Lentil and Coconut Milk Stew

Growing up, as far back as I can remember, lentils have never been missed in the weekly menu. We eagerly ate it with rice or chapati (which to some is referred to as roti, but we make ours a little different). It was a simple green lentil stew ‘loved’ up with onions, tomatoes, and a few teaspoons of a spice mix we used on everything! Yes, everything!

So It seemed inevitable that I would someday gravitate to making this for my kids, with a tweak here and there. And with everything going on at the moment, being stuck at home with so few ingredients. We are forced to either be creative or frugal with our pantry staples. This is one reason why this lentil recipe will work for you, it’s what I would refer to as a no-fuss pantry staples meal.

And it’s a ‘one for all’ recipe so even the kids will like it saving you time in the kitchen. Oh, and one more thing – I’m going to share with you 2 other recipes you can use this lentil recipe on.

Other Reasons toTry This Lentil Stew Recipe

I admit to sometimes feeling exhausted from cooking which seems endless at the moment. I am not sure if it’s because I am stuck indoors but sometimes it feels like no sooner did I finish preparing breakfast am I back in the kitchen making lunch and dinner with snacks in between! So having this simple yet versatile lentil recipe that I could whip up into more than one dish was very much welcome!

This lentil stew also freezes well. All you would have to do is portion it into a zip lock bag and freeze it either after it has been cooked with the coconut milk and other ingredients. Or you can freeze the boiled lentils to use in this or other recipes which is what I do as it also saves me time when I need to quickly whip something up.

Lentil Stew Ingredients

Lentils: I used brown lentils for this recipe. I should emphasize that the lentils didn’t have any leftover cooking water when I added it to the vegetables. So if your boiled lentils have a little leftover water, sieve out the water first before adding it to the vegetables.

Carrots: Chop them to as equal size as you can for even cooking.

Raisins: I used the golden raisins.

Recipe Ideas to Use This Pantry Staple Lentil Stew

Lentil Pasta

I originally made this for my youngest who is almost 24 months. I was overwhelmed after giving it a taste because I never thought I could enjoy a pasta dish without cheese so much! It was filling but gave me the feeling of ‘clean eating’ if I can call it that. To make this is as simple as boiling the pasta and adding it to the already cooked lentils.

How to The Lentil Pasta:

Step 1: Make sure the lentils are ready and hot before you start preparing the pasta

Step 2: I used 100g of the Barilla detali lisci baby pasta which cooks in under 6 minutes for the recipe in the above image. However, when preparing this for adults, you could use 100g of the same shape of pasta in a larger form that is also sold by barilla.

Step 3: When the pasta is ready, drain, it and put it back in the pan. Add a ladleful at a time of lentils over the pasta, mix through, and see if you need more, and just add more. Serve.

Creamy Lentil and Chickpea Soup

Have 100g of leftover Lentil stew? Use it on this lazy, spicy chickpea soup. It’s creamy from the blended potatoes with coconut milk and the chickpeas contribute a nice bite. It’s spicy and comforting at the same time- does that make sense?

Please give the lentil and coconut milk stew a thumbs up below.

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Other Recipes You Might Like…

Creamy Pasta with Beans

Creamy pasta with bean sauce, parmesan, and black pepper. Hearty, warm, filling, and healthy- perfect for when the chill hits or not- dig in any way!

Print Recipe

Lentil and coconut milk stew

(+25 rating, 5 votes)

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Main – Undefined

By Angela – Serves: 3

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 1 hour – Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

A quick and simple pantry staple lentil stew recipe made with brown lentils and coconut milk.

Ingredients

• 200g brown lentils
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp of finely diced red onion
• 40g diced red bell pepper
• 30g raisins (roughly chopped)
• 115g diced carrots
• 160ml coconut milk
• 100ml passata
• 1 vegetable stock pot/ 150ml of vegetable stock

Instructions

1

Rinse the lentils over cold running water. Put them in a pot with 645 ml of water and bring it to a boil uncovered. It will take roughly 30 - 32 minutes to cook through. The lentils should not get to the point where they are overly soft and breaking apart so keep an eye on them after the 25-minute mark. Take them off the fire when ready and sieve out any excess water if any.

2

Heat the oil in a non-stick pot over medium heat and sauté the onions for 2 minutes or until translucent.

3

Add the bell peppers and sauté for a further 1 minute or until softened then add in the carrots. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes.

4

Pour in the Passata, salt, half of the stockpot, or 150ml of vegetable stock if using. Stir, reduce the heat cover, and leave to simmer for 12 minutes.

5

Finally, add the lentils, raisins, and coconut milk to simmer, covered on low heat for 10 minutes.

6

Serve