The One-Pan Meal That Saves My Healthy Eating During the Week

The only way I manage to eat healthy during the week is by having a few meals in my pocket that I can make without thinking. Like, this one? It’s called Lentil Curry. It ticks every single box.

It’s high protein, high fibre, loaded with anti-inflammatory ingredients, and you make it all in one pan! Plus, it’s super flexible, so you can use up whatever is in your fridge. This is the kind of meal that feels like comfort food but is actually looking after your health.

And if you’re into these kind of comforting, good‑for‑you bowls, you’ll probably also love my Fun & Fabulous Warm Cabbage and Lentil Soup and Vegan Freezer‑Friendly Lentil Soup for those nights you want a hug in a bowl.

Why You’ll Love This

• Minimal Cleanup: One pan means less time at the sink and more time relaxing.
• Gut Health Hero: Packed with fibre from the lentils and veggies to feed your microbiome.
• Super Flexible: Swap the monkfish for prawns, chicken, or tofu, and change up the greens based on what you have.
• Batch Cook Friendly: It honestly tastes better the next day once the flavours have had a chance to get to know each other

If you love having a few high‑fibre, make‑ahead meals on rotation, definitely check out my Veggie‑Packed Lentil Bolognese (Meatless Pasta Night) and Vegan Freezer‑Friendly Lentil Soup too—they’re both brilliant for meal prep.

What You’ll Need

Special Equipment:

• Blender or mini-chopper (for the paste)
• Wide, heavy-based pan or skillet (with a lid)
• Small bowl (for soaking lentils)

The Fresh Curry Paste:

• 300 g tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 25 g fresh ginger (thumb-sized), chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 100 g red onion, chopped
• 2 tsp chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

The Curry Base:

• 150 g red lentils (dried)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 star anise
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 300 ml water
• 1 can (400 ml) coconut milk
• 2 tsp vegetable stock powder (or 1 stock cube)

The Protein & Greens:

• 300 g green beans, chopped
• 600 g monkfish fillet, chopped into chunks
• 200 g spinach (or baby kale/chard)
• Lime wedges (for garnish)

Let’s Get Cooking!

1. Get Your “Quick Hat” On!

When you’re doing quick meals, you need to get your “quick hat” on. Start off with the most time-intensive step: soaking the lentils. Rinse them and soak them in a bowl of cold water. Leave them for 10–15 minutes while you prep everything else. This softens them and makes them more digestible.

2. Blitz the Paste

I know what you’re thinking… “There’s no way I’m making a paste on a Wednesday!” It’s happening! And it takes less than five minutes.

In a blender, combine the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, red onion, chilli flakes, desiccated coconut, salt, and pepper. Blitz until you have a smooth paste.

3. Temper the Spices

Heat the coconut oil in your large pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, star anise, and turmeric powder. Cook for about 30–60 seconds until fragrant (be careful not to burn them!).

Note: When you hit the oil with the spices, it releases those essential oils. Your kitchen is going to smell incredible!

4. Cook the Paste

Pour your fresh paste into the pan with the spices. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, to cook out the raw onion and garlic flavour. The paste should darken slightly and thicken.

5. Build the Base

Drain the soaked lentils and add them to the pan. Pour in the 300 ml water, the can of coconut milk, and the vegetable stock. Stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.

6. Add Veggies & Fish

Toss in the chopped green beans and the monkfish chunks. Ensure the fish is submerged in the sauce.

Timing: Monkfish takes about 8 minutes to cook through in the simmering curry. If using cod or pollock, start checking after 5–6 minutes, as they can cook faster and flake more easily.

7. Wilt the Greens

Stir in the spinach. It looks like a lot, but it will wilt down in seconds. Cook for a final minute.

8. Serve

Ladle into bowls. A squeeze of lime lifts the whole dish. Enjoy solo or with a side of flatbread or rice.

Tips & Tricks

The “Empty Your Fridge” Philosophy

The beauty of this recipe is that it is so flexible. It’s more like a way of thinking about cooking. Once you have that lentil base bubbling away, you can swap the monkfish for hake, cod, or even tofu. Don’t have spinach? Use kale, chard, or shredded spring greens.

Store-Bought vs. Homemade Paste

If you are feeling really lazy (we’ve all been there), you can use a store-bought paste. But follow my three rules:

• Watch the Sugar: Look for less than 5 g of sugar per 100 g.
• No Nasties: Avoid additives, stabilisers, and gelling agents.
• Whole Ingredients: You should recognise everything on the label (e.g., garlic, ginger, vinegar).

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FAQs

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One-Pan Anti-Inflammatory Monkfish and Lentil Curry

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: DinnerCuisine: Indian, FusionDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

450

kcal

Total time

40

minutes

A vibrant, gut-friendly one-pan curry packed with protein and fiber. This South Indian-inspired dish uses monkfish, red lentils, and a homemade anti-inflammatory spice paste for a healthy weeknight meal that’s ready in 40 minutes.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Blender or mini-chopper (for the paste)

• Wide, heavy-based pan or skillet (with a lid)

• Small bowl (for soaking lentils)

• Ingredients

• 300 g tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 25 g ginger, fresh

• 6 cloves garlic

• 100 g red onion

• 2 tsp chilli flakes

• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 150 g red lentils (dried)

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 2 tsp mustard seeds

• 2 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 star anise

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 300 ml water

• 1 can (400 ml) coconut milk

• 2 tsp vegetable stock powder

• 300 g green beans

• 600 g monkfish fillet (or firm white fish)

• 200 g spinach

• 1 lime (optional, for garnish)

Directions

• Soak: Rinse 150 g red lentils and soak in water for 15 minutes.
• Blend: Combine tomatoes, ginger, garlic, onion, chilli, coconut, salt, and pepper in a blender to make a paste.
• Temper: Heat coconut oil in a large pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, star anise, and turmeric. Fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.
• Fry Paste: Add the blended paste to the pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes over medium heat.
• Simmer: Drain lentils and add to the pan with 300 ml water, coconut milk, and veggie stock. Simmer for about 15 minutes until lentils are tender.
• Add Fish: Add chopped green beans and monkfish chunks. Simmer for around 8 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and cooked through (aim for an internal temperature of about 145°F / 63°C if you’re checking).
• Finish: Stir in spinach until wilted. Serve hot with a squeeze of lime.

Notes

• Fish Swaps: Monkfish is meaty and holds up well, but you can use cod, hake, or pollock (reduce cooking time to 5–6 minutes). For a vegan version, swap fish for firm tofu or chickpeas.
• Storage: This curry keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container and freezes brilliantly for up to about a month. Always reheat until steaming hot all the way through, especially if it contains fish.
• Greens: If you don’t have spinach, baby kale or shredded spring greens work great.
• Oil: If you are monitoring cholesterol, swap coconut oil for olive oil.