Instant Pot Madras Lentils
This is another awesome vegetarian/vegan plant-protein powered meal. Lentils have SO many health benefits; they are recommended for many diseases including kidney disease, diabetes and heart disease. I can’t recommend them enough- so give them a try! This recipe is inspired by a similar recipe on faithfulplateful.com
Serves: 6-8
Time: 15 mins prep, ~20 mins cook time
Ingredients
For the Lentils
- 1 TBS olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 onion, diced small
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 tsp minced garlic in water
- 2 TBS ginger paste or grated ginger root
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup red lentils
Add After Cooking
- 1 (15 oz) can red beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 can coconut milk
- Chopped cilantro garnish (optional)
- Rice or Naan for serving
Method
- Sauté the Aromatics: Dice the peppers and onions. Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add the oil, pepper, onions, garlic, and ginger and sauté for 5 mins. Then add the spices (chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and garam masala) and cook another 2-3 mins until the vegetables are soft. Turn off sauté mode.
- Pressure Cook: Add the broth, tomato sauce, and red lentils and stir. Put on the lid and lock it in place with the steam valve closed. Set it to high pressure for 10 mins. The Instant Pot will heat up, cook for 10 mins, and then begin naturally releasing steam. You can wait 15-30 mins after cook time to let the steam release naturally or you can turn the knob and manually release the steam immediately once cook time is over.
- Finish and Serve: Once the steam is released, open the lid and stir in the rinsed red beans and 1/2 can coconut milk. Serve over rice or with Naan bread. Add cilantro as a garnish if desired.