Instant Pot Lentil Curry
Recipe by Amy + Jacky | PressureCookRecipes.com
Learn how to cook Instant Pot Lentil Curry (Pressure Cooker Lentil Curry) with simple, long shelf life pantry ingredients! This creamy, hearty & flavorful curried lentils recipe is super easy to make & done in 45 mins. Budget-friendly, filling, & satisfying vegetarian meal (with vegan options).
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups (400g) whole lentils (green or brown)
- 3.5 cups (875ml) unsalted chicken stock (or vegetable stock/water) (If you're not using coconut milk, use 3.75 cups (938ml) stock)
- 3 tablespoons (24g) curry powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt (add more later)
Flavor Enhancing Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons (30g) ghee (substitutions: unsalted butter or olive oil)
- 8 cloves (23g) garlic , minced
- 1 (220g) medium onion , diced or minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger , minced
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce
- ½ - 1 teaspoon (1.4g - 2.8g) cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup (60g) tomato paste
- ¼ - ½ cup (63ml - 125ml) coconut milk (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
- Saute Onion & Garlic: Heat up Instant Pot using "Sauté More" function. Wait until the indicator says "HOT". Add 2 tbsp (30g) ghee to the Instant Pot. Add in diced onions, then saute for 3 minutes. Add in minced garlic, ginger, ¼ cup (60g) tomato paste, 3 tbsp (24g) curry powder, and ½ - 1 tsp (1.4g - 2.8g) cayenne pepper, then saute for another minute. *Curry Powder Tip: Different Curry Powder vary in taste, aroma, quality. Make sure to taste & adjust accordingly. Best to use High Quality Curry Powder when possible. *Spicy Level Tip: Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper according to how spicy you want your lentil curry. For reference, we used mild spicy curry powder with ½ tsp (1.2g) cayenne pepper, and it was mild-medium spiciness.
- Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour in 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
- Pressure Cook Lentil Curry: Add in 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, ½ tsp table salt, then give it a quick mix. Add in 2 cups (400g) of whole lentils and 2.5 cups (625ml) unsalted chicken stock. Make sure the lentils are submerged in the liquid. *Note: If you're not using the coconut milk at the end, add in an extra ¼ cup (63ml) unsalted chicken stock here. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. -Green Lentils: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes, then 10 minutes Natural Release. -Brown Lentils: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 8 minutes, then 10 minutes Natural Release. After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position. Remove the lid carefully.
- Season & Add Coconut Milk: Give it a few quick stirs, then mix in ¼ cup (63ml) coconut milk. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt (roughly 1 - 2 large pinches of salt). Add in more coconut milk as desired.
- Garnish & Serve Curried Lentils: Garnish Curried Lentils with finely chopped cilantro or green onions. Enjoy this Easy Instant Pot Lentil Curry over rice or your favorite side dishes!
Video
Notes
Lentil Curry Ingredients Substitutions
If you don't have some of the ingredients, here are some substitution suggestions.
- Onion: 2 teaspoons onion powder
- Garlic: 1¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Ghee: unsalted butter, or olive oil
- Unsalted Chicken Stock: vegetable stock or cold water
- Coconut Milk is a flavor enhancer and balancer, but it is optional if you don't have it on hand. You will need another ¼ cup of stock if you're not using coconut milk.
Nutrition
Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 499mg | Potassium: 965mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 289IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 7mg