Instant Pot Vegan Curry

Instant Pot vegan curry is the easiest way to have a super flavourful, nutritious dinner in just 25 minutes. Loaded with protein from chickpeas and lentils, this plant-based curry is super customizable and just perfect over a bowl of steaming rice.

If you've been looking for easy vegan Instant Pot recipes, it's very likely you've stumbled upon lots of soup and stews.

But that's not everything you can cook in the Instant Pot as a vegan. This Instant Pot vegan curry is the perfect base recipe for a quick and easy dinner.

All it takes to make this vegan curry in the Instant Pot is 25 minutes and that includes the time it takes to chop the veggies.

I love this simple recipe because you can customize it any way you want, depending on what veggies you may have on hand.

I make this vegan curry without tomatoes, but you can definitely use some crushed tomatoes or tomato paste if you want.

Ingredients and substitutions

Oil - I use olive oil in this recipe because I always have it in the kitchen, but coconut oil or canola oil would also be good choices.

Onion, garlic and ginger - These set the flavour base of the curry, and it's always best to use freshly chopped onion, garlic and ginger.

Curry powder - I keep it very simple with this veggie curry, so I only use 2 tablespoons of shop-bought medium curry powder. You can use your favourite homemade curry powder or a mix of ground cumin, ground coriander and turmeric instead.

This is such a versatile recipe that you can even use your favourite curry paste if you want. It's just a great canvas to transform into your own curry. A red Thai curry paste is just perfect here.

Veggies - I used a mix of sweet potatoes and green beans for this curry, but you can add just about any veggies you want here.

You can also add a can of chopped tomatoes to the mix if you like tomato-based curries.

Chickpeas - A can of chickpeas adds extra texture and protein to this veggie curry.

Lentils - Both green and brown lentils work in this vegan Instant Pot curry. If you want to make it with red lentils, you'll need to adjust the cooking time to just 1 minute on high pressure. That's because red lentils cook much quicker than other types.

Coconut milk - Full-fat coconut milk is perfect here because it will make the curry extra creamy. For an even thicker, creamier curry, you can sub the coconut milk with coconut cream.

How do you make Instant Pot vegan curry?

Set your Instant Pot to "Saute" and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

When the onion has softened, add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook for another minute until fragrant. Press "Cancel" to turn off the "Saute" mode.

Add half of the water to deglaze the pot. Use your spoon to scrape the bottom, then add the carrot, green beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, chickpeas and salt.

Add the rest of the water and stir well to ensure the veggies and lentils are covered. If they're not, add a bit more water.

Lock the lid, set the valve to "Sealing," then select "Pressure Cook" on High Pressure for 5 minutes.

When the Instant Pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then perform a quick release by moving the valve to "Venting."

Once the pin drops, remove the lid and stir in the coconut milk and the fresh coriander. Season to taste and serve over your favourite rice.

Recipe notes and tips

• This pressure cooker vegetarian curry is great with rice, but you can also serve it over quinoa or cauliflower rice. Naan bread or roti are also great sides for it.
• Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. You can easily reheat it on the microwave or on the stovetop.
• Depending on what types of veggies you use, there may be more liquid than you want when you open the lid. If that happens, you can set the Instant Pot to "Saute" and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is reduced.
• This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo. If you're adding extra veggies, make sure you don't go over the Max Fill line.

If you liked this Instant Pot vegan curry, you might also like some of my other easy vegan Instant Pot recipes:

• Instant Pot Moroccan Lentil Soup
• Instant Pot Vegan Taco Soup
• Vegan Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli
• Zuppa di Farro (Instant Pot)
• Vegan Wild Rice Soup (Instant Pot)
• Vegan Instant Pot Creamy Pasta

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