Freezer Friendly Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry
Finding delicious vegetarian meals to add to your meal plan isn’t always easy – especially when you’re freezer cooking! But once you try this red lentil curry recipe, you’ll want to add it to your regular menu rotation. The flavorful combination of Indian spices in this simple vegan dinner is the perfect way to add a meatless dish to your weeknight dinner menu. And since you can easily freeze the ingredients until you’re ready to start cooking, it’s also perfect for make ahead meal prepping!
This is one of the few freezer meal recipes that we cook before freezing, so it’s a very good one for portioning out into individual portions if you are wanting meal prepped lunches or making freezer meals for one.
Red Lentil Curry Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups split red lentils
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 head cauliflower chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 can tomato puree (29 ounces)
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
For day of cooking:
- Freshly chopped cilantro for garnish
Assembly Instructions:
- Place all the ingredients except the coconut milk and chopped cilantro in the bowl of your slow cooker.
- Set the crockpot to cook on low for four to six hours or high for three to four hours.
- When the red lentils are soft, stir in the coconut milk and turn off the slow cooker.
- Allow the curry to cool completely, then transfer the mixture to a large freezer bag or several medium sized freezer bags.
- Remove excess air from the bag and seal. Place in the freezer until you’re ready to eat.
Cooking instructions:
- Transfer the frozen curry to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- When ready to cook, pour the contents of the bag into a large pot. Cook over medium heat until heated through or microwave in a bowl or container.
- Serve topped with fresh cilantro.
What are Red Lentils?
There are a variety of different types of lentils to cook with, so telling them apart isn’t always easy! In spite of their name, red lentils are actually more orange in color. These lentils are typically hulled and split, which means that they cook more quickly than lentils that haven’t been split. After cooking, red lentils have a creamy texture, which helps thicken your curry into a stew-like consistency without the need for a thickener.
And since a 200 gram serving of red lentils has 18 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber, they’re a healthy option for any vegan or vegetarian diet.
Do You Need to Soak Red Lentils?
While most beans and grains benefit from soaking before cooking, there’s no need to take the time to soak your red lentils before making your curry. To prepare your lentils for cooking, transfer them to a strainer and rinse them with fresh water to remove dust and debris. After that, you can mix the lentils with the rest of your curry ingredients and start cooking.
Is Red Lentil Curry Spicy?
This curry dinner can be spicy if you want it to be! The amount of spice in your dish depends on how much red curry paste you use. If you want your curry to be on the milder side, simply use less red curry paste. But if you prefer spicier curry, you can easily increase the amount of curry paste in your dish.
After heating your curry in the slow cooker, taste the dish before transferring it to the freezer bag. If you want the curry to be spicier, mix in more curry paste before storing the dish in the freezer.
You can also reduce the heat of your curry by adding more coconut milk. Mixing in a small amount of additional coconut milk will help balance the spices and reduce the heat of your dish.
How Do You Store Red Lentil Curry?
To store your curry in the freezer, simply follow the storage instructions outlined above. When properly stored in the freezer, the curry will stay good for up to three months.
If you prepare your curry for freezer cooking, it’s not recommended that you thaw and refreeze the dinner if you have leftovers. But you can store extra curry in the refrigerator. Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to seven days.
The curry can be reheated in the microwave in 30 second intervals or in a saucepan over medium low heat.
How Do You Serve Red Lentil Curry?
This flavorful dish can be enjoyed all on its own. But if you want to round out the meal, there are a few sides and toppings that pair perfectly with the ingredients in this dinner. Try these serving suggestions to create a delicious dinner for your family:
- Serve over jasmine, white, or brown rice.
- Top the curry with crushed peanuts or sesame seeds.
- Serve your curry alongside steamed veggies like broccoli or green beans.
- Use the curry as a topping for pasta or zucchini noodles.
- Serve over cauliflower rice.
Other vegetarian freezer meals you might love:
- Vegetarian Taco Soup
- Pesto Minestrone
- Moroccan Chickpea Stew
- Ravioli Lasagna
- Frittata
- 2 cups split red lentils
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 head cauliflower chopped
- 1 Tbsp. ginger minced
- 2 Tbsp. red curry paste
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric
- 2 tsp. garam masala
- 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
- 29 oz. tomato puree
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- freshly chopped cilantro for garnish
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Place all the ingredients except the coconut milk and chopped cilantro in the bowl of your slow cooker.
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Set the crockpot to cook on low for four to six hours or high for three to four hours.
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When the red lentils are soft, stir in the coconut milk and turn off the slow cooker.
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Allow the curry to cool completely, then transfer the mixture to a large freezer bag or several medium sized bags.
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Remove excess air from the bag(s) and seal. Place in the freezer until you’re ready to eat.
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Thaw.
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When ready to cook, pour the contents of the bag into a large pot. Cook over medium heat until heated through or transfer to a bowl and reheat in the microwave.
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Serve topped with fresh cilantro.
