Instant Pot Red Lentil & Kale Curry
A quick and easy weeknight curry that's loaded with protein-rich red lentils and baby kale, all made in the Instant Pot.
Print
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 2 carrots , chopped
- 1 bell pepper , chopped and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt , plus more to taste
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tightly packed cups of fresh baby kale
- Lemon wedges , for serving
- Cooked jasmine rice or cauliflower rice , for serving
Instructions
-
Set the Instant Pot to the "saute" setting, and stir together the olive oil, onion, carrots, and bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables start to caramelize, about 10 minutes. (Add a splash of water as needed to help prevent sticking.)
-
To the cooked vegetables, add in the curry, ginger, salt, and lentils and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Press the "off" button to stop the sautéing function. Add in the water, then cover securely with the lid, turning the knob at the top to the "sealing" position. Press the "manual" button, then adjust the time to cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Once the cooking is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 more minutes before removing the lid. Be sure to turn the knob at the top to "venting" to allow any extra steam to release before carefully removing the lid.
-
To the cooked curry, stir in the coconut milk and baby kale, which should wilt quickly. Adjust any seasoning to taste, adding salt and black pepper as desired. (Keep in mind that the flavor will be diluted when you serve this curry over rice, so you can add up to one more teaspoon of salt to bring out all the flavors.) Serve over a bed of warm rice with lemon wedges, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Red lentils cook faster than other varieties, so if you use green or brown lentils I would increase the cooking time to 15 minutes to make sure they are cooked until tender.