Okra and Lentil Curry

I saw this vegetarian okra and lentil curry recipe on social media. It looked so good and I had most of the ingredients on hand, so I decided to make it.

My family loves curry dishes and okra, so this okra and lentil dish a perfect dish to make for them. I paired this with baked salmon. The lentils were first boiled until tender. Then, the lentils were cooked with diced tomatoes, coconut cream and tamarind paste. The okra was then cooked separately with some spices and then later combined with the lentil mixture. The result is a healthy and hearty dish that was delicious as well!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Okra and Lentil Curry

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time50 mins

Course: Main Course

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Liza Agbanlog

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup water
• ½ cup brown lentils
• 1 tsp turmeric
• A pinch of salt plus more to taste
• 1 398 ml 14 fl oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp coconut or avocado oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 8 curry leaves
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 cups chopped okra
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

• Rinse the lentils in cold running water. Drain and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the lentils, turmeric and pinch of salt, and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally for 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
• Increase the heat to medium high and then add the tomatoes, coconut cream and tamarind paste. Stir and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Heat the oil on a frying pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and fry until it starts to pop. Add the curry leaves and fry until they shrink in half.
• Add the onions and garam masala, and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the okra and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Return the lentil mixture on the heat and stir in the okra mixture. Cook, over medium heat for 2 minutes or until heated through.
• Serve, garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes

Recipe adapted: Bosh