Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry
Instant Pot Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry
Welcome to June! Summer is here! It’s the season of BBQing and no-cook recipes! Yet here I am, sharing a coconut lentil curry recipe with you. Say whaaaaa??!! After so many requests for this recipe, I am finally making it happen… posting and sharing for your culinary delight!
Seriously, though… I don’t care how hot it is outside, it’s always a good time for a bowl of hot curry. I mean, it’s stinkin’ hot in India and peeps eat curry there all the time. They must be onto something. Am I right?!
This easy-to-make Instant Pot Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry is absolutely my favorite curry recipe! I’m talking one pot and less than an hour til you’re in coconut lentil curry HEAVEN! Honestly you guys!… this is what badass curry dreams are made of!
This is a healthy vegan recipe that makes a perfect meatless Monday dinner option. It takes less than an hour (mostly hands-off time) to make and is packed full of delicious Indian flavors. Make extras and you’ll have a happy belly and a giant smile on your face at lunch the next day.
This coconut lentil curry recipe is:
ridiculously simple to make. Five bucks say you’re going to look at the recipe and think, “No way THIS recipe could be one of the BEST curry recipes.” But it IS! For reals! It’s so simple to make that I made you a video so you can see just how easy it is for you to sit down in front of a big bowl of curry.
I know that people are still using bad oils for cooking, so I use coconut oil instead of canola or vegetable oil. Almost all canola oil now comes from GMO seeds and vegetable oil has been shown to contain tBHQ, a synthetic food preservative, which may be responsible in part for the recent increase in food allergies.
I love to use coriander seeds, as I love the little pop of crunch they give, but you can also use ground coriander if you wish. I used crushed tomatoes, so I can be lazy, but you can chop your own fresh ones if you prefer. I used green lentils and I soaked them for 24 hours, removing the phytic acid, which can inhibit the absorption of minerals and make beans easier to digest. I also added carrots and golden raisins to give the dish some sweet flavor.
Never enough cilantro for me! Cilantro gets piled on high! Personally, I love cilantro and can’t get enough of it – I add heaps of it to my guacamole and salsa. It tastes fresh and citrusy to me. However, supposedly there’s a genetic trait that makes cilantro taste like soap or ground metal shavings to some people. Cilantro is an amazing herb for cleansing and it helps remove heavy metals from the body.
I have made this dish for many parties and everybody loved it. I usually make a double batch and then freeze some in smaller portions, so I have some quick and easy food on hand for later. Making a big batch also means that we get lunches for days after. Curry is kind of like chili, it’s even better the next day. Honestly, every time I make this I get a text from my handsome man the next day telling me how good his lunch is. Win!
One day, I will follow my dream, traveling to India for three months, learning all their secrets! Perhaps I will perfect this recipe further or discover a new favorite. Until then, enjoy it!
Serve it with a Summer Salad or Pomegranate Kale Salad!
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Did you make this recipe?
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Ingredients
- 3 cups green lentils
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 4 carrots, diced
- Small head of cauliflower, chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds and coriander seeds
- 1 head of garlic, chopped (10–12 cloves)
- 2 tbsp ginger, chopped
- 1 28-ounce-can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp fresh turmeric, chopped
- 1 cube rapunzel bullion
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 32 oz vegetable stock
- 4 tbsp curry powder
- 1 can coconut milk
- 5 oz spinach
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 cup white or brown rice
- 1-2 tsp cayenne powder optional
Instructions
- Put the coconut oil in the Instant Pot and set on Saute. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and toast until they start to brown, about 45 seconds.
- Add the garlic to the pot and let it brown, about 2 minutes. Add chopped onion and let it cook. When the Saute program is done, add all the ingredients. If you need more water you can add it, but don’t make it too watery. Set the Instant Pot on Pressure Cook for 20 min.
- Once the lentils are soft, add the coconut milk and cherry tomatoes and bring the pot back to a simmer. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
Serve over rice.
