Instant Pot Lentil Curry

Name: Instant Pot Lentil Curry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon oil (avocado, olive, or coconut); 2 large onions (diced); 2 medium bell peppers (diced, any color); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tablespoon curry powder; 2 teaspoons cumin; 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander; 1/4 teaspoon allspice; 1/4 teaspoon turmeric; 1/8 teaspoon cardamom; 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 1/2 cups green lentils (rinsed, about 10 ounces); 15 ounce can coconut milk; 1 1/2 cup water; 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Published: Apr 23, 2019 · Updated: Jan 27, 2020 · This post contains affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Easy, vegan Instant Pot Lentil Curry that takes less than an hour for a plant-based, high fiber, healthy meal everyone will enjoy

white bowl of lentil curry on green napkin with red bell pepper, garlic cloves, onion, curry powder, lentils

About Instant Pot Lentil Curry
What is Instant Pot Curry
- Instant Pot Green Lentil Curry Ingredients
  - Cost of Lentil Curry
How to Make Instant Pot Lentil Curry
Tips for Making Lentil Curry
Instant Pot Lentil Curry Recipe

About Instant Pot Lentil Curry

This rich, creamy lentil curry will satisfy your Indian craving in less time than in takes to order takeout. This vegan dish has a full-bodied flavor that can be enjoyed in a bowl or over rice.

The nice thing about this recipe is that it uses a pressure cooker or Instant Pot to make which is great for last minute meal planning. For those dishes that typically need hours to cook, the Instant Pot does it in less than an hour (usually).

Take curry for example. The sauce needs hours to really develop the flavors while the veggies almost melt into the sauce. But the Instant Pot does it in under an hour, and most of that work is completely hands-off.

As much as I love having a meal plan and being prepared, it’s definitely not one of my strengths. And that, my friends, is why I am currently crushing over my Instant Pot. So much so that it hasn’t been put away yet.

What is Instant Pot Curry

This Instant Pot Lentil Curry recipe is basically lentils, onions & bell peppers, coconut milk, and a ton of spices. It’s creamy, rich, and oh so filling. If you are looking for Instant Pot lentil recipes, this is a fabulous one to try.

The recipe is based off one from The Pretty Bee that was cooked in the slow cooker, but I decided I’d try it in my Instant Pot because it was too late to start it in the slow cooker if I wanted it for dinner that night.

And it converted to the pressure cooker beautifully. This Instant Pot Green Lentil Curry works so well because you have a nice balance of spicy and intense flavors with sweetness from the coconut and small amount of sugar.

green lentils, garlic, onion, coconut milk, spices, red bell pepper, can of tomato paste, avocado oil, water, sugar

Instant Pot Green Lentil Curry Ingredients

Oil: Any oil will work in this recipe. I have tested it using avocado oil, olive oil, and coconut oil, and I honestly didn’t notice the difference between the oils. Basically, use whatever you have in your kitchen.

Veggies: You can use fresh or frozen chopped veggies in this recipe. Also, if you don’t have fresh garlic, use garlic powder in its place. For the bell peppers, any color will work; I’ve tested it with red, yellow, and green.

Spices: Yes, there are a lot of spices in this recipe. But it’s because I do not have garam masala, so I used a lot of spices I had in my kitchen cabinet in its place. If you have garam masala, see the ingredient options below to use it instead.

Lentils: Use green lentils in this recipe since they hold up better than red when cooked for long periods of time.

Coconut Milk: I tested this recipe using both full fat and reduced fat coconut milk. Either work fine in the recipe. The only difference is that the full fat coconut milk will have a thicker consistency than the reduced fat coconut milk will.

Sugar: There is a small amount of added sugar in this recipe but it’s so worth it. Don’t skimp on the sugar because it really does add depth to the recipe that you need.

Cost of Lentil Curry

avocado oil 1 tablespoon: $0.32
onions 2 large: $1.56
red bell peppers 2 medium: $3.58
garlic 3 cloves: $0.18
curry powder 1 tablespoon: $0.78
cumin 2 teaspoons: $0.26
salt 1 1/4 teaspoon: $0.01
garlic powder 1 teaspoon: $0.08
ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon: $0.08
black pepper 1/4 teaspoon: $0.04
ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon: $0.04
allspice 1/4 teaspoon: $0.04
turmeric 1/4 teaspoon: $0.04
cardamom 1/8 teaspoon: $0.02
cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon: $0.01
ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon: $0.02
nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon: $0.02
tomato paste 3 tablespoons: $0.08
green lentils 1 1/2 cups: $0.98
coconut milk 13.5 ounce can: $1.79
sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons: $0.01

TOTAL COST: $9.94 (Based on San Diego Sprouts 2019) or $1.66/serving

step by step photos of how to make lentil curry in the electric pressure cooker

How to Make Instant Pot Lentil Curry

Time needed: 55 minutes.

Add the oil and vegetables to an Instant Pot. Cook on sauté.
Let them cook while you measure out the spices.
Sauté. Add garlic, and cook.
Measure and rinse your lentils. Let drain.
Add in the tomato paste and stir to coat vegetables.
Stir in the spices.
Add in the lentils.
Pour in the water and coconut milk, and use a spatula or spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pressure cooker.
Stir in the sugar.
Cover and cook.
Release pressure, and enjoy!
Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then release, and enjoy in a bowl with rice if desired. Feel free to sprinkle with cilantro, parsley or mint if desired.

Tips for Making Lentil Curry

The recipe is very simple, but here are a few in-depth details so you have no fears about how easy this is to make.

Variations

Ingredient Options

Veggies: If you do not have fresh garlic, use garlic powder in its place. The onions and bell peppers give it flavor, but if you don’t like one of those veggies, feel free to use more of the other. For example, use two extra bell peppers in place of the onions so this lentil curry is still filled with veggies.

Spices: For the spices, it is ok if you do not have every single spice that is listed in amounts 1/8 teaspoon. You can omit those spices without a huge sacrifice in flavor. If you’d like to use garam masala, use 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1 1/4 teaspoon salt. [Use these amounts and ingredients in place of the other amounts listed in the recipe]

How to Make Allergy Friendly

This lentil curry is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and soy free, so it’s very allergy friendly.

Alternative Cooking

This can easily be made in a slow cooker. To cook in a slow cooker, add all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Stir well, cover, and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours.

I’ve never tried cooking it on the stove, but I assume it can also be made on the stove if cooked over low for a few hours, stirring occasionally.

two white bowls of lentil curry on green napkin with silver spoons, green lentils, curry powder, garlic, onion, red bell pepper

Make Ahead Ideas

To make this even easier, you can chop the veggie ahead of time. You can also measure out the spices in a bowl for when you’re ready to toss them in the mixture.

Another perk of this recipe is that the leftovers taste great, so you can make a batch of this in advance to enjoy during the week for easy meals. You can also double the recipe and freeze it to have an easy and filling meal in the freezer for later.

Storage Suggestions

Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this for up to 6 weeks. Because there is curry powder and turmeric, be aware that you might notice a yellow coloring to the storage container after using. I prefer using glass containers to prevent this (and they are more durable and versatile).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use red lentils in lentil curry?

Technically, you can use red lentils in lentil curry. However, red lentils do not hold up well when cooked for longer times, so they will probably be pretty mushy. If that’s ok with you, then go ahead and use the red lentils.

Health Benefits of Lentils

Lentils are incredibly nourishing; they are an excellent plant-based source of protein with almost as much fiber as protein. In one cup cooked lentils, they are an excellent source of folate, copper, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, and thiamin (Vitamin B1). They are also rich in polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Additionally, lentils have been shown to have heart-heath benefits as well. One study showed that lentils can help increase HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol & triglycerides.

Is Green Lentil Curry Healthy?

While everyone has a different definition of healthy, this Instant Pot Lentil Curry is a nutritious dish. It’s an excellent source of plant-based protein and is full of antioxidant-rich vegetables.

Plus, Lentil Curry is packed with fiber; one serving of this lentil curry has 17g of fiber (which is 70% of the recommended amount of fiber to get in one day). It’s also high in iron and Vitamin C to help your body absorb the iron.

green napkin with white bowls of lentil curry with rice and cilantro, instant pot in background

What to serve with Lentil Curry

This lentil curry is great served over rice, but honestly it doesn’t even need it. It’s super filling by itself; however, rice or naan is nice to help sop up any extra sauce.

Final thoughts:

I keep going back to this vegan lentil curry recipe because it is so dang easy. Plus, I almost always have the ingredients for it in my kitchen since you can use fresh or frozen veggies. I also keep lentils and a can of coconut milk in the pantry at all times just in case the craving for this lentil curry strikes.

Don’t let the long ingredients list deter you from making this simple recipe that will fill you up and make your taste buds happy!

MORE LENTIL RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE: