One-Pot Golden Lentil Curry
One-Pot Golden Lentil Curry- super warming and flavorful, this turmeric curry is easy to make and packed full of protein! Can easily be made oil-free.
I don’t know about you guys but as soon as the cooler weather rolls in, I instantly start craving big pots of curry. The warming Indian spices are perfect for chilly evenings and I love that you can easily incorporate whatever vegetables you already have on hand.
Speaking of vegetables, if you follow me on Instagram then you might know that I’m a frequent flyer at the Athens Farmers Market. I truly believe that supporting local farmers is one of the most important things we can do to help our local communities and ensure the sustainability of our food. Not only is it healthier for the environment but it also means that we’re getting the freshest, most nutritious produce possible.
Collective Harvest CSA
Besides visiting the farmers market, another way to help support local farmers is by joining a CSA, also known as Community Supported Agriculture. Typically a group of farmers will get together and provide a weekly delivery of produce to their members which allows you direct access to high quality, seasonal produce. In return it provides consistent and reliable income to the farmers so that they can keep growing healthy food for their local community.
Our local CSA in Athens, Collective Harvest, offers two different options for members:
- The Full Share– the picture above is an example of what one week of a full share looks like. It includes 8 to 10 produce items and is generally enough for a family or a couple that cooks most of their meals from scratch. This share costs $30/week and offers the most variety.
- The Value Share– the Value Share is best for couples and small families that don’t cook from scratch as often or choose to supplement their CSA with produce from other sources. This share costs $20/week and includes 5 to 7 produce items each week.
Like I said before, I usually go to the market because I’m a bit of a control freak and have always been nervous that I won’t know what to make if I signed up for the CSA. But I was able to try out the Full Share from Collective Harvest this past week and was really impressed with the process. They send out a newsletter a week in advance so that you know what to expect in your share and they also allow you to swap items out if there’s something you don’t like.
In addition, next year they’ll have a feature that allows you to select what produce you want for the entire season so that you always know what to expect in your delivery. How cool is that?!
I was able to use quite a few of the items from the Full Share to make this Golden Lentil Curry, including fresh turmeric, bell peppers, and swiss chard. It comes together super quick in just one pot so it’s perfect for a cozy weeknight meal!
If you’re in Athens then I highly recommend giving Collective Harvest a try! I’ll definitely be signing up for the Winter CSA as soon as they open registration.
If you don’t live in Athens and want to support your local farmers, you can learn more about finding a CSA near you by clicking here.
One-Pot Golden Lentil Curry
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 bell peppers, cored and finely chopped
- 3 garlic, minced
- 2-inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2-inches fresh turmeric, peeled and minced (or 2 teaspoons ground turmeric)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 rainbow bunch chard, chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
Directions:
In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, for about 3 minutes.
Next add the peppers, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili powder, cumin, curry powder, salt and cayenne. Stir to combine and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
To the pot, add the lentils and vegetable broth then bring to a low boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until lentils are tender.
Pour in the coconut milk then stir to combine. Add the chard and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, until chard has wilted. Squeeze lemon juice over top then stir.
Add more seasonings to taste, if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback! 
Disclaimer: Collective Harvest provided me a complimentary Full Share in exchange for writing this post. All opinions and text are entirely my own. It makes me so happy to be able to support our local farmers! :)
This curry looks so hearty and filling. Was looking for some dinner ideas and this will be getting made this week! Love all those fresh veggies!
Yes! So grateful for the local farmers that grow us such beautiful produce!
I always have wanted to try a CSA but haven’t done it yet, probably for the same reason as you… I like to roam the market myself & know exactly what I’m getting! But, I also think it would be fun to try, so I should do it soon! I also think it may sort of force me to try new produce and get creative with it.
Yes! That’s the part I found to be fun. It challenges you to step outside of your comfort zone. :)
So well said, Sarah! You know I’m a big supporter! Local harvest is a fantastic resource, so I’m happy to see you link to it here. I’ve seen some CSAs shifting to include options for those wanting to buy in but feeling like they have a little more choice in what comes in week to week. Our CSA sends out email blasts to members only when they restock the farm stand, so we get first pick. Whatever we choose, we deduct from our share balance. So one week, I may not cook as much as another, so I don’t pick up as much food. It really has worked out beautifully for everyone! I absolutely love that you have fresh turmeric available! This curry is gorgeous, simple and vibrant… I love your addition of chard :D
I joined a CSA back in the summer of 2011 and loved it. I had to go and pick it up from the farm which was okay because it was by my work. I haven’t had a CSA since though. There is a farm about a 3 minute drive from my house that I frequent now. To be honest, I need to go more though…I do really like supporting local farmers.
As for the recipe, this was surprisingly good! I mean, I picked it out thinking it’d be good but honestly when the day came I just wasn’t in the mood. I went ahead and made it anyway and it ended up being super delicious! David loved it too which really surprised me. haha. Only thing I did differently was I chopped up the swiss chard stems and sautéed them up with the onions. I’ll be making this again.
That’s so awesome that you have farms so close by your work! I think local produce tastes so much better because of how fresh it is. :)
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the curry!! I’ve probably made it a dozen times since I posted the recipe. It’s quickly become one of our favorites!
Enjoyed this dish! I didnt have chard so I substituted spinach and also substituted red chili powder instead of traditional chili powder for more of a kick. My North Indian husband is usually not a fan of dishes with coconut milk but this one he gave a thumbs up.
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for the review!
Best curry I’ve ever had. Love the rich flavour, yet it’s simplicity – fantastic not having to chop up a dozen hard vegetables ;) I added some frozen organic peas and fresh organic spinach because I’m not too familiar with chard here in Australia. Thank you for sharing this beautiful dish Sarah, we’ll be having it weekly :)
+ I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Wow that is quite the compliment! Thank you so much for the kind review, Sarah! :)
Not so much as a comment – although the recipe looks good enough to eat (no sarcasm there). I have a question – when you say “chili powder” are you referring the North American product for making chili? This is a combination of spices and can vary from brand to brand. OR are you talking about powdered chili which is dried chili’s ground to a powder? I will be making this this week and I would like to know. Also I don’t use curry powder and would use my own mix of (turmeric, coriander,cumin,ginger,garlic,salt,chili). Adding additional fresh turmeric would probably be fine since my mix doesn’t use that much turmeric.
BTW I found your site by reading The Roasted Root Healthy Vegetarian Meal Plan. Cross-traffic does work!
Thanks for all that you do to help us put healthy food on our tables.
Hi Miriam! So glad you found me! I just use a standard chili powder (https://amzn.to/2QJxR0I) which I believe is the one you’re referring to that’s used for making chili. It’s not spicy but I know that can vary depending on the brand. I hope that helps and that you enjoy the curry!
I am a big follower of Making Thyme for Health and pull menus from your weekly planners all the time. They are all good but this one was exceptional.It was easy to put together and the flavors were just perfect. I used collards instead of swiss chard, because that’s what I had in my garden. I served this over brown rice and a side salad. Yummy!
Hi! I bought one bunch of large-leaf rainbow chard, but how much of it do I use for the recipe? Hope you see this ASAP, because I plan to cook it tomorrow night! Otherwise, I’ll go by gut feeling. ;)
Thanks!
You should be able to use the entire bunch! Just cut off the large part of the stems and chop it into bite size pieces before adding it to the recipe. :)
This dish was excellent! Thank you!
This dish was excellent! Thank you! 5 stars!
This is such a delicious recipe!
My partner is not much of a fan of lentil curry’s that’s have a ‘Dahl’ feel (as he calls it) but he loved this!
This will be a regular for us now!!
Looks fabulous and is on my list this week. I do wish though that you would share how many calories are in recipes. Looking forward to making it tmrw
I made it, we loved it.
Calories?
Hello, I am new to cooking with lentils, so forgive this probably silly question. What does dry red lentils” mean? Are they already cooked or uncooked? Looking forward to trying this recipe so thank you in advance for your help.
It just means uncooked! :)
Thank you!
When adding the coconut milk, do I add just the liquid or the cream that separates as well? Or do I shake it until its all combined? Thanks!
Shake it until combined, or dump the liquid into the pot then scoop out the cream with a spoon and place it in the pot as well. :)
This turned out amazing! I was going to use spinach for my green, but it was too far past its prime, so I skipped it, and it was still utterly delicious. Topped it with flaked coconut, micro cilantro, and dried cranberries. Yum! And so easy, too…
I’ve been making this for years now, and it has been a favorite in my home. Have you ever tried making it in a slow cooker, or freezing it? I am curious about both but don’t want to ruin the dish finding out the hard way. Thanks!
I haven’t made it in a slow cooker because I find the higher heat (toasting them, essentially) is what really brings out the flavor of the spices. But it could still be good! As far as freezing, yes I have and it worked great. Just be sure to let it cool completely (so that you don’t get any condensation which will cause freezer burn) and seal it in an airtight container. :)
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