Instant Pot Butternut Squash Lentil Curry

But, this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Lentil Curry was so good and so easy to make that not only did I make it more than once, I made it three times in just two weeks. For even more terrific dishes featuring lentils, check out my round-up of lentil recipes. Or if it’s instant pot recipes you’re after, there are more than 90 incredible vegan Instant Pot recipes in my 5-star-rated cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook!

Why you’ll love this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Lentil Curry

First, it has a low-effort, high-reward ratio. Thanks to the Instant Pot, there’s just 5ish minutes of hands-on cooking involved, so it’s one of those meals you can easily throw together on a weeknight. Once you sauté the aromatics for a few minutes, you can just toss everything in the Instant Pot and let the machine do its pressure cooking magic. If being able to prepare a delicious, healthy, and crowd-pleasing dinner on a weeknight with minimal work isn’t motivation enough to finally buy an Instant Pot, I don’t know what is. Even better, it makes for fabulous leftovers! Don’t have an Instant Pot? Try this Thai Butternut Squash Curry or this Vegan Pumpkin Curry instead! Another reason I love this curry so much is that it is incredibly flavorful but has a fairly minimal ingredient list and is made with commonly available ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. Another selling point: this curry is creamy and hearty AF, making it the perfect winter comfort food. The Instant Pot magically transforms plain old lentils into creamy morsels bathing in a velvety stew made of coconut milk and cashew butter. But to keep this curry on the lighter side, I opted for “lite” coconut milk instead of the full-fat variety. While you can definitely use the full-fat variety, I find that “lite” coconut milk is sufficient to yield a rich, creamy texture. As for cashew butter? No, it’s not a traditional ingredient in curries, but it does add a nice, rich creaminess, just like almond butter does in my Red Lentil Curry, which you all love so much. This curry, however, isn’t just indulgent comfort food – it’s healthy, too. This is the kind of comfort food that will nourish your soul and your body. This butternut squash lentil curry starts with anti-inflammatory powerhouses ginger and turmeric, then gets a healthy dose of vitamin-rich butternut squash, followed by heart-healthy lentils and cashew butter, and finally a generous sprinkling of antioxidant-rich kale. Looking for more nourishing Indian recipes? Try my Dal Palak, Saag Aloo or Vegan Palak Paneer, which are all loaded with greens!

Substitutions for this recipe

A few notes on substitutions. I use whole cumin seeds because I love the aroma and extra depth of flavor that whole spices bring to a curry, but if you don’t have cumin seeds, you can just use the same amount of ground cumin and add it along with the turmeric and curry powder (skip the first step). If you can find fresh turmeric (Whole Foods usually stocks it), that would make this curry even better. Grate or mince 1 1/2 tablespoons of the fresh stuff, and add it along with the garlic and ginger. Regarding butternut squash, you can use any winter squash you like, such as kabocha squash or red kuri squash. Red kuri squash, also known as hokkaido pumpkin, makes the prep work even easier because you don’t have to peel the skin. And if you’re having trouble finding cashew butter, just substitute almond butter or tahini (peanut butter has a much stronger taste and might be overwhelming in this curry). That’s all there is to say about this easy Instant Pot Butternut Squash Lentil Curry, so I hope you give it a try and enjoy it!