Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups lentils — green or brown
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water — divided
• 1 small shallot or onion— finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic — about 6 cloves
• 1 tablespoon curry powder — plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut sugar — or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper — use more for more spice or omit if sensitive to spice
• 1 can light coconut milk — (14 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice — about 1/2 large lemon
• Cooked quinoa (optional)
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Serves: 4-6  Time: 45 min.

Instructions

1. 1. Rinse and drain the lentils, then set aside. Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the coconut oil. Once the oil has melted, add 1 tablespoon water, the shallot, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until very fragrant and the shallot is soft, about 2 minutes. Add the curry powder, coconut sugar, salt, turmeric, and cayenne and stir vigorously. Stand back and try not to breath in any of the steam coming from the pot (it’s spicy!). Add the lentils, coconut milk, and 1 cup of water. Stir to coat the lentils completely with the liquid.
   2. Hit cancel to stop the sauté function, seal the lid, then set to cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. (It will take about 8 minutes for the pressure to build, then the timer will begin.) Once the timer has stopped, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent to release the pressure completely. Open the lid and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. If the curry is too thick, add a bit more water to loosen as needed. Serve hot with quinoa, sprinkled with cilantro.

Optional spices:

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp red chili flakes

1 tsp ground smoked paprika

1 can diced tomatoes

4 Tbsp butter

4 cups broth