This vibrantly spiced red lentil stew comes together quickly and involves minimal kitchen clean up afterwards. Dried mushrooms deepen the flavors and add an irresistible texture.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger (from a 1-inch knob)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2.5 ounces dried mushrooms (such as shiitakes)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 pound red lentils (about 2 cups)
- 1 dried Thai red chile
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges, for serving
- Toasted coconut flakes and chopped salted roasted cashews, for serving
Instructions
- Turn a 6-quart Instant Pot® to the normal saute setting (see Cook’s Note) and add 4 tablespoons of the butter. When melted, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the ginger, coriander, turmeric, cumin, cayenne and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the garlic and ginger are softened and the spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste and 4 1/2 cups water until well combined. Bring the liquid to a boil, turn off the pot and cover with the lid. Let the mushrooms sit in the liquid until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the lentils, chile, 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Follow the manufacturer’s guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 2 minutes.
- After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer’s guide for quick release and wait until the quick-release cycle is complete. Being careful of any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid. Remove the chile and stir in the lime juice and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Thin to desired consistency by adding up to 1/2 cup water. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with the coconut, cashews and a squeeze of lime before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 425 |
| Total Fat | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 59 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 11 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 31 mg |
| Sodium | 473 mg |
Reviews
Scrumptious, and so quick and easy. The leftovers were just as delicious too. I am presently making it for the second time in less than a week! p.s. I did not have the mushrooms or Thai chile on hand, so I skipped them both and added more cayenne pepper.
Oh my goodness! This is the first time I’ve had red lentils and this recipe is awesome! I will definitely be making this again!
Delicious and simple
It was very delicious
So easy, so delicious
Really yummy. We didn’t have fresh ginger or Thai chili on hand so we made do without, but can see how those two things would only make the dish even better. (Instead, we topped with some red pepper flakes to compensate.) The only mishap was that we had to pressure cook a couple of times to get the tenderness right, since our lentils weren’t pre-soaked. Not a huge deal, just took a little longer. But my 6 year old even liked it, so that’s always a win!
Really great flavor