Chickpea and Red Lentil Curry - Stove Top or Instant Pot
When it comes to incorporating more plant-based meals into the diet, one of the most common things I hear from clients is “I know beans and lentils are good for me but I don’t know how to prepare them.” While sprinkling canned beans onto a salad can be a very easy way to add them in, it can get kinda boring after awhile, am I right!?
I’ll be honest, I used to be just like so many of my clients. Living in a Filipino household, I never really grew up eating many pulses. If you showed me a chickpea in grade school, I probably would’ve guessed that it was some sort of nut! That was until high school when I met one of my best friends (Nita’s older sister!) who introduced me to her mom’s home-cooked Indian cuisine. My friend would tell you that I ate the different vegetarian dishes but not without a bit of a fight (my tongue was burning) - and with a lot of yogurt! That’s when I realized how much I was missing out on the pulse game… and that I also needed to up my spice tolerance game.
Since that time, I’ve experimented with lots of fun recipes and now, I love being able to share so many creative ways to use pulses! Chickpea burgers, spaghetti sauce, curries, even chocolate brownies (seriously!) like these.
I share this curry recipe with all my clients who ask about pulses because it’s a great way to introduce a lot of new flavours and textures to someone who may not have been eating many beans or lentils in the past. It’s also easy to make, and who doesn’t love easy?
Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Chickpea and Red Lentil Curry - Stove Top or Instant Pot
PREP TIME: 10 min
COOK TIME: 20 min
TOTAL TIME: 30 min
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup uncooked red lentils
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, grated
1 carrot, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 Tbsp red curry paste (or more)
1 Tbsp curry powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 - 28 oz (796 ml) can crushed tomatoes
1 - 14 oz (398 ml) can coconut milk (may use light coconut milk)
1 - 19 oz (540 ml) can chickpeas
Naan bread or cooked rice
Chopped cilantro (optional, for garnish)
1 ½ cups water (for Instant Pot method)
STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS:
Rinse red lentils and place in a small pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and allow lentils to cook. This should take about 8 – 10 minutes. The lentils should still hold their shape, you may even want to leave them slightly el dente.
While the lentils are cooking, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil over low to medium heat until soft and translucent.
Add in ginger, zucchini, curry paste, remaining spices, salt and sugar. Cook until fragrant, about two to three minutes.
Add in the crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, cooked lentils and chickpeas. Simmer very lightly for 5 – 10 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro, serve with warmed naan bread or over bed of rice.
INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS:
Turn on sauté mode. When heated, add vegetable oil, onion and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
Turn off sauté mode. Add water to the pot, stir and scrape the bottom of any bits of onion or garlic that may be stuck to the pot.
Add all remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
Set on high pressure for 5 minutes. When cooking time is done, allow natural pressure release.
Open Instant Pot carefully and stir well.
Serve with warmed naan bread or over bed of rice. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Additional Notes:
This recipe freezes well for a quick weeknight meal
Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows Everyday, Angela Liddon
If the Instant Pot did not come to pressure, you may need to open it up, add an additional 1/2 cup water, stir well while scraping the bottom of the pot of any food bits that may be stuck, and set it again. This can occasionally happen with recipes that use canned tomato products. More liquid fixes the issue!
