Easy Instant Pot Lentils with Tamarind Sauce

Easy Instant Pot lentils with tamarind sauce transform 11 healthy ingredients into a tangy-sweet, barbecue flavor of satisfying lentils for an irresistible one-pot vegan meal. No Instant Pot? No worries, we’ve got stovetop instructions.

The bright, intense sweet-sour flavor of tamarind paste with a splash of tomato paste and maple syrup makes a quick and distinctive sauce. Toasted cumin seeds and garam masala give the lentils an Indian-inspired barbecue taste. No wonder this is one of our favorite one-pot meals.

This post contains helpful tips and tricks to ensure success on your first attempt. Below, you'll find a handy table of contents with links. But if you're in a rush, please use the link at the top to jump to the recipe card at the end!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• 🍋 What is tamarind?
• 🥘 Key ingredients & notes
• Pro Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Serving Suggestions
• Related Recipes

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Convenience, flavor, and clean nutrition highlight this easy, always satisfying recipe for tamarind lentils. Green or brown lentils work well for this recipe because they hold their shape. This allows for a pleasant texture and mouthfeel. It also means that you can enjoy a quick bowl of lentils with tamarind sauce straight out of the Instant Pot or accompanied with rice, pasta, or noodles.

Our recipes and instructions never include added oil in the preparation or cooking processes. Oil is highly processed and adds extra saturated fat we choose to avoid. Feel free to add oil to the cooking process if you desire.

🍋 What is tamarind?

Tamarind is a kind of tree with pod-like fruit that looks a bit like peanuts in the shell. The pulp-like seeds inside the pods are ground to make tamarind paste, pulp, syrup, or concentrate.

Tamarind is used in Asian, Indian, and some Mexican dishes. Even Hawaii notably has tamarind trees.

Flavor

Tamarind has a distinctive sour-sweet flavor. It has a citrus, lemony flavor but is far more intense and complex. It's often an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce. And when in Mexico, you're likely to run across tea using tamarind pulp as the main ingredient.

Buying tamarind

In some places, you'll find tamarind as a block of paste that you can reconstitute, so don't be put off if this happens to you. My only caveat about buying tamarind is the same as with any processed product – read the label. Avoid any added ingredients such as sugar. The more processed an ingredient, the longer the list of additives, so you may find tamarind paste cleaner than tamarind sauce. This is, of course, highly dependent on the brands you can find.

🥘 Key ingredients & notes

Cumin seeds – Toasted cumin seeds add earthy flavor and aroma. If you don't have cumin seeds, use 1 teaspoon of ground cumin. Add this with the garam masala and cayenne pepper.

Green lentils – This recipe is developed with everyday green or brown lentils in mind. If you make a substitute, try to avoid red or split red lentils. They will probably taste great, but the texture will be very creamy, similar to dal.

Garam masala – Garam masala is a unique blend of Indian spices that isn’t the same as curry powder. Garam masala is readily available at larger supermarkets and Asian or Indian specialty stores.

Maple syrup – You’ll want to add a little sweetener to balance the sharpness of the tamarind paste. Maple syrup is an excellent option, but date paste also works.

Tamarind paste – You may have to experiment with the amount of tamarind paste depending on how concentrated your brand is. Tamarind has a unique flavor, but the closest substitute we’ve discovered is pomegranate molasses which you can use in roughly the same amounts as called for in the recipe.

Pro Tips

Before you begin cooking gather, prep, and measure all the ingredients. This is important because once you start toasting the cumin seeds the sauteing goes quickly.

If you aren’t familiar with tamarind paste, start by adding half the amount. Then add more before you pressure cook the lentils. You can also mix in a bit after cooking but be sure to mix it well.

Avoid the 'Burning Food' notice on your Instant Pot. Before adding the vegetable broth and lentils, turn the Instant Pot off. After adding the broth, use a wooden spoon or another non-abrasive utensil to carefully clear the bottom from any stuck-on ingredients.

You may notice that salt isn’t part of the ingredient list. Given differences in vegetable broths and individual preferences, salt can be added at the end of cooking if desired. This gives you better control over the flavor.

Stovetop Directions: Use a heavy-bottom Dutch oven or soup pot and let it heat to a medium temperature. Add the cumin seeds and stir them constantly for about a minute. Then add the diced onions. Continue following the instructions as written, adding 4 ½ cups of vegetable broth rather than 4. Cover the pot and simmer the lentils until they are tender (about 30 minutes). Stir the lentils a few times and add more water or broth as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

This easy recipe is perfect straight from the Instant Pot garnished with a bit of chopped cilantro (coriander), parsley, or lemon wedges. While the lentils are cooking, whip up a batch of caramelized onions or, for a zestier flare, quick-pickled red onions.

Lentils go well with rice or another grain such as bulgur or quinoa. We also love them with quick-cooking whole wheat noodles.

Storage

Store leftovers in a container with a lid. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze lentils with tamarind sauce for months in the freezer.

How to reheat

If you reheat on the stove, be sure to add a little broth or water to the lentils. Reheat over low or medium and stir them a few times to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

You can also reheat in the microwave on the reheat setting. Cover individual servings with a paper towel or lid to keep splatter to a minimum.

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