Pressure Cooker North Indian Red Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (1 inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced
- sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 tomato, cored and chopped
- 2 cups split red lentils
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 cups water
Directions
- Melt butter in a 6-quart pressure cooker set to Sauté. Cook cumin seeds in butter until they start to pop, about 10 seconds; add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir garlic and ginger with the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 60 seconds. Season with salt.
- Stir tomato with the onion mixture; cook until it starts to break down, 3 to 5 minutes; add lentils, garam masala, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne. Pour water over the mixture and stir.
- Seal lid on the cooker, turn vent handle to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes. Quick release the pressure.
Toasting whole cumin seeds imparts incredible flavor to any dish. This process releases the natural oils in the seeds to reveal an intoxicating aroma. You will love having cumin seeds in your pantry for this recipe as well as other dishes!
Reviews
What others are saying
Geoff Villeneuve says:
I was amazed how well this turned out on my first try!
Tara Parsons says:
We omitted cayenne as I wasn’t sure if it would be too spicy. Ended up a tad bland and needed more salt. We ate it in pita bread Ruth cauliflower “rice”. Yum!
Santana Williams says:
I used ground cumin instead of the seeds, and added a little extra ginger and garlic just because I love those flavors. Super simple recipe and great flavor. If you like Indian food, you will love these lentils.
Alex Cabral says:
One ingredient I thought this recipe was missing that I added was cinnamon. I used one whole cinnamon stick, which I discarded at the end. I also added lemon and jalapeño for extra flavor and spice. I love how quick and easy it cooks in my pressure cooker.
Randall Hauk says:
If you like well-seasoned dishes, this can definitely go into your "go to" rotation for a simple and delicious dish. I prefer fresh chile to cayenne, so I'm chopping some into this to replace that when I have it available, but this otherwise comes together far too easily and quickly to be ignored! I figure it's intended as a side for many, but for me it's a great lunch on its own.
Katie Hason says:
This was really delicious! I loved the taste and texture of this dish, it was perfect. Classic Indian cuisine!
Laura Griffin says:
This was a vibrant, bright, and flavorful dish that I really enjoyed. I paired it with rice and fish. If you like Indian food, this dish is a must try. The garam masala, coriander, and turmeric flavors are classic and delicious!