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Vegan Thai Lentil Chickpea Curry

4.96 from 24 votes
Total 30 minutes
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Vegan Thai Lentil Chickpea Curry is an easy Thai curry made with lentils, chickpeas, curry paste, tomatoes, coconut milk, and ginger. This chickpea curry recipe is a vegan favorite and includes Instant Pot, slow cooker, and stove instructions.

lentil chickpea curry, rice, tomatoes, and cilantro in white bowl on blue background

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Table of Contents hide
1) Vegan Thai Lentil Chickpea Curry
2) Ingredients you'll need
3) How to make this recipe in the Instant Pot
4) How long do you pressure cook lentils and chickpeas?
5) What I love about this chickpea curry
6) 📖 Recipe
7) Vegan Thai Lentil Chickpea Curry

Vegan Thai Lentil Chickpea Curry

This Vegan Thai Lentil Chickpea Curry recipe is a plant-based curry made for Instant Pot, Stove, or Crockpot. It's an easy vegan curry with garbanzos, Thai red curry paste, tomatoes, and coconut milk. It's so rich and creamy, it's hard to believe it's vegan! It's one of my favorite Thai meals that practically cooks itself!

Ingredients you'll need

  • coconut oil (or any oil)
  • green onions
  • fresh ginger
  • fresh garlic
  • red curry paste
  • cherry tomatoes (or canned tomatoes)
  • coconut milk
  • dried brown lentils
  • cooked chickpeas
  • water
  • salt
  • (optional) cooked brown rice or cooked quinoa for serving

How to make this recipe in the Instant Pot

  1. Chop veggies and open canned ingredients.
  2. Saute veggies in oil in the cooker on the saute setting.
  3. Add remaining ingredients
  4. Close/lock/seal lid, set pressure cooker button for 6 minutes on HIGH pressure.
  5. Allow 10-minute natural pressure release
  6. Serve warm
instant pot with chickpea curry, wooden utensil, dry lentils, cherry tomatoes, fresh cilantro and white bowl with rice

How long do you pressure cook lentils and chickpeas?

For this Thai curry recipe, you definitely do not want to overcook the brown lentils. So I use a manual time of 6 under high pressure with a 5-minute natural pressure release. Any longer than that, your lentils might resemble mashed potatoes.

lentil chickpea curry, rice, tomatoes, and cilantro in white bowl on blue background

What I love about this chickpea curry

  • it's naturally vegan AND gluten-free
  • budget friendly (because it uses everyday ingredients that can be cross-utilized with other ingredients)
  • freezer-friendly...so you can have it on hand at all times
  • easy to make
  • almost hands-free
  • packed with protein, fiber, and flavor
lentil chickpea curry, rice, tomatoes, and cilantro in white bowl on blue background with blue towel

More comfort food recipes

📖 Recipe

lentil chickpea curry, rice, tomatoes, and cilantro in white bowl on blue background

Vegan Thai Lentil Chickpea Curry

Vegan Thai Lentil Chickpea Curry is an easy Thai curry made with lentils, chickpeas, curry paste, tomatoes, coconut milk, and ginger.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total time30 minutes
Yield 5 1-cup servings
Author Traci
4.96 from 24 votes
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Note about scaling

When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil, or preferred oil
  • 2 med Green Onions, sliced; separate white stalks from green tops
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, grated
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Red Curry Paste (or yellow or green)
  • 12 Cherry Tomatoes, or 1 (15 ounce can) diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 (13.5 ounce can) Coconut Milk
  • 1 cup Uncooked Brown Lentils, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can Chickpeas (drained), or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
  • ½ cup Water
  • ½ teaspoon Salt

Instructions

Lentil Chickpea Curry Instant Pot Instructions:

  • Select "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and heat the OLIVE OIL.
  • When the display reads "Hot", add Add GREEN ONIONS (white stalks only), GINGER, and GARLIC; sauté a few minutes until slightly tender, stirring frequently.
  • Add CURRY PASTE and TOMATOES; sauté a few more minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
  • Add COCONUT MILK, LENTILS, CHICKPEAS, WATER, and SALT.
  • Press the "Cancel" function on the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and turn the pressure release valve to the "Sealing" position.
  • Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" and set the cooker on "High" pressure for 6 minutes.
  • When the cycle completes, allow the pot to sit 10 minutes (undisturbed) for a natural pressure release (NPR).
  • Then, release any remaining steam by turning the pressure release valve to the "Venting" position, using an oven mitt for protection.

Lentil Chickpea Curry Stove instructions:

  • Heat OIL in a large skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add GREEN ONIONS (white stalks only), GINGER, and GARLIC; sauté (and stir) a few minutes until slightly tender; add CURRY PASTE and TOMATOES; sauté a few more minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
  • Add COCONUT MILK, LENTILS, CHICKPEAS, WATER, and SALT; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20-30 minutes (until lentils are tender and cooked through).

Lentil Chickpea Curry Crockpot Instructions:

  • Heat OIL in a large skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add GREEN ONIONS (white stalks), GINGER, and GARLIC; sauté (and stir) a few minutes until slightly tender.
  • Transfer sauteed veggies over to a 3+ quart Crockpot.
  • Stir in CURRY PASTE, TOMATOES, COCONUT MILK, LENTILS, CHICKPEAS, WATER, and SALT.
  • Cover and set Crockpot on HIGH 2 hours or LOW 4 hours.

Serving instructions, toppings, and storage

  • Serve warm over rice or quinoa, garnished with cilantro, green onion (tops), and lime.
  • To store, allow to cool completely. Refrigerate in airtight containers up up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month in freezer-safe containers.
Did you make this? We'd love your feedback!!Please rate and review it here or below ⤵️

Equipment

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 482mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 745IU | Vitamin C: 13.1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 3.4mg

Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Thai
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan
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lentil chickpea curry, rice, tomatoes, and cilantro in white bowl on blue background with image title

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Traci

About Traci

I’m the recipe author, photographer, and videographer behind The Kitchen Girl food blog established in 2013. I test and share all of my original recipes here so you can make great food with simple ingredients for everyday meals and special occasions.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.96 from 24 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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  1. Squeekyboots says

    5 stars
    Very good basic curry lentil recipe! If you want to kick it up a notch with more heat and more robust curry flavoring, don't replace but augment the Thai curry paste with a healthy tbsp of Patak's hot curry paste + two tablespoons of yellow curry powder.

    And don't skip the green onions, like I did the first time: didn't have any so I used finely chopped red. The second time the green made a subtle but noteworthy difference in flavor.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Hey thanks for the review and the tips! So glad you liked it 🙂 I'm also crazy about green onions in this dish lol.

  2. Katie says

    5 stars
    I’m in love! One of my new favorites!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Yay Katie! So glad to hear it...thanks 🙂

  3. Vanessa says

    How should I alter the recipe if I am using dry chickpeas?

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Hi Vanessa, you'll need to fully cook the chickpeas before making this recipe, otherwise, you'll overcook all of the other ingredients trying to get the chickpeas cooked. Does that answer your question?

    • Vanessa says

      Yes, thank you! I’ve made this several times with canned chickpeas and I love it!

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Awesome! So glad to hear it!

  4. Caroline says

    5 stars
    I was a little worried when it seemed like all your reviews said 'can't wait to try this,' lol.

    But I just made it and it's DELICIOUS! I didn't have cherry tomatoes so I used a can of Rotel and I left out the 1/2 c. of water.

    That probably made it a bit spicier, but we don't mind. Sooo good - I'm eating it without the rice!

    FIY: I used full fat coconut milk and Maesri brand red curry paste found on Amazon.

    Thank you for my new go-to lentil recipe. ❤️

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Awesome Caroline...I'm so glad to hear your success with this one. It's a top fav of my IP recipes! I'm going to make some today, in fact! 🙂 Sounds like yours turned out perfect with those changes...thanks for the comment!

  5. Jen says

    This looks awesome. 2 questions 🙂 I normally only have dried lentils on hand do you know how this would affect the cook time? I also normally buy my chickpeas frozen so how much extra liquid would you estimate I add. This looks awesome.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Hi Jen, apologies for the delayed response (I usually have a 12-hour turnaround). Great questions! You want dried lentils (I just edited the recipe to clarify that) and since canned garbanzo juice yields about 1/2 cup liquid, you can add 1/2 cup water to the recipe since you're using frozen beans. You may feel you don't even need the extra liquid depending on your preference for consistency. Hope it helps...and hope you love the recipe like I do! 🙂

  6. Meredith says

    5 stars
    I love curries with chickpeas as a base! Your thai coconut curry with chickpeas and lentils sounds like a delicious and comforting me... I can't wait to throw it into my meatless meal rotation. Pinning to try this week... thank you!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks so much Meredith! I lovvvve hearing this...day made! Hope you love it too 🙂

  7. Allison - Celebrating Sweets says

    5 stars
    I'm always on the lookout for new IP recipes. Giving this one a try soon!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Great to hear that, Allison! Hope you get to try this one!

  8. Calleigh K says

    I love how this was made in instant pot. I can now dig up my IP which been sitting in the pantry for a while. Wohooo... I can't wait to try this later. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Calleigh...glad to hear it! Hope you love it like I do 🙂

  9. linda spiker says

    5 stars
    Lovely recipe! The IP makes everything so easy!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Linda...I couldn't agree more! 🙂

  10. Dana says

    5 stars
    Love this, Traci! I haven't yet used my Instant Pot for anything vegetarian, so I really can't wait to try this. It looks and sounds so healthy and substantial.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Oh yay Dana! I hope you get a change to try it and LOVE it like I do. It's curry, right...almost can't go wrong 🙂

  11. Natalie says

    5 stars
    This curry looks so delicious - hearty and comforting! I love curry but never made it with chickpeas before - will definitely try it soon!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Natalie...hope you love it! It's so easy and healthy...one of my fav's for sure! 🙂

  12. Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says

    5 stars
    I actually don't have an Instant pot at this time but I keep seeing all these amazing recipes using one. And this recipe is one I'd definitely love to try!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Glad to hear it, Stephanie. Let me know if you ever have any questions about it...I'm always here 🙂

  13. Ann says

    5 stars
    We're finally making the commitment to eat less meat in our house, so I'm on the lookout for simple, satisfying meals like this one. We love Thai curries and I love how easy this sounds )

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Congrats, Ann...eating less meat is a win-win all around! Yes, this should be a super easy recipe for you...and if you like curries already, hopefully you'll love this one! 🙂

  14. Sharon says

    I'm always ready for a great lentil recipe. Using the Insta-Pot is a great way to save time and get a delicious meal in the process.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Sharon...couldn't agree more! Love all the lentils 🙂

  15. Maggie @ Mama Maggie's Kitchen says

    5 stars
    Love easy recipes especially when they're vegetarian. Must pin for later.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks so much Maggie! Appreciate hearing it and thanks for pinning! 🙂

  16. Marly says

    5 stars
    I'm a big fan of the chickpea curry and can't wait to give this one a try..soon! ❤️

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Yayyy Marly! I'm right there with you on the chickpea curry. Hope you love the Thai-inspired twist 🙂

  17. Beth says

    5 stars
    I have yet to buy an Instapot. This recipe may have put the edge in the decision making process! I love the combination of flavors in this dish!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Well, I love hearing that your inspired by my recipe! I do love keeping my IP activities very simple, indeed! Let me know if you ever have any questions about it! 🙂

  18. Britt | Sweet Tea and Thyme says

    I've been looking for more recipes to make with my best friend (she's vegan!) and this looks so good! She's just got an instant pot, she's going to love this.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      This makes my day, Britt! Hope you both love it! 🙂

  19. Emma says

    4 stars
    I've never tried chickpeas in thai food but I do love a curried chickpea so I'm sure this would be delicous!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Emma...it's so freaking delicious! Can't believe how easy it is too! 🙂

  20. Edyta at Innocent Delight says

    5 stars
    You used all my favorite flavors in this dish. I need to get myself instant pot asap 🙂

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Yay! Love hearing that Edyta...and yes, get your hands on that Instant Pot, girl! 🙂

  21. Sues says

    5 stars
    More awesome things to make in my Instant Pot I'm in!! This looks so yummy!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Yay! So great to hear it Sues! Hope you love it 🙂

  22. Denisse Salinas says

    5 stars
    Wow! This looks delicious! And I love how easy it is to make it all in the instant pot. Can't wait to try!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Awesome Denisse...hope you get a chance to check it out! Thanks! 🙂

  23. swathi says

    5 stars
    I cook chickpeas in Instant pot but not made curry with it. I need to try it as I love coconut and chickpea combination a lot.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Oh hope you give this one a try, Swathi! It's so easy...and always delicious! 🙂

  24. Carlee says

    I absolutely love chickpea curries. I definitely need to give this a go, I need more instant pot recipes and have been wanting to use lentils more!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      I'm with you on the chickpea curries, Carlee. They're so easy and delicious! Hope you get to try this one 🙂

  25. April says

    5 stars
    I cannot wait to buy an instant pot! This looks perfect! We are moving soon and I promised myself that I wouldn't buy anything else until we move. This recipe is really tempting me to buy one!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks April...glad to tempt you with this recipe! I really like mine and use it for many things 🙂