Instant Pot Lentil Curry
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).
- Prep time
- 14 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups (400g) whole lentils (green or brown)
- 3.5 cups (875ml) unsalted chicken stock (or vegetable stock/water)
- 3 tablespoons (24g) curry powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt ((add more later))
- 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))
Instructions
- 1
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.
- 2
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.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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!