This vegan red lentil curry is made in the Instant Pot with sweet potatoes, spinach and coconut milk. It's perfect for quick and easy weeknight dinners!
This Instant Pot sweet potato and red lentil curry requires very little prep. It uses inexpensive, healthy ingredients that are packed with flavor and nutrition.
And it takes just over 30 minutes to make!
Seriously, this is a go-to recipe at my house. I always keep a variety of lentils on hand for quick Instant Pot meals.
Red lentils cook quickly and really soak up flavor, making them a great option for last-minute dinners.
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Ingredients
- Red lentils
- Diced sweet potato
- Yellow onion, garlic, and fresh ginger
- Curry powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper
- Full fat coconut milk (reduced fat can be used) and veggie broth (water works too)
- Fresh spinach (frozen works as well)
Curry powder comes in many different forms. You can buy a pre-made curry powder (this is the kind that I like to use) or make and customize your own.
Curry powder is usually a mix of ground coriander, turmeric, ground cumin, ground ginger, and pepper.
You can purchase mild, medium or hot varieties depending on your preferred spice level.
Red lentils nutrition
Red lentils are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. A one cup serving of cooked red lentils contains about 17 grams of protein; that's a lot of plant-based protein!
Lentils are also dense with B vitamins and provide a healthy serving of complex carbohydrates. Use leftover lentils in recipes like this coconut curry or these red lentil veggie burgers.
Sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin A. The sweet potato skins are full of fiber and potassium, so I leave them on in this curry.
The sweet potatoes soften enough during cooking that you hardly notice the skin is there! However, you can remove the skin if you prefer and the dish will be just as delicious.
Step by step instructions
- Press the "saute" function on your Instant Pot. Saute the diced sweet potato and onions in peanut or olive oil until the onions are lightly browned.
- Add the fresh garlic and ginger and saute for 30 more seconds. Stir in the spices and saute for 30 seconds more.
- Stir in coconut milk, vegetable broth, and red lentils. Lock the lid in place and seal the vent.
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, which will take about 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir in the fresh spinach. It will wilt down quickly. Enjoy with a side of rice or quinoa.
Customization ideas
If you have any extra veggies that need to be used up you can dice them up small and saute them with the sweet potato and onion.
Celery, carrots, peas and green beans are all great additions to this curry.
Make it a complete meal by serving with rice or quinoa. Sprinkle with fresh lime juice and green onions and you're set for a filling vegetarian meal.
If you are looking for a stove-top curry recipe, check out this vegetarian red lentil coconut curry or these coconut curry rice bowls. This instant pot coconut curry is another meal prep favorite.
Looking for more instant pot recipes? You might like these:
All of my Instant Pot recipes are made in a 6 qt DUO60 Instant Pot. Check out more of my Instant Pot recipes.
Instant Pot Red Lentil Curry with Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive or peanut oil
- 1 medium sweet potato, medium diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
- 1 and ½ tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional; makes it lightly spicy
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 3 cups fresh spinach
Instructions
- Press the "saute" button on the Instant Pot. Set to "normal" heat. Add the oil. When hot, add the sweet potato, onion, and salt. Saute for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to brown.
- Add the garlic and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds, then stir in the spices (curry powder, cumin, cayenne pepper). Continue stirring for 30 seconds to prevent the spices from burning.
- Stir in the coconut milk, vegetable broth, and red lentils. Lock the lid in place and set the pressure vent to sealing.
- Select "high pressure" and set the timer to 5 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally after the 5 minutes are up; this will take about 10 minutes.
- When the pressure has released, remove the lid and stir in the fresh spinach. Serve with rice or quinoa and top with green onions.
Notes
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger can be used if you can't access fresh ginger.
- This meal can be portioned into large or individual containers and frozen for up to 3 months. These are the containers I use. It will need to thaw in the fridge for up to 24 hours before enjoying.
Nichole
Can I make this with brown lentils and just add more liquid?
Cassidy Reeser
I think that you should be able to keep the recipe/liquid amounts the same. You will just need to cook it for 10 minutes instead of 5. Enjoy!
Tammy
So simple and so delicious! Our son is tube fed and this blends up so well with a serving of rice or quinoa. Thanks!
Cassidy Reeser
Thanks so much for the review! I'm happy to hear that it works well for tube feeding too.
Mark
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! My wife and I have been looking for a Sunday meal prep recipe for a vegetarian dish to take for weekday lunches that isn’t laden with sodium and is still flavorful. This will be a huge go-to in our rotation!
Cassidy Reeser
That's so great to hear - thanks for making it and leaving the review!
Alicia
Thanks. This is a simple and super yummy dish.
Perfect.
Cassidy Reeser
Thanks for the review!
Chris
Very easy to follow but I felt it needed something else. All I could taste was the curry and sweet potato. I typically eat green lentils and this is my first time trying the red so maybe they lack flavor overall. The lentils also pretty much dissolved which was a negative for me because I enjoy chewing them!
Cassidy Reeser
Red lentils are definitely very soft in comparison to green lentils so I see how that could be disappointing! Thank you for the review.
heather
My meat eating 9 year old daughter demands this weekly!
We add a little more broth to avoid the burning and use green lentils but it is a hit every time. Thanks for making a vegetarian mom forced to feed a meat eater happy!
Cassidy Reeser
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for the review 🙂
Fred Scarboro
I have made this dish 4-5 times. Absolutely love it. Full of flavor and is very satisfying. Thank you
Cassidy Reeser
Awesome! Thanks so much for the review.
Rxf
Love this recipe. Although 5 minutes pressure cooker didn't fully cook the lentils. Had to adjust to more time.
Abby
This is the best veggie curry that I’ve made! So tasty! Thank you.
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Thanks so much, I’m glad you liked it!
Vanessa
Flavour is definitely there! However I found myself adding more liquid. The minimum in my instant pot is 2 cups but since the lentils absorb and get bigger I had to add a total of 3 cups of broth because it said burn so I had to stop the process and clean the pot and start again at only 3 minutes instead. The lentils are definitely cooked through.
Cassidy Reeser
Thanks Vanessa! I'm happy to hear you liked it.
Sandy
I have frozen spinach do you think it could work?
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Yes I think that would work well! The only difference is that it will need to simmer on low for a few minutes to unfreeze.
Molly
I made this recipe once, and it was DELISH. Since that first great experience, I've tried it twice more, and both times gotten the dreaded "burn" message...and then even after adding water multiples times, couldn't get the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Alas, dinner ruined. I wonder if I needed to add the coconut milk after pressure cooking? I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong, and would love to figure out how to successfully make this fantastic recipe again!
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
I'm sorry to hear that you're getting the burn message! I am wondering if the onions are sticking? One thing I've learned is to wait until the IP reads "HOT" and then add the oil and start sauteing. This can stop things from sticking too much. Another thought is that the spices are sticking when they saute for those 30 seconds -- this can be fixed by deglazing the pot with 1-2 tablespoons of water or broth before adding the coconut milk, veg broth, etc. I hope this helps!
Molly
Ok thanks for the tips!!!
Aidan
Another triumph! I seriously have not had a miss when I follow your recipes. This one was a big crowd pleaser. Thanks!
Becky
This recipe was super easy and very flavorful. I added a few chopped carrots. Leftovers also tasted great the next day. Will make again.
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Thanks for the comment, Becky! Glad you enjoyed.
ANON
This was quick, easy, and so so delicious! Will definitely make this again!