Instant Pot Red Lentil Curry

I recently purchased an Instant Pot after all the hype and I have to say that it is honestly now one of my FAVorite kitchen appliances. It is essentially a crockpot on steroids or what most people would call, a pressure cooker. It is absolutely ideal for those of us with busy schedules and come home wanting dinner on the table within an hour after a long day. The days of planning for a 6-hour crockpot meal are over with this thing!

This curry recipe is adapted from a favorite blogger of mine, Angela Liddon. It’s not only extremely easy and takes under 35 minutes from start to finish, it is full of flavor and a perfect cozy vegetarian meal for these cool fall nights!

Dairy free, gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, vegetarian, vegan

Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients

·      3 cups broccoli or cauliflower florets, cut into ~2 inch pieces

·      2-3 cups of kale, de-stemmed and chopped

·      1 small onion, diced

·      ¾ cup uncooked, dry red lentils

·      1 (14 oz) can light coconut milk

·      1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

·      1 inch knob of ginger, diced small with skin removed

·      Small knob of fresh turmeric, diced

·      2 tbsp red curry paste

·      1 tsp minced garlic

·      1 tbsp olive oil

·      ¼ tsp cumin

·      ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

·      1 ½ tsp garlic powder

·      ½ cup water

·      Sea salt and pepper to taste

·      Cilantro

·      Cauliflower rice or grain of choice

  Directions

1.     Turn Instant Pot on to sauté mode

2.     Add oil, garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric, and spices

3.     Sauté for about 5 minutes, until spices are fragrant and onion is translucent

4.     Add the rest of the ingredients (besides kale) and stir

5.     Secure the lid in the lock position and ensure the steam handle is in the “sealing” position

6.     Press the pressure cook button and set the cook time for 5 minutes on high pressure

7.     Total cooking time will take about 10-15 minutes

8.     While curry is cooking, make cauliflower rice or another type of rice.  I just sautéed frozen cauliflower rice in olive oil

9.     When the timer is up, a few beeps will be heard.  When this happens, do a quick pressure release so the curry doesn’t overcook.  Best way to do this so you don’t get burned is to stand away from the machine and use the wooden end of a spatula to press the steam release to the “venting” position to release pressure.  When pressure is released, the pressure valve will sink and you will no longer hear steam come out

10. Open the lid away from you to ensure you don’t burn your face and stir the curry

11. Change the setting to “warm”, add the kale, and stir. Close the lid for about 5 minutes until kale is wilted

12. Serve over cauliflower rice or another favorite grain

13. Top with cilantro and a lime wedge, if desired

14. Enjoy!