I love my Instant Pot! (no, I’m not being paid for saying this). One of the reasons for loving my InstaPot is because I get to make this Indian Inspired Lentil stew or Dhal Makhani in a pinch and still deliver a yummy, hearty, nutritious meal packed with flavor that warms the senses.
One of the benefits of Home Office is that I often get to make dinner during my lunch, it literally takes me 15 minutes to prep, and the InstaPot really does all the work for me. So, Lentil Stew is a regular on the weekday menu.
I’ve melted together several recipes to bring this delicious stew to life. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.
You can also make this recipe using a stovetop, it will just take longer.

InstaPot Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced/pressed
- 1 tbsp ginger finely grated
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 small sweet potato diced
- 1 cup mung beans and lentils hydrated overnight
- 800 ml water
- 1 can coconut milk
Instructions
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Set the InstaPot to sautee and add the butter once it's warm.
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Add onion, garlic, ginger, and garam masala, and let everything saute while you peel and dice the sweet potato.
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Add the sweet potato and tomato puree and mix everything together until the sweet potato is evenly coated and the tomato puree well blended in.
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And the lentils and mung beans into the pot.
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Add water and stir gently
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Put the lid on and set the InstaPot to Pressure cook for 20 minutes
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Once the time is up and pressure has been released and the coconut milk and cook for 5 more minutes (I like to set the Pot to Sautee to make sure the stew boils up again and the coconut integrates well)
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Serve and Enjoy with your favorite Naan or with a side of freshly cooked rice.