Easy Butternut Lentil Curry Recipe Your Family Will Love! (2024)

Bless This Mess Recipes

By Melissa

on Sep 25, 2017, Updated Jul 28, 2020

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This Easy Lentil Curry made with lentils, butternut squash and coconut milk is the perfect healthy plant-based dinner. A simple yet delicious family meal!

I have a few more curry recipes I think you’ll enjoy. Easy Pumpkin Cauliflower Curry, Green Thai Chicken Coconut Curry and Quick and Easy Sweet Potato Curry (meatless) are great recipes to start with.

Easy Butternut Lentil Curry Recipe Your Family Will Love! (2)

Easy Lentil Curry with Butternut Squash

Today I’m working with So Delicious, and I’m really really excited about it. I’m really trying to center my kitchen on healthy plant-based meals that are good for my family, good for the earth, and good for my budget!I also like to keep a little running list of recipes that are good to serve to friends and family with food allergies. This recipe is dairy-free, vegan (check on the curry paste), and gluten-free (use the coconut aminos instead of soy sauce), just because of how it’s made.

This creamy sweet and savory lentil curry with butternut squash is hearty comfort food that comes together in a snap. This is a great meal to keep in your regular rotation because it’s so simple but so full of flavor.

We love curry in all forms and this super simple lentil curry is always a hit. The creamy butternut squash breaks down just a bit while cooking to thicken and sweeten the sauce. Add some curry paste and creamy coconut milk, and you are just about done. Rounding out this dish with a squeeze of fresh lime and chopped fresh cilantro is exactly the finish it needs. The bright flavors of lime and cilantro go so well with the warm savory flavors of the coconut milk, squash, and lentils.

Easy Butternut Lentil Curry Recipe Your Family Will Love! (3)

You are going to love this one!

And here’s why you are going to love So Delicious as much as I do. From “our robust allergen-testing program to the innovative work we do creating products made with high quality ingredients, So Delicious Dairy Free is committed to doing the right things for people, animals and the planet.” I read that about their company and it really spoke to me as a person. I’m trying to do right by my people, you, animals, and the planet, too. That’s why I’m so pleased to be working with them today.

Easy Butternut Lentil Curry Recipe Your Family Will Love! (4)

Is curry spicy?

Curry paste is a powerhouse of flavor without having to buy a million spices. If you are new to it, it’s time to try it out. I’d recommend red or green curry paste for this recipe. The heat in curry paste seems to vary a lot by brand so you are going to have to play with it a bit to see how much you like. I’d start with adding a smaller amount. Towards the end of the cooking time, taste a little bit. If it needs more flavor, add a little more until it’s to your liking.

What is the best coconut milk for making curry?

I really liked using So Delicious Coconut Milk for this recipes. It’s organic, comes in an easy-to-open carton, and just tastes so fresh. You can use the unsweetened coconut milk or the culinary coconut milk– both are great.

What do I serve with curry?

You can serve this curry over white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or spaghetti squash, or with flatbread or pita bread on the side. It’s so versatile.

What type of lentils do I use for this recipe?

I used brown lentils for this recipe. They hold their shape while cooking and you can see the individual lentils once it is finished. If you were to use red lentils, they would break down while cooking and create a thicker, more “stew-like” curry. Use what you have on hand or prefer, because both are great options.

Easy Butternut Lentil Curry Recipe Your Family Will Love! (5)

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Easy Butternut Lentil Curry Recipe Your Family Will Love! (6)

Easy Lentil Curry with Butternut Squash

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4.4 from 5 reviews

  • Author: Melissa Griffiths-Bless this Mess
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
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Description

This Easy Lentil Curry made with lentils, butternut squash and coconut milk is the perfect healthy plant-based dinner. A simple yet delicious family meal!

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 35 cloves garlic, minced
  • 15 teaspoons curry paste
  • 3/4 cup lentils
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and cubed, about 3 cups cubed squash
  • 1 carton So Delicious Coconut Milk (unsweetened), or two cartons So Delicious Culinary Coconut Milk
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos, plus more for serving
  • Sea salt
  • Lime wedges, for serving
  • Chopped cilantro, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat a medium pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and onions.
  2. Cook the until the onions are translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring well, until the garlic is fragrant and the curry paste is well incorporated.
  3. Add the lentils, butternut squash, and coconut milk. Stir to combine.
  4. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, until the lentils are tender and the squash is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
  5. Add the soy sauce or coconut aminos and additional sea salt to taste.
  6. Serve hot over rice or with flatbread and garnish with fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, and additional soy sauce or coconut aminos to taste.

Notes

See the tips and tricks section in the post for lots of notes on this recipe.

  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 35 min
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stove
  • Cuisine: Indian

Are you new to So Delicious?

I used their unsweetened coconut milk for dishes like One Pot Coconut Chicken and RiceandGreen Thai Chicken Coconut Curry, and I keep it on hand for smoothies (and I love that it is shelf stable since I have to pick it up when I go to town, which isn’t all that often). You could also use the “culinary coconut milk.” It is whiter and fresher than canned equivalents, and it’s formulated to work with recipes calling for a 14oz can. I’m going to look for culinary coconut milk next time I’m out!

Happy healthy curry, from my home to yours! Thank you so much for supporting the brands that I thoughtfully choose to work with.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by So Delicious. I use and love this company regularly in my kitchen and all opinions are my own.

About Melissa

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Easy Butternut Lentil Curry Recipe Your Family Will Love! (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken lentil curry? ›

Use a slurry.

Mix cornstarch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot with cold water or a cup of liquid from the curry sauce to make a slurry. Add this at the end of the cooking process—the sauce should thicken as soon as it returns to a boil.

What does butternut squash do for the gut? ›

Butternut squash contains considerable amounts of fiber, which can help you keep a healthy weight and regulate bowel movements. It's known to help prevent colorectal cancer while the beta-carotene in butternut squash can also improve eye health.

Is it necessary to peel butternut squash before cooking? ›

You can eat the skin, so there's no need to peel it. Simply halve it, scoop out the seeds and chop it into chunks, then roast it and add it to a warm winter salad or throw it into curries, stews or soups. You can also roast the seeds and eat them as a snack or sprinkled over a finished dish.

Can you eat butternut squash raw? ›

That's right, you can eat butternut squash raw (yep, we said it). Raw butternut squash is carrot-like and holds up well in crunchy salads and slaws. If opting for raw squash over cooked squash, start by peeling away the tough outer skin (FYI, you can eat the skin when it's cooked.

Do you have to cut butternut squash before cooking? ›

Learn how to roast butternut squash the EASY WAY without any prep work. No pre-peeling, chopping or deseeding (yes really!). Just whole-roast it in the oven until soft and tender.

What is the difference between lentil curry and Dahl? ›

If you think there are no differences between the two, you'd be surprised. While the Indian dal is cooked more like a stew or a soup, a lentil curry is heartier; it uses more ingredients, has room for more proteins and can also be more filling. Much like any curry, lentil curry can vary in taste and recipe.

What is the difference between lentil curry and dal? ›

Dal is just boiled lentils, with simple spices added after boiling. A 'curry', on the other hand, is usually heavily spiced. In a curry, the spices are added at the start, not at the end.

Do you have to peel butternut squash before cooking? ›

How to cook Butternut squash. You can eat the skin, so there's no need to peel it. Simply halve it, scoop out the seeds and chop it into chunks, then roast it and add it to a warm winter salad or throw it into curries, stews or soups.

Why does butternut squash turn brown when cooked? ›

Cook at 400 degrees — hot — until the squash releases its juices and they are bubbly and brown around the edges. This is a sign that the sugars in the squash have caramelized and its flavor concentrated.

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