Instant Pot Lentil Curry

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

About Instant Pot Lentil Curry

This rich, creamy lentil vegetable curry has a slow-cooked flavor but is ready in an hour.

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

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 hands-off.

As much as I love having a meal plan and being prepared, it’s definitely not one of my strengths.

That's why I love my Instant Pot, and you will love it too, especially after trying this lentil curry with coconut milk.

This recipe works so well because you have a nice balance of spicy and intense flavors with sweetness from the coconut and a touch of sugar.

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. Yellow, white, red, and sweet onions are all great options. For the bell peppers, any color will work; I've tested it with red, yellow, orange, 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.

A few of the spices have very small amounts, so they can be skipped if needed. However, the main spices of curry powder, cumin, and ginger are the most important.

Tomato Paste: A few tablespoons of tomato paste adds depth of flavor to the lentil vegetable curry recipe.

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 worth it. Don't skimp on the sugar because it really does bring all the flavors together.

Recipe Cost

• avocado oil 1 tablespoon: $0.32
• onions 2 large: $1.36
• red bell peppers 1 medium: $1.38
• green bell pepper 1 medium: $0.72
• garlic 3 cloves: $0.18
• curry powder 1 tablespoon: $0.78
• cumin 2 teaspoons: $0.26
• salt 1 ¼ teaspoon: $0.01
• garlic powder 1 teaspoon: $0.08
• ground ginger ¾ teaspoon: $0.08
• black pepper ¼ teaspoon: $0.04
• ground coriander ¼ teaspoon: $0.04
• allspice ¼ teaspoon: $0.04
• turmeric ¼ teaspoon: $0.04
• cardamom ⅛ teaspoon: $0.02
• cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon: $0.01
• ground cloves ⅛ teaspoon: $0.02
• nutmeg ⅛ teaspoon: $0.02
• tomato paste 3 tablespoons: $0.08
• green lentils 1 ½ cups: $1.47
• coconut milk 13.5-ounce can: $1.79
• sugar 1 ½ teaspoons: $0.01

TOTAL COST: $8.75 or $1.46/serving (Based on San Diego grocery stores 2023)

Note that this is not the recipe; it's simply to show the cost breakdown of ingredients. Scroll down to the full recipe to see the specific ingredients and directions.

How to Make Instant Pot Lentil Curry

Recipe Timing

Total time for an Instant Pot recipe can be a bit confusing since recipes often leave out the time it takes to bring it to pressure as well as release the pressure.

However, I want to share the most accurate info, so here's an outline of the time it takes to make lentil vegetable curry from start to finish:

• 5 minutes to sauté the veggies
• 5 minutes to add the remaining ingredients
• 15-20 minutes for the lentil curry to come to pressure
• 15 minutes cook time
• 10 minutes to release the pressure

To streamline the process, measure out the spices while the veggies are sauteing.

Then mince the garlic, chop the potatoes, and get all the remaining ingredients out while the veggies are sauteing. (If you have time, you can start to clean up)

That way, it's about 25 minutes of hands-on time (preparing and cooking), and 55 minutes of hands-off cooking time.

Green Lentil Curry Recipe Tips

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 an extra 1 teaspoon of garlic powder in its place.

Onions and bell peppers give the lentil vegetable curry 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. Or add carrots.

Spices: For the spices, it is ok if you do not have every single spice that is listed in amounts of ⅛ 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, ½ teaspoon ground ginger and 1 ¼ teaspoon salt. [Use these amounts and ingredients in place of the other spice amounts listed in the recipe]

Alternative Prep & Cooking

Slow Cooker: This can easily be made in a slow cooker. In fact, this recipe is based on one from The Pretty Bee that was made in the slow cooker.

To use a slow cooker, add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir well, cover, and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours.

Stove-top: I've never tried cooking it on the stove, but I assume it can also be made on the stove. Follow the directions, but instead of pressure cooking, simmer over medium-low for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

How to Make Allergy-Friendly

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

How to Fix a Mistake

Too soupy: If the curry is too thin, you can turn on the Sauté function and let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes until more liquid has been absorbed.

Too thick: Add an extra ½ cup of water and stir. If needed, you can add additional water or broth.

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 in the storage container after use. I prefer using glass containers to prevent this (and they are more durable and versatile).

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Benefits

Lentil vegetable curry is a delicious vegan, plant-based main meal. It's packed with fiber; one serving has 17g of fiber (which is 70% of the recommended amount of fiber to get in one day).

It's also high in iron with 33% of the RDA along with 72% RDA of Vitamin C to help your body absorb the iron in the curry. Additionally, it's an excellent source of Vitamin A (28% RDA) and potassium (25% RDA).

Lentils are incredibly nourishing; they are an excellent plant-based source of protein with almost as much fiber as protein.

One cup of cooked lentils is 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. Studies show that lentils can help increase HDL (helpful) cholesterol while lowering LDL (harmful) cholesterol and triglycerides.

What to Serve with Instant Pot Lentil Curry

While this lentil vegetable curry is filling by itself, adding rice, naan, or crackers 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!

Meme

This post was originally published on April 23, 2018. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.

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Instant Pot Lentil Curry Nutrition Facts