These marry me lentils are a vegan version of South Indian wedding curry. They have a rich flavor from the sauce from Hyderabadi wedding Chikin, made easier and in a single pan. (gluten-free with soy-free, nut-free, coconut-free, and oil-free options)
This is a super delicious and decadent lentil curry. I use my Hyderabadi wedding chicken curry sauce and add lentils to it. That sauce is just incredibly delicious with an amazing combination of spices and herbs, and great textures from coconut and almond flour. And it comes out just perfectly every single time.
Don’t get intimidated by the long list of ingredients. Most of the ingredients get added to the pan almost at the same time. So it’s just about three steps to get a fantastically delicious, one-pan, lentil curry.
Marry me lentils are great over rice or quinoa or with some naan or flatbread or even toasted sourdough or garlic bread. Or you can serve these over baked potato or roasted vegetables.
If you don’t like lentils, you can change up the protein by adding chickpeas, white beans, kidney beans, crisped up tofu, soy curls, or seitan, or any other plant-based protein that you like. Some crisped up vegan chicken will work as well.
Basically, all of the deliciousness in these marry me lentils is in the sauce. Use this sauce and let me know if you try it!
If you like this recipe, also try my marry me pasta which has the classic smoky, creamy, addictive sauce!
Why You’ll Love Marry Me Lentils
- delicious, 1-pan dinner loaded with South Indian flavors
- simple, whole food ingredients
- flexible recipe. Use lentils, as written, or substitute your favorite plant-based protein.
- delicious of rice, quinoa, naan, flatbread, toasted sourdough, garlic bread, or roasted vegetables
- naturally gluten-free with easy soy-free, nut-free, coconut-free, and oil-free options
For the Curry
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 green cardamom pods, partially opened
- 1 ¼ cups chopped red onion, chopped small
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, (Kasuri methi)
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, or 5 cloves garlic minced, 3/4 inch ginger minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce, or tamari for gluten-free or coconut aminos for soy-free
- ¼ cup non-dairy yogurt or non dairy cream, plus extra, for garnish
- 8 curry leaves, finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
- 5 mint leaves, finely chopped
- ½ of a hot green chili, such as Serrano or Indian chili, finely chopped
- 15 ounce can of lentils, drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked lentils, chickpeas, white beans, or other protein
- lemon juice, cilantro, non dairy yogurt or cream , for garnish
Prevent your screen from going dark
Dry toast the coconut and almond flour.
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the shredded coconut and almond flour. Mix and toast until golden, about 3-4 minutes. They won’t pick up any color for the first minute or so but will start to turn golden as they toast. Stir frequently, until evenly golden. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Make the curry.
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In the same skillet, add the oil and increase the heat to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add the green cardamom pods and cook, stirring, for a few seconds until fragrant and changes color.
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Add the onion and half of the salt. Continue cooking for another 7-8 minutes, adding splashes of water if needed, until the onions are golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium, and add in the Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, black pepper, and dried fenugreek leaves. Mix in a splash of water to prevent the spices from burning. Add in the sambal oelek, soy sauce, tomato paste, and ginger garlic paste. Mix in and cook for about 15 seconds. (If using minced ginger garlic, add that first, cook for 15 seconds then add the sambal oelek, tomato pastes, mix and cook for 15 seconds)
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Mix in the non-dairy yogurt. Cook until the mixture is homogeneous and bubbling and getting a little glossy. Depending on the yogurt, it may not turn glossy but might start sticking to the pan. If it sticks, add a splash of water, non-dairy milk, or stock. Stir in the curry leaves, mint leaves, green chili, cilantro, and the toasted almond-coconut mixture. Mix well.
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Mix in 1 cup of water or non-dairy milk. Add the remaining salt, and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust flavors, adding more salt, heat, garam masala, or lemon juice, if needed. If the sauce is too thick, add more water. Fold in the drained lentils, and mix well. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for 4-5 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Serve.
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Stir lightly, and switch off the heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro, non-dairy yogurt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve over rice, quinoa, naan, flatbread, sourdough, garlic bread, or roasted vegetables.
It’s soy-free, as long as you choose soy-free non-dairy yogurt and use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
To make it nut-free, omit the almond flour, and ensure the non-dairy yogurt is nut-free.
For coconut-free, omit the shredded coconut and make sure that your yogurt is coconut-free.
To make this without oil, dry toast the green cardamom until it starts to change color, then add onions and salt with 2-3 tablespoons of water or stock instead of oil, stirring and add more water, as needed, to water sauté.
Calories: 255kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 547mg, Potassium: 631mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 483IU, Vitamin C: 52mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- shredded coconut and almond flour – These add texture and flavor. You can omit one or both, if needed, for an allergy-friendly version.
- oil – To toast the cardamom and to sauté. Omit and use water instead, for oil-free, if needed.
- cardamom pods – Toasted cardamom pods are your first flavor layer in this marry me lentil curry.
- onion – Caramelized onion adds so much flavor to this dish!
- ground spices – Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, black pepper, and fenugreek leave are your next flavor layer.
- ginger garlic paste – Adds so much umami and a little heat.
- tomato paste – For umami and color.
- sambal oelek – For heat. You can use other Asian chili sauce instead, if you don’t have sambal oelek.
- soy sauce – For umami and saltiness. Use tamari for gluten-free or coconut aminos for soy-free.
- non-dairy yogurt – Adds creaminess. Use soy-free, nut-free, and/or coconut-free, if needed. You’ll also use some for garnish.
- fresh herbs – Fresh curry leaves, cilantro, and mint are the next flavor layer. You will need some extra cilantro, for garnish, as well.
- hot green chili – Serrano, Indian chili, etc will work. Use an equivalent amount of bell pepper for less heat.
- lentils – Use cooked or canned brown lentils. You can sub other beans or cooked plant-based proteins, if you prefer.
- lemon juice – To add tang.
💡Tips
- Adding splashes of water to the onions helps them cook faster and brown more evenly.
- When you add the spices, make sure the pan has cooled a little bit, and add that splash of water immediately, so they don’t scorch.
- As you cook down the sauce with the yogurt, it should start to turn glossy, but depending on your non-dairy yogurt, this may not happen, which is fine. If it starts sticking, add splashes of water, non-dairy milk, or stock to help it release.
How to Make South Indian Marry Me Lentils
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the shredded coconut and almond flour. Mix and toast until golden, about 3-4 minutes. They won’t pick up any color for the first minute or so, but will turn golden as they toast. Stir frequently, until evenly golden. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the oil and increase the heat to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add the green cardamom pods and cook, stirring, for a few seconds until fragrant and changes color.
Add the onion and half of the salt. Mix and cook, Add a splash of water to help conduct the heat evenly and help brown the onions evenly and more quickly. 7-8 minutes, until the onions are golden brown.
Reduce the heat to medium, and add in the Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, black pepper, and dried fenugreek leaves. Mix in a splash of water to prevent the spices from burning. Add in the sambal oelek, soy sauce, tomato paste, and ginger garlic paste. Mix in and cook for about 15 seconds.
Mix in the non-dairy yogurt. Cook until the mixture is homogeneous and bubbling and getting a little glossy. Depending on the yogurt, it may not turn glossy but might start sticking to the pan. If it sticks, add a splash of water, non-dairy milk, or stock. Stir in the curry leaves, mint leaves, green chili, cilantro, and the toasted almond-coconut mixture. Mix well.
Mix in 1 cup of water or non-dairy milk. Add the remaining salt, and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust flavors, adding more salt, heat, garam masala, or lemon juice, if needed. If the sauce is too thick, add more water. Fold in the drained lentils, and mix well. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for 4-5 minutes for the flavors to meld. Garnish with non dairy cream or yogurt and cilantro and serve
What to Serve with Marry Me Lentils
Serve over rice, quinoa, naan, flatbread, sourdough, garlic bread, or roasted vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, if you use the tamari option.
It’s soy-free, as long as you choose soy-free non-dairy yogurt and use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
To make it nut-free, omit the almond flour, and ensure the non-dairy yogurt is nut-free.
For coconut-free, omit the shredded coconut and make sure that your yogurt is coconut-free.
To make this without oil, dry toast the green cardamom until it starts to change color, then add onions and salt with 2-3 tablespoons of water or stock instead of oil, stirring and add more water, as needed, to water sauté.
