Vegan · Slow cooker adaptation

Vegan Red Lentil Curry (Slow Cooker)

R By Richard · Adapted from Rainbow Plant Life · Published 24 June 2026
👁 3.8M source views ❤️ 112k source likes
⏱Prep 15 min
🍲Slow cook 4 hr (Low) / 2 hr (High)
🍽Serves 4
If I could only cook one dish for a vegan skeptic...

Source video by Rainbow Plant Life on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

Rainbow Plant Life's signature red lentil curry, pitched at vegan sceptics and anyone after a flavour-packed weeknight dinner. The base is the classic garlic, ginger and green chilli trio with a stack of ground spices, simmered with red lentils and crushed tomatoes. Full-fat coconut milk and almond butter go in near the end to balance the heat and add richness. Serve with basmati rice, naan, roti or paratha.

Slow cooker notes: Source is a hob recipe (simmer 20 to 25 minutes for the lentils, then 5 to 7 minutes uncovered after the coconut milk and almond butter go in). Adapted by moving the lentils, tomatoes and stock into the slow cooker after the aromatics and spices are bloomed in a pan, then cooking on Low 4 hours or High 2 hours until the lentils are tender. Coconut milk and almond butter are stirred in at the end on the slow cooker's keep-warm or a brief simmer back on the hob, as in the source, to preserve their texture. Fresh coriander and lemon juice are added off the heat. Sauté of aromatics retained because the cook explicitly says blooming the spices adds more flavour than dumping them straight into the liquid.

Ingredients

Aromatics
  • garlic cloves, minced
  • fresh ginger, grated on a microplane or fine grater
  • 1 to 2serrano green chilli peppers, diced, seeds left in for heat or removed for a milder curry
Spices
  • ground cumin
  • ground coriander
  • curry powder
  • ground turmeric
  • garam masala
  • Indian red chilli powder
  • fine salt
  • black pepper
Main
  • coconut oil or neutral cooking oil
  • 1 cupred lentils, rinsed until the water runs clear
  • vegetable broth
  • 400 gcrushed tomatoes, 1 tin
Finish
  • full-fat coconut milk, tinned (add late)
  • almond butter (add late)
  • fresh coriander, chopped (add late)
  • lemon juice (add late)
To serve
  • white basmati rice, cooked
  • vegan naan, roti or paratha

Method

  1. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger on a microplane or fine grater, and dice the serrano chillies. Leave the seeds in if you like heat, take them out for a milder curry.

    ~5 min

  2. Rinse the red lentils in a sieve under cold water until the water runs clear.

    ~2 min

  3. Heat a little coconut oil or neutral oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and green chilli and cook for about a minute until fragrant.

    ~2 min

  4. Add the cumin, ground coriander, curry powder, turmeric, garam masala and Indian red chilli powder along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir for about a minute to bloom the spices, turning the heat down if they catch.

    ~2 min

  5. Tip the bloomed aromatics and spices into the slow cooker. Add the rinsed red lentils, the tin of crushed tomatoes and the vegetable broth. Stir to combine.

    ~3 min

  6. Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours or High for 2 hours, until the lentils are tender and have broken down into a curry consistency.

    ~240 min

  7. Stir in the full-fat coconut milk and a spoon of almond butter. Cover and cook on Low for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or transfer to a pan and simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes as in the source, until slightly thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper.

    ~20 min

  8. Finish with chopped fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with basmati rice and naan, roti or paratha.

    ~3 min

Frequently asked

Can I skip the almond butter?
You can, but it adds body and a slight nuttiness that the source recipe leans on. If you have a nut allergy, a spoon of cashew butter, tahini or sunflower seed butter will sit in for it.
Do I have to sauté the spices first?
Yes if you can. The cook in the source says blooming the ground spices in oil for about a minute is what gives the curry depth. Tipping them straight into the slow cooker with the liquid leaves the curry tasting flat.
Can I use split red lentils?
Yes. The source says split red lentils cook a touch quicker than whole red lentils but both work. Check the texture an hour earlier on High if you use split.
How spicy is this curry?
With the seeds left in the serrano chillies and a pinch of Indian red chilli powder, it has a definite kick. For a milder curry, deseed the chillies and dial back the red chilli powder.
Can I make it ahead?
It is a great make-ahead curry. The cook in the source notes the flavour actually improves the next day and the curry freezes well, which makes it useful for batch cooking.
Extraction notes (transparency): Source is a hob recipe so isAdapted=true. Several quantities are not stated in the transcript and are left null: garlic, ginger, ground spices (cumin, coriander, curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, Indian red chilli), salt and pepper, coconut oil, vegetable broth, coconut milk, almond butter, fresh coriander, lemon juice. Only red lentils (1 cup), crushed tomatoes (one 14 oz can) and serrano peppers (1 to 2) are quantified in the transcript. Slow cooker timings are an adaptation and not in the source.