This Coconut Millet and Lentil Curry is a hearty and flavour-packed meal with tender lentils, warming spices and a creamy coconut sauce. Millet is often overlooked as a grain for everyday cooking, but it works so well in recipes like this, adding a mild, slightly nutty flavour while soaking up all the spices and coconut.
The combination of brown lentils and millet makes this curry filling and satisfying, with a lovely texture that feels a little different from the usual rice or quinoa-based dishes. It is a great plant-based meal to enjoy on its own or with your favourite sides.
Calories in Coconut Millet and Lentil Curry
This recipe serves 6 and is 435 calories per serving.
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If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie needs using a reliable calorie calculator. The calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary depending on the exact ingredients and portion sizes you use. Using your own calculations helps ensure you're meeting your individual needs. A calorie calculator can help you make informed choices and stay on track with your goals.
See the recipe card for full nutritional estimation.
Ingredients Notes
To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Olive Oil: Used to soften the onion and garlic and start building the flavour for the curry. You can use olive oil spray if preferred.
- Onion and Garlic: These create the base of the curry and add sweetness and flavour once softened.
- Passata: Adds a smooth tomato base to the curry without any chunks. It works with the tomato paste, stock and coconut milk to create the sauce.
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock: Stock helps cook the millet and adds extra flavour to the curry. Use vegetable stock to keep the recipe vegetarian or vegan.
- Millet: Millet is an often overlooked grain with a mild, slightly nutty flavour. It works really well in curries as it absorbs the spices and sauce while adding a lovely texture to the dish.
- Brown Lentils: Canned brown lentils make this curry quick and easy while adding protein and fibre. Drain and rinse them before adding to the pan.
- Tomato Paste: Adds richness and helps deepen the tomato flavour in the curry.
- Spices: Curry powder, chilli powder, cloves and cardamom pods add warmth, flavour and fragrance to the curry. Use mild or medium curry powder depending on your preferred spice level, and remove the whole cloves and cardamom pods before serving.
- Raisins: These add little bursts of sweetness that work really well with the curry spices, coconut milk and millet.
- Coconut Milk: Adds creaminess and balances the spices. Light coconut milk can be used if you want to keep it lower in calories.
- Maple Syrup: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the tomato, spices and coconut milk.
- Fresh Coriander: Stirred through or sprinkled over the top at the end for freshness and flavour.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Variations and Substitutes
There are plenty of ways to adapt this Coconut Millet and Brown Lentil Curry depending on what you have on hand, whether you want to change the grain, adjust the sweetness or add extra vegetables.
- Millet: Millet gives this curry its unique texture and slightly nutty flavour, but you can swap it for quinoa, beans or double up the lentils. Cooking times and liquid amounts may need adjusting though depending on the grain used.
- Lentils: Canned lentils keep this recipe quick and easy, but dry lentils will also work well, they will need to be cooked separately first before adding to the curry.
- Vegetables: You can add extra vegetables such as spinach, kale, diced carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower, peas or even some sweet potato, regular potato or butternut squash. Softer vegetables can be stirred in near the end, while firmer vegetables are best added earlier so they have time to soften.
- Coconut Milk: Light coconut milk works well for a lower calorie option, however I prefer to use regular coconut milk for that decadent creamy finish. The sauce will not be as thick/creamy when using light coconut milk
- Sultanaa: Raisins add little bursts of sweetness, but you swap for chopped dried apricots or even some diced apple or leave them out if you prefer a less sweet curry.
- Spice Level: Use mild, medium or hot curry powder depending on your preference. You can also reduce the chilli powder for a milder curry or add extra if you like more heat.
- Stock: Vegetable stock will keep this curry vegetarian or vegan, while chicken stock can be used if that is what you have on hand.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup balances the tomato and spices, but honey can be used if you do not need the recipe to be vegan. You can also leave it out if you prefer, but I find the little bit of sweetness balances all the spices.
- Fresh Coriander: If you are not a fan of coriander, swap it for fresh parsley or simply leave it out.
Side Suggestions
This Coconut Millet and Brown Lentil Curry is already filling and satisfying, as the millet and lentils make it a hearty meal on their own. You can serve it with rice if you want to bulk it out even more, especially if feeding the family or stretching the portions further.
I personally like to keep it simple and serve it with naan, and this Homemade Garlic Naan is a great option. Poppadoms are also a great side, adding a lovely crunch and making it easy to scoop up every last bit.
For extra vegetables on the side, try steamed or roasted broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, spinach or roasted carrots. A simple cucumber and tomato salad also works well if you want something fresh to balance the warm spices.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
Storing: Allow any leftovers to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The curry will thicken as it sits, as the millet continues to absorb the sauce.
Freezing: This curry can be frozen, although the texture of the millet may be a little softer once defrosted and reheated. Freeze in suitable airtight containers for up to 3 months, then defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in a pan over a low heat or in the microwave until piping hot throughout. Add a splash of stock to loosen the curry, as it will thicken after storing.
More Vegetarian Recipes
Looking for some more vegetarian recipes? Check out these:
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Recipe Card
Coconut Millet and Lentil Curry
This Coconut Millet and Lentil Curry is a hearty plant-based meal with warming spices, creamy coconut, tender lentils and often overlooked millet for a delicious slightly nutty flavour and satisfying texture.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons of mild curry powder
- 1 teaspoon of hot chilli powder
- 200g (1 cup) of uncooked millet, rinsed
- 400g (14oz) can of lentils, drained
- 240g (1 cup) of passata
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons of maple syrup
- 75g (½ cup) of sultanas
- 4 cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 600ml (2.5 cups) of vegetable stock
- 400g (14oz) can of coconut milk
- handful of fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped
- salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep frying pan over a medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and fry for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and chilli powder and cook for about 1 minute, just to infuse the spices.
- Add the millet and continue to fry for another minute, stirring until coated in the spices.
- Add the lentils, passata, tomato paste, maple syrup, stock, sultanas, cardamom pods and cloves. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, or until the liquid is just absorbed.
- Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and leave to sit for 10 minutes, allowing the millet to finish cooking and absorb the remaining liquid.
- Return the pan to the heat, stir in the coconut milk and coriander, and simmer for a few minutes until thickened and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Gluten Free Friendly - use gluten free stock
- Vegetarian, Vegan and Dairy Free Friendly
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly - see storing, freezing and reheating section
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Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 435Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 12gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 579mgCarbohydrates 67gFiber 8gSugar 22gProtein 11g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
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