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Indian

Lentil and Potato Curry

Red lentils and potato simmer with ginger, tomato, and curry powder until the lentils collapse into a thick stew. Rice on the side is optional.

Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Servings
6
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Bowl of thick lentil and potato curry with cilantro

Why you’ll love it

  • Red lentils cook fast and thicken the pot.
  • Potato makes it filling.
  • Curry powder keeps the spice list short.
  • It feeds six from a modest cart.

Ingredients

Servings6

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the oil. Cook the onion 5 minutes. Add the ginger and curry powder for 30 seconds.

  2. 2

    Add the lentils, potato, tomatoes, water, and salt.

  3. 3

    Simmer 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are soft and the potato is tender.

  4. 4

    Add a splash of water if the curry is thicker than you want.

  5. 5

    Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Pro tips

  • Red lentils dissolve. That is the texture, not a mistake.
  • Stir the bottom so they do not scorch.
  • A squeeze of lemon at the table brightens it.

Easy substitutions

Curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
Potato
Sweet potato
Cilantro
A spoon of yogurt

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.

Reheating

Reheat with a splash of water until bubbling.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
240
Protein
12 g
Carbs
38 g
Fat
4 g
Fiber
8 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian, Dairy-Free

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients