This Old-Fashioned Lentil Curry is adapted from a vintage 1970s Rose Elliot recipe and is an easy, budget-friendly meal. It can be prepared in advance and can be adapted to suit individual preferences or ingredients you have available. Although curries are technically Indian cuisine Elliot describes this lentil curry as English style. English style curries date back to Victorian Britain.
English style lentil curry served with long-grain rice and home-made 3 ingredient flatbreads. For the flatbreads all you need is - self-raising flour, salt, and dairy-free yogurt. I added nigella seeds to the flatbreads for a Naan bread flavour.
This recipe is part of a new series of extra budget-friendly recipes. Food has become so expensive especially on the Scottish island where I live so these recipes are essential. I have pored over my vintage cookery books for inspiration as frugal recipes were also a necessity in the past.
However, flavour will not be compromised and of course you can add in your own flavours in the form of spices, herbs, soy sauce, red or white wine vinegar, nutritional yeast flakes, miso paste, etc., whenever you feel like a recipe will benefit.
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This lentil curry recipe originated within my old falling-to-bits copy of Rose Elliot's book - Not Just A Load of Old Lentils (1972). I love bringing old recipes back to life. The classics are the best for a reason. Even if the flavours may seem outdated we can jazz them up with extra flavours or ingredients and adapt them to our preferences. The best recipes can be regarded as a suggestion rather than written in stone.
I have made a few changes to Elliot's 1972 recipe. The original recipe called for the dried lentils to be soaked for a few hours before cooking, but that is not usually necessary with lentils we have today. Instead I followed the dried green lentil packaging cooking times and simply cooked the lentils straight from the package. The recipe didn't specify the type of lentils so I decided on green whole lentils as I figured red split lentils would create a softer, mushier curry. The green lentils worked well, as they retained shape and texture, but you can replace those with brown whole lentils or any type of whole lentils. Green or yellow split peas would also work well.
Add this recipe to your recipe box because...
- Budget-friendly: lentils are an inexpensive source of protein and are a useful source of fibre which keeps us fuller for longer -a portion has an estimated 16g protein and 20g fibre, with just 2g fat.
- Inspired by British vintage recipe: the best recipes stand the test of time and have been enjoyed for generations.
- Easy to adapt: Add extra cooked vegetables, use split peas instead of lentils, switch the apple for courgette [zucchini] or vegetable marrow, use cooked peas instead of cucumber, omit the sultanas, use your favourite curry powder, use either lemon juice or white wine vinegar or similar.
- Use dried lentils or canned lentils: If preferred, use 3 cans (400g/14 oz each) of whole lentils instead of cooking dried lentils. Drain the lentils, reserving some of the can liquid. Stir in a little of the reserved liquid as needed to create your preferred curry consistency.
- Batch cook or prepare in advance: extra portions can be frozen or enjoyed over a few days - curry always tastes nicer a day after it's cooked.
- Simple everyday & pantry ingredients: easily sourced ingredients and you may already have most in your pantry or refrigerator.
- Naturally vegan, vegetarian, plant-based: perfect for meat-free options
- Easy to adapt for gluten-free diets: use gluten-free stock.
interesting historical notes
- Sliced fresh banana as a side to English curries was a popular suggestion in British vintage cookery books
- This vintage English style curry has cucumber added at the end of cooking. Adding cucumber to curries may seem unusual today but was very common in vintage 1960s and 1970s curry recipes. Also, British cooks have been adding cucumber to savoury dishes for hundreds of years. Recipes such as stewed cucumber served with tomato sauce and stewed cucumber and beetroot which has the cucumber fried, can be found in the Victorian cook Mrs Bowdich's vegetarian cookery book Victorian Vegetable Recipes from New Vegetarian Dishes (1892).
- Also, Eliza Acton in her Victorian cookery book Modern Cooking for Private Families (1882) has recipes for stewed cucumbers in gravy and recipes for adding fried cucumber to hashes and minces.
- This vintage British curry is usually seasoned with lemon juice but I have used white wine vinegar several times as often I have no fresh lemons to hand. Interestingly, while looking through my vintage book collection for British curry recipes I came across a recipe for a Vinegar Curry in my foxed copy of Elizabeth Craig's cookery book ''The Scottish Cookery book: The classic guide to all that's best in Scottish fare'' (1956). The recipe calls for a tablespoon of malt vinegar and a teaspoon of chilli vinegar to be stirred through at the end of cooking, evidencing that adding vinegar to curry is a traditional British technique.
How to prepare
The ingredients you will need for this 1970s lentil curry recipe are:
- green or brown lentils
- bay leaf
- 1 stock cube or few teaspoons stock powder
- vegetable oil or coconut oil
- onion
- garlic
- sultanas (optional)
- apple
- curry powder (I used madras curry powder)
- cucumber (or cooked peas)
- lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)
- salt & pepper
- Cook the lentils in water with a bay leaf and half a stock cube until firm but soft
- Sauté the onion, garlic, apple, sultanas, and curry powder for 15 minutes.
- Add a little water.
4. Stir through the cooked lentils and diced cucumber or peas.
5. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice (or white wine vinegar) to taste.
Serving suggestion:
Enjoy with rice, naan bread or our easy 3 ingredient flatbreads. Mango chutney, mint sauce or a spoonful of vegan mayonnaise are nice condiments.
The main flavours of this old-fashioned British curry are of warm curry spices with a nice sweetness from the apple and sultanas, and a fresh twang from the lemon juice or white wine vinegar. The recipe is inspired by Indian curries rather than an authentic curry. English style curries have been popular since at least the Victorian era.
more vintage lentil recipes
I love lentils as the main ingredient as they are relatively inexpensive compared to other protein sources and they can be used for a variety of dishes as they are just so versatile.
A few of our family favourites are this Old-Fashioned Lentil Pie and this Lentil bolognese recipe which can be easily prepared in the slow cooker or stove-top.
This Scottish Lentil Soup dates back to my childhood growing up in Glasgow during the 1980s and 1990s, whereas this Easy Lentil Dahl is my budget-friendly take on a traditional Dahl.
We have a very easy 3 ingredient flatbread recipe (vegan yogurt, self-raising flour and salt) that is the perfect accompaniment to this vintage English lentil curry.
**please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.**
📖 Recipe
Old-Fashioned Lentil Curry
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- Deep large non-stick frying pan / skillet
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 225 grams green lentils [rinse to remove dust, etc]
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 stock cube [halfed, or 2 teaspoons stock powder]
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 large onion [finely diced]
- 1 small apple [peeled & finely diced]
- 4 cloves garlic [finely diced, or 2 teaspoons garlic powder or garlic puree]
- 1½ tablespoons curry powder [I used madras curry powder]
- 3 tablespoons sultanas [optional]
Stirred through at the end of cooking:
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice [add extra to taste, or white wine vinegar]
- 130 grams cucumber [about ½ small cucumber, can replace with cooked fresh or frozen peas]
Instructions
Cook the lentils
- Add the lentils to a saucepan with about 1.2 litres (1100 millilitres / 2 pints / 1 quart] of water, along with ½ stock cube and bay leaf.Cook until the lentils are still whole and firm but cooked through. I used green lentils and they were cooked after 35 minutes. Add small amounts of extra water if necessary as the lentils cook to prevent the water drying out.Set aside while you cook the curry or if already done the next stages add the lentils to the cooked onion mixture as detailed below.225 grams green lentils, 1 bay leaf, 1 stock cube
Cook the curry
- Heat the oil over a medium heat and over a low-medium heat cook the onion, apple, sultanas, curry powder, and garlic until the onion has softened. This may take between 10-15 minutes, after 10 minutes add about 280 millilitres [1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water] and the remaining ½ of the stock cube.Stir frequently throughout cooking.2 tablespoons oil , 1 large onion , 1 small apple, 4 cloves garlic, 1½ tablespoons curry powder, 3 tablespoons sultanas
- Stir through the cooked lentils along with any remaining liquid - although there likely won't be much liquid.
- Stir through the cucumber or cooked peas.130 grams cucumber
- Season with salt and pepper, and lemon juice (or white wine vinegar) - to taste.1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Heat the curry up till nice and hot before serving. If preferred you can add a little extra water but this curry is not intended to be a saucy one.
Serving suggestion
- Enjoy with rice or creamy mashed potatoes. Mango chutney and/or mint sauce or a scoop of vegan mayonnaise is a nice accompaniment, as is naan bread or homemade flatbreads - see a link in the recipe notes to our 3-ingredient flatbread recipe.
Notes
- cooked rice, noodles
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- naan breads or home-made flatbreads
- spring rolls
- vegetable pakora
- vegetable samosa
- vegetable bajis
- condiments: mango chutney, mint sauce, vegan mayonnaise
- A vintage accompaniment to British curries is sliced bananas on the side! My kids grandma had curries with bananas on the side of the plate during the 60s and 70s. Don't knock it until you try it!
- replace the apple with courgette or vegetable marrow
- sultanas can be omitted
- split peas can replace the lentils - cook until soft but still firm
- Use dried lentils or canned lentils: If preferred, use 3 cans (400g/14 oz each) of whole lentils instead of cooking dried lentils. Drain the lentils, reserving some of the can liquid. Stir in a little of the reserved liquid as needed to create your preferred curry consistency.
- store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
- or freeze for 2-3 months
- add to a non-stick saucepan or skillet along with a small amount of water and reheat until piping hot, stir frequently.
- place into a covered microwave dish and reheat for 2 ½ minutes, stir, and then reheat for another minute or so until piping hot.
Nutrition
Comments
Prepared this old-fashioned lentil curry? It would be wonderful if you would drop a comment below to let me know how you got on with the recipe. All feedback is very welcome and helps me know which recipes you are enjoying. Any recipe suggestions welcome. Thanks! Love Jacq x
Jacq says
My family loves this lentil curry but we would love to know how you get on with the recipe. Drop us a comment below. All feedback is very welcome, Jacq x