurt, this creamy cauliflower and lentil curry is easy to prepare as a one-pot dish. A bit of spinach adds fiber to the dish. Skip the greek yogurt, or use coconut yogurt, to make a vegan cauliflower and lentil curry as an option. Serve with warm basmati rice or warm naan.

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Why Pair Cauliflower And Lentils

There are a few different kinds of lentils. Brown and green lentils tend to be a little more robust. They take longer to cook and hold their shaper better. They are great for stews and salads, where you want the lentils to look like lentils.

Red lentils take a shorter amount of time to cook and don’t hold their shape the same way. When cooked well, they are not mushy but are definitely soft. This, in part, is why red lentils and cauliflower go so well together. There is an element of creaminess to both ingredients, which in the end make a perfect lentil curry. Plus, cauliflower is high in antioxidants and high in fiber.

Check out our other Indian-inspired curry recipes with lentils and beans:

Creamy Indian Green Lentil Dal Recipe

Spinach Dal Curry Recipe

Vegan Chickpeas and Spinach Curry

Instant Pot Indian Black Bean Cury

Ingredients For Cauliflower And Lentil Curry

Although many curries start with a base of vegetable or canola oil, I prefer using coconut oil. Although coconut oil doesn’t infuse the lentil curry with a heavy coconut flavor, it does add a depth of flavor that I just can’t describe. Once you start cooking with coconut oil, you won’t go back! You can buy coconut oil on Amazon here.

In addition to yellow onion and garlic, seasoning for the cauliflower and lentil curry comes from mustard seed, cumin, and turmeric. If you don’t have mustard seeds, it’s totally okay to skip it. It’s not a typical pantry ingredient.

The red lentils are cooked in a curry paste and vegetable broth. Any Indian curry paste will work. It’s important, though, to look for an Indian curry paste and not a Thai one (so, no green curry paste, Thai yellow curry paste, or Penang curry paste).

Vegetables include cauliflower and fresh spinach, which is added just before serving. Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a bit of acidity. Fresh cilantro and greek yogurt (or coconut yogurt) are the perfect garnish.

Love cooking with lentils? See our recommendations for some of the Best Healthy Lentil Recipes for every budget and every diet.

How To Make Lentil Curry With Cauliflower And Spinach

Adding the spices to the curry

Coating the lentils in the spices

Add the coconut oil to a large saucepan or medium-sized dutch oven placed over medium-high heat. The coconut oil is solid when it starts but will liquify as it warms. Add the onion and garlic and cook in the oil for 3-5 minutes or until soft and yellow but before the garlic starts to brown.

Add the mustard seed, cumin, and turmeric and coat in the oil. This helps to infuse the oil with the spices and to help release the flavors and aromas. Add the red lentils and coat in the oil and spices. Allow the lentils to sweat for 2-3 minutes.

Add the curry paste and vegetable broth. Stir until the curry paste is dissolved. Cover the pot and allow the lentils to cook for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add the cauliflower and coat in the lentils. If the mixture seems too dry add a bit of water or vegetable broth to ensure the lentils don’t stick to the bottom.

Cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water or vegetable broth if needed. You don’t want to curry to go totally dry or to start to burn on the bottom.

Once the lentils have softened, fold in the spinach and the lemon juice and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach wilts. Just before serving stir in the greek yogurt. If you are vegan, try using coconut yogurt instead.

Serve with warm basmati rice or warm naan.

Yield: 4 Servings