Tofu and Lentil Curry

This tofu and lentil curry is all things smoky, complex flavor, and creamy. Perfect for dinner and can be made in the Instant Pot.

Final plate of tofu and lentil curry with broccoli, plantains and brown rice.

For me, this is one of my favorite curries I make. I love it so much because of the flavor, but more importantly because of the texture. This curry has both lentils and tofu mixed together and it provides a really great play on textures. Having the bite and chew that the tofu offers makes this meal especially special to me. This is a great recipe if you are looking to introduce someone to tofu as the flavors infuse into the tofu as it cooks. While fantastic for dinner, this meal also makes a number of servings that can be used for grab and go meals throughout the week.

Close up of lentils and coconut milk being stirred into the curry spices.

Why should you become a lentil eater?

I asked my audience what pulse/legume they were interested in the most. I got an overwhelming response for having more recipes for lentils. Lentils are very nutrient dense. Loaded with protein, fiber, folate and iron. Something I didn’t mention last time about lentils is the “why” for eating them? Great, they have those nutrients, but what’s in it for you to eat them?

  • Energy: Lentils are considered a complex carbohydrate thanks to it’s fiber content. This type of carbohydrate provides a sustained source of energy for the body. On top of that, because lentils are a good source of iron, lentils can help to replenish iron stores, which can then have a positive impact on energy as well.
  • Heart Health: Thanks to the soluble fiber in lentils, they have the ability to help you lower your cholesterol levels. It’s magnesium may also provide the ability for your heart to relax more and preserve it’s functionality.
  • Blood Sugar Control: In relation to energy, because of the slow burning carbohydrates in lentils, you can often see benefits to blood sugar control. Having adequate fiber with meals allows your body to slowly release sugar into your blood stream. This allows a more stable rise and drop in your blood sugars instead of dramatic rises and falls.

All chopped veggies including red onion, garlic, ginger, green bell pepper and sweet potato.

How to make Tofu and Lentil Curry

  1. Heat up your pan to medium heat and saute onion and green peppers until onion is translucent.
  2. Add in sweet potato and aromatics like ginger and garlic and make sure to continue moving them around the pan to prevent them from burning.
  3. Add tomato paste along with spices and saute until fragrant. Your tomato paste will deepen in it’s color.
  4. Stir in lentils, tofu and coconut milk and stir well to combine all the flavors well.
  5. Finally, add in vegetable broth, give one last stir and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer over the stove top or seal and manually set your pressure cooker to cook lentils until tender.
  6. Serve your curry with anything from plantains, rice or even rice noodles.

Sauteing green pepper, sweet potato, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste and spices.

Tips for making Tofu and Lentil Curry

  • Use super firm tofu: This makes this dish even faster to prep because it doesn’t require you to press out water from your tofu in advance. Usually in the same spot as your regular tofu in store, but is not in a container and is usually vacuum packed.
  • Notes on extra firm tofu: If you don’t have access to super firm tofu, you can press your block of extra firm tofu for 30 minutes prior to making this recipe. Removing some of the water will make it absorb more of the flavor as it cooks.
  • Instructions for Instant Pot: You can make this curry in the Instant Pot. Use the saute function to saute and prep ingredients as you would on the stove top. Once all ingredients are added in, seal pressure cooker and set to manual to cook for 13 minutes.

Curry after it's finished cooking in the instant pot.

Need More Hearty Meal Ideas?

Spoonful of curry hovering above plate.

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Curry after it's finished cooking in the instant pot.

Tofu and Lentil Curry

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 5 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This tofu and lentil curry is all things smoky, complex flavor, and creamy. Perfect for dinner and can be made in the Instant Pot.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 medium red onion, diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small sweet potato, cubed
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch ginger, minced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 15 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 cup green lentils
  • 1 cup light or full fat coconut milk
  • 1 block super firm tofu, cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Instructions

Stove Top Instructions

  1. Heat up your pan to medium heat and saute onion and green peppers until onion is translucent.
  2. Add in sweet potato, ginger and garlic and make sure to continue moving them around the pan to prevent them from burning.
  3. Add tomato paste along with spices and saute until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  4. Stir in lentils, diced tomatoes, coconut milk, give a good stir to fully combine.
  5. Gently fold in tofu along with vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a boil and then immediately reduce to a low simmer and allow to cook for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Instant Pot Instructions

  1. Set Instant Pot to saute. Follow all instructions as you would if cooking on stove top.
  2. Once you've added the vegetable broth, switch Instant Pot to manual high pressure. Set timer to 13 minutes and make sure lid is set to seal.
  3. Allow pressure to release naturally. Remove lid and serve curry as desired.

Notes

  • Use super firm tofu to save time as you do not need to press this before use. If using extra firm tofu, make sure to press before using. Not sure how to press tofu, you can use this guide.
  • Adjust seasonings as desired. I love adding sriracha on top for an extra spicy kick.  

Did You Try This Recipe?
Then let me know what you thought! Share your creations by tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #plantbasedrdeats

 Catherine

This tofu and lentil curry is all things smoky, complex flavor, and creamy. Perfect for dinner and can be made in the Instant Pot.
This tofu and lentil curry is all things smoky, complex flavor, and creamy. Perfect for dinner and can be made in the Instant Pot.

14 Comments

  1. This was so delicious!!! I didn’t have a sweet potato so I used a white potato instead and it was so good! Nice flavors and just enough spice for me and the hubby! Thanks so much😁






  2. This is the first time I have cooked lentils , I followed the directions but the lentils were still crunchy after 30 minutes. Also, the liquids didn’t fully cover the lentils. Was I supposed to cover it for the last 30 minute simmer? I used a cast iron skillet, maybe that was where i went wrong.






    1. Hi Dylan, really sorry if the lentils didn’t cook. I’ve made this recipe many times without covering. Usually I make sure it’s at a low simmer and that the lentils have enough liquid and don’t have an issue with the lentils cooking. I’m thinking because it was in a cast iron skillet it might have impacted the cooking of them. Most lentils typically don’t take longer than 30 minutes to cook. The other possibility could be that the lentils you used might have been old. Sometimes older beans and lentils can be tougher. If you still have those lentils, might be worth soaking them before using again to help soften them a little. Hope this helps!

      1. Was I supposed to cook the sweet potatoes before putting them in? They came out a little undercooked. Thank you!

        1. They should have cooked through. Perhaps it might be the dice of the potato? Sometimes they can be finicky when cooking, but this can be fixed by adding a little more water and cooking for a few more minutes until they are tender. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the curry.

    1. Hi Kaitlin! Yes, you can freeze this with no problem. Just make sure to freeze it in individual servings if you want to use as easy meal prep. 🙂

  3. Hi!! This sounds and looks really delicious and perfect for cold chilly day! I can’t eat lentils though, and so i wanted to ask if it is possible for me to sub in chickpeas intraday and just reduce the amount of liquid? perhaps i should slightly cook the potatoes first to make sure they cook through? I really want to make this because it looks simple yet delicious!






    1. Yes, this should work if you reduce the liquid. I would use about 1/2 cup and then if it gets too dry add an additional 1/2 cup. The potatoes will absorb some of the liquid, so this should help steam the potatoes if covered while cooking. Hope this helps! 🙂

  4. Just made this fantastic tofu and lentil curry : but did add fresh chillies ; ,it’s got a kick but uuuuuuuuuummmmmhhh yummy ‘

    1. Love that you used the fresh chilies in this. I’m sure it made this extra delicious (I love spice). Thank you so much for making this Steve!

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