Well, clearly I have a thing for lentils in the Instant Pot. Three of the six Instant Pot recipes I’ve shared have lentils! And now, four of seven. And here is where I will say, for the first and probably last time: Sorry not sorry?
Sorry.
Anyway, for this one, I’ve branched out from soup into more of a dal situation.
Hello, dal situation.
These curried lentils are about as unfussy as it gets. And I definitely like unfussy! They’re inspired by this curried lentil recipe that I found via Food 52 compliments of the Small Victories cookbook (which is wonderful, by the way).
They’re highly flavored, wonderfully hearty, and delicious served up with a pile of rice and a bit of red onion, cilantro, and toasted cashews on top.
Why two types of lentils? The red lentils dissolve and thicken the whole caboodle while the French green lentils hold their shape and give the dish a nice bit of texture.
Meanwhile, the sweet potatoes sort of melt into the dish so you don’t end up with firm, disparate bits – instead, they lend a rich, slightly sweet note to the whole thing.
These Instant Pot Curried Sweet Potato Lentils freeze perfectly. In fact, I’ve just frozen a couple of lunch-for-two-size batches along with some brown basmati rice so that my guy and I can have quick and easy lunches next week. Because next week, we’re both taking most of the week off and hitting the kitchen hard.
We are READY to wrap up this whole remodel thing already, and painting the cabinets is next on the list. We can do this! (We hope, eek!).
I probably won’t be sharing any new recipes here next week because I’ll be in kitchen remodel mode. But if you’re interested in the progress, be sure to check out my Instagram Stories – I’ll be updating there now and then!
Shop this pic: Tobacco chevron print napkin / Wood handle forks / White shallow serving plate (6″) / Sheesham dining table
Instant Pot Curried Sweet Potato Lentils
Ingredients
Curried Sweet Potato Lentils
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
- 3 medium cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 15-ounce can lite coconut milk
- 3 cups water (you can use the coconut milk can to measure - 1 1/2 cans of water = 3 cups)
- 1 medium sweet potato (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups) (white or orange flesh is fine; the batch photographed uses golden sweet potatoes, which are white))
- 1 cup split red lentils (rinsed and sorted)
- 1 cup French green lentils (rinsed and sorted)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger (1 pinky-sized piece, peeled)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
For serving:
- Warm quinoa or rice
Topping ideas:
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Toasted cashews
- Red onions
- Yogurt (if not vegan; or a vegan plain yogurt might do nicely too)
Instructions
- Hit “Saute” button on Instant Pot. Add oil. When hot, add the onions. Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, and coriander and cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about one one minute.
- Pour in the coconut milk and the water. Add the ginger, sweet potato, lentils, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the release valve is in the “sealing” position. Press the “Manual” button and set the timer at 20 minutes.
- The Instant Pot will warm up for about 5 minutes and then start cooking. After the 20 minutes is up, quick-release by flipping the release valve to “venting” (a little bit at a time at first avoid burns).
- Once venting is complete, remove the lid of the Instant Pot. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve with rice or quinoa and toppings if you like.
- Keeps in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Freezes well too!
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, with a name like mine, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I just need to restock my green lentil supply. Your lentil soup with spinach is on regular rotation.
I thought this dish would be “ok”, but instead it is freaking delicious!! Added just a dash of salt to make the flavors pop on serving, and I can’t stop eating out!
I’m so glad you like it as much as we do! 🙂