Peel the carrot and cut it into small pieces. Finely chop or grate the ginger.
Heat the coconut oil in a pan and briefly soften the carrot with the ginger. Add the curry powder and cayenne pepper and toast briefly until fragrant.
Stir in the red lentils, passata and coconut milk. Mix everything well and bring to the boil once.
Simmer the curry, covered, over a low to medium heat until the lentils are soft and the sauce is thick and creamy. Stir now and then so nothing sticks.
If needed, stir in a little water to make it creamier and fine-tune the flavour. Leave it to simmer briefly uncovered if you like it thicker.
Serve in bowls and enjoy hot.
Good to know
A curry like this is a good companion for the evening. It's creamy, spicy and quick to cook, without feeling heavy.
Swaps
Red lentils → yellow lentils (similar protein and fibre content). Coconut milk → unsweetened cashew cooking cream (usually a little less saturated fat). Coconut oil → olive oil. Carrot → sweet potato (also provides fibre and beta-carotene).
Allergens
The recipe is vegan and usually gluten-free, as long as the curry powder contains no additives. Coconut may matter for sensitive people, cayenne is best used sparingly for children, and during pregnancy the dish is no concern in normal home cooking.
