The end of February can hold some harsh, draining days for many of us. Now is the time to pull out your comfort food superstars and grace your table with meals that envelope you and your loved ones with warmth, nourishment, and a bit of joy. This week, I'm sharing a few of my favorites. We continue our journey with a rich and satisfying lamb curry that has "it simmered all day" taste with "I made it in the Instant Pot" cleverness. What's not to love?
I love the combination of vegetables in this curry, but you can mix things up by adding/substituting everything from carrots and celery root to squash and turnips. This curry wants some root vegetables, which is perfect since winter's stars are these well-storing powerhouses. If you don't have/don't like kale, consider using chopped spinach instead. And, of course, you can opt to use different varieties of pepper and onion to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. Make it yours.
The tender lamb in this curry is melt-in-your-mouth good. For me, serving it with rice, some soft, warm naan, and a bit of yogurt to play with the fairly tame heat in this dish is what I do at the table to complete the meal. A cup of chai might be perfect too. However you opt to serve it, enjoy!
Instant Pot Lamb Curry
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 lb. cubed lamb
- 1 large red pepper, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ½ lb. chopped, scrubbed Yukon potatoes
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 1 can (14 ounce) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- ½ lb. chopped kale
- Salt, to taste
In the pot of your Instant Pot, add the butter, lamb, red pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and season with salt. set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting and cook until the lamb is seared and the spices are fragrant, 5-8 minutes.
Add the potatoes and stir to coat well with the spices and pan juices. Pour the coconut milk and tomatoes into the pot as well. Stir to combine, cancel the sauté setting, place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the appliance to cook at high pressure for 30 minutes.
When the cycle completes, let the Instant Pot naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure and stir in the kale. Set the appliance to the keep warm setting and cover with the lid for about 10-15 minutes to allow the kale to wilt. Stir and adjust salt as needed. Serve the curry with rice, fresh naan, and yogurt.
- Yields: 6-8 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour