Harissa Spiced Lentil Curry! Jam-packed with nourishing goodness, lentils are the star of this comforting curry.

Spicy and fragrant, this Harissa Spiced Lentil Curry is a delicious fusion of Middle Eastern and Indian flavors. A curry with hearty, plant-powerhouse ingredients and bursting with warming spices is sure to please.

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!

We love a great curry.  This dish was inspired by veganmonarchy.  We converted it to Whole Food Plant Based and added a few twists.

You gotta give this one a try!

Tips for Success:

• Flavor Profile: This dish was inspired by veganmonarchy and has been converted to a Whole Food Plant Based compliant recipe.  The flavor profile of this dish a Middle Eastern/Indian fusion. It is a spicy with some heat from the harissa powder where the spicy/heat is traditionally tempered with canned coconut milk.
• Consistency: At first the curry will appear thin, but as it sits, it will thicken up. It will not be as thick as a true curry (thick porridge consistency). We want to make sure our Readers understand this before considering making this dish.
• Lentils: We used Palouse Brand Small Brown Lentils.  They are delicious.  They hold their shape well and have a slightly nutty taste to them.  Feel free to use your favorite brown or green lentils; adjust the Instant Pot timing accordingly.
• Lentils and Sea Salt/Salt: Do not add the sea salt until the very end. Salt tends to harden the outer shell of lentils which will extend the cooking time. If you forget and accidentally add sea salt with the other spices/herbs, simply add a large pinch of baking soda, this will help soften the outer shell of the lentils.
• Stovetop Simmer Lentils: Do not cook lentils at a rolling bowl, they will cook too fast and cause them to split and get mushy.
• Timing of the Instant Pot: The timing is largely dependent upon the lentils selected for this dish.  We used small brown lentils which typically take 14 minutes in the Instant Pot.  Please adjust accordingly.
• Harissa Seasoning Powder: Harissa Seasoning Powder is a spicy and aromatic blend of spices that is widely used in North Africa and the Middle East. It is typically made from paprika, caraway, crushed red chili pepper, cayenne, coriander, cumin, garlic, peppermint, and sea salt.  It can pack some heat.  Feel free to use more or less harissa seasoning powder to suit your personal tastes.
• Heat from Harissa: If you find that the heat from the harissa is too much for your personal tastes, you can temper it even more by adding a dollop of unflavored plant yogurt or hummus.
• Dollop of Hummus: We absolutely loved adding a dollop of hummus to this curry. It was the perfect accent for this Middle Eastern/Indian fusion curry.
• Additional Seasoning Added: If you add additional harissa seasoning at the end, simmer for an additional 10 minutes, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.  If using the IP, use the Sauté button and monitor closely to prevent burning.
• Light Unsweetened Coconut Milk: This is a spicy dish that packs harissa heat.  Harissa is traditionally tempered with coconut milk/cream. You can also use unsweetened plain plant milk, but you will need to adjust the spices (not use as much) as the lite coconut milk is thicker and has more flavor than plain unsweetened plant milk.  We tried the recipe both ways and definitely preferred using light unsweetened coconut milk from the can over the plain plant milk. Light Unsweetened Coconut Milk is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, full fat coconut milk and coconut cream are not.
• 15-Minute Rest: It is important to allow this dish to rest for 15 minutes to let the flavors marry.  You will find that that spicy/heat will mellow as the dish cools.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a covered container.

This dish can be frozen.

Pantry Products:

• Harissa Seasoning Powder: We used Frontier Co-Op Organic Harissa Seasoning North African Heat.  Feel free to use your favorite Harissa seasoning powder/spice blend, or make your own.
• Lentils: We used Palouse Brand Small Brown Lentils. Feel free to use your favorite brown or green lentils.
• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

Kitchen Products:

• Instant Pot (or similarly large stock pot)

If you try this comforting dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.

Harissa Spiced Lentil Curry

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes
• Cook Time: 14 Minutes (Instant Pot)
• Total Time: 29 Minutes (+Rest Time)
• Yield: 4-5 Servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Instant Pot, Stovetop
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Spicy and fragrant, this Harissa Spiced Lentil Curry is a delicious fusion of Middle Eastern and Indian flavors.

This dish was inspired by veganmonarchy

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Ingredients

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Base Ingredients:

• 1 medium red onion, fine dice
• 1 cup carrots, small dice
• 1 large red bell pepper, small dice
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth *
• 1 cup dry brown lentils, picked through and rinsed *

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 to 5 teaspoons harissa seasoning powder (+/-) *
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (+/-) *
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ to 1 1/8 teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *

Other Ingredients:

• 1 – [ 14 oz. can ] light coconut milk *
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped

Serving Ideas:

• Hummus
• Plain unsweetened plant yogurt
• Steamed rice
• Chopped cilantro
• Flatbread

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Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except sea salt) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
2. Place all the Base Ingredients and the Spice/Herb Mix into the Instant Pot. Stir well.
3. Set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure High for 14 minutes. When finished, press Cancel and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then do a Quick Release.  Unplug the Instant Pot.
4. Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid, add in the sea salt, lite coconut milk and chopped baby spinach. Stir well to combine.
5. Allow to rest for 15 minutes to let the flavors to marry before taste testing.
6. Taste test for flavor and add any additional seasonings at this time. Serve with your favorite rice, hummus, plant yogurt, chopped cilantro, and/or flatbread.

Stove Top Instructions

1. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except sea salt) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
2. Place the diced red onions, carrots, and red bell peppers in a deep stock pot, sauté until tender, approx. 7 to 9 minutes.  Add a splash of water if needed to prevent burning, then add the garlic, sauté for 1 minute.
3. Then add all the remaining Base Ingredients and the Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine, heat to boiling, then immediately lower to a simmer. Simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Monitor the liquids as you may or may not need to add a little more water to ensure the lentils cook properly.
4. One the lentils are tender, then add in the sea salt, light coconut milk, and chopped baby spinach, stir well to combine. Simmer for several minutes, then remove from the stove.
5. Allow to rest for 15 minutes to let the flavors to marry before taste testing.
6. Taste test for flavor and add any additional seasonings at this time.  Serve with your favorite rice, plant yogurt, chopped cilantro, and/or flatbread.

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Notes

*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Servings: 4 to 5

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