Instant Pot Lamb Curry With Tomato & Coconut

Rich and creamy, this Instant Pot lamb curry will be a hit with the whole family. Indian spices, tomatoes and coconut pair beautifully with nourishing lamb meat and the whole stew can be on the table in 60 minutes, much quicker than cooking it on a stovetop. In this recipe, we show you how to make this Indian lamb curry in your pressure cooker.

Made with warm Indian spices, tomatoes and rich coconut milk, this Instant Pot lamb curry is inspired by the south Indian cuisine. It's creamy and delicious and the meat is succulent and soft. Cooking lamb on the stovetop would require 2-2.25 hours to get the same results but it's much quicker in the pressure cooker.

This curry has a lot of flavor from the species and aromatics but it's not hot. The spice level is mellowed down by tomatoes and coconut milk. Finished with cilantro, this dish can be served with your favourite rice or with some naan bread or chapati. 

Ingredients For Indian Lamb Curry

As with most Indian curries, you begin with the aromatics such as sweet onions, pungent garlic and ginger, and aromatic cilantro. These will be sauteed with butter (or ghee for a more authentic version) until softened. Fresh garlic and ginger are best but you could use grated stuff you get in a jar or a tube. 

Indian Curry Spices

Ah, the spices! Where would Indian cuisine be without them? Every curry has a different combination of spices and seasonings but to be honest, you can't go wrong with a few essentials such as garam masala, mild curry, paprika, turmeric, cumin and chili. All of the spices used in our Instant pot lamb curry are available in supermarkets and online. If you don't have one of them, simply double up on something else. 

Many recipes call for whole spices which you have to grind and toast but we're keeping it simple. Powdered stuff will do the trick and you don't have to go out and buy anything special. 

How To Make Instant Pot Lamb Curry

There are two cooking parts to this lamb curry. You will find the full list of ingredients, instructions and nutritional breakdown below but here are the basic steps.

Part 1. Diced lamb shoulder, warm Indian spices, and tomatoes are stewed under HIGH pressure for 25 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. This will result in very tender meat and tasty sauce broth.

Part 2. Once the lamb curry is cooked, we are going to switch the Instant Pot to Saute mode again and add our vegetables as don't need as much time to cook. We are also using this stage to thicken the sauce, which will happen when you cook it uncovered for 5-7 minutes. It will start to bubble away and you have to stir it frequently. You finish the sauce by stirring in thickened coconut milk right at the end.

What To Serve With Lamb Curry

The lamb curry takes about an hour, which gives you plenty of time to prepare some side dishes. 

Making a batch of rice or using some you made ahead of time is the simplest option. You can also get those 2-minute rice packets to make things very easy. We opted for our tasty spinach rice, which cooked prior in the Instant Pot. Also, try our turmeric rice here.

You can get some pre-made naan bread or chapati bread, which might need to be reheated. One little trick is to brush the bread with a little butter or olive oil and sprinkle it with cumin and diced garlic for extra flavor. Or, you can make your own naan bread. 

Low-Carb/Paleo/Whole30/Keto: If you're following any of these diets, this curry is absolutely suitable. You can swap butter for ghee or olive oil if needed. Serve with cauliflower rice, broccoli rice, low-carb naan bread, zucchini noodles or steamed greens. Try this paleo naan bread recipe.

MORE INSTANT POT CURRIES YOU MIGHT LIKE

• Indian Chicken Curry & Rice
• Creamy & Coconuty Thai Chicken Curry
• Japanese Chicken & Potato Curry
• Lentil Curry With Coconut
• Goan Shrimp Curry

Rate This Recipe

4.45 from 9 votes

Instant Pot Lamb Curry With Coconut & Tomatoes

Made with warm Indian spices, tomatoes and rich coconut milk, this Instant Pot lamb curry is creamy and delicious with soft, succulent meat throughout. Cooking on the stovetop would require 2-2.25 hours to get the same results, but it's much quicker in the pressure cooker.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 361kcal

Ingredients

Part 1 cooking

• 1.5 tablespoons ghee or butter (25 g)
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon garlic or 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 tablespoons cilantro stalks and some leaves, reserve the rest of the leaves for garnish, chopped
• 1.7 lbs. lamb shoulder or lamb with fat trimmed, diced (800 g)

Spices 

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed powder
• 1-2 small chili for extra heat, otherwise leave out
• 1 can diced tomatoes or passata (400 g)

Part 2 of cooking

• 1 carrot sliced
• ½ red pepper sliced
• 1 cup coconut milk 1 can, use the thickened part only, discard the liquid or use in smoothies

Instructions

Part 1

• Prepare all the ingredients for part 1 and turn the Instant Pot. Press the Saute function key and allow the pot to heat up slightly.
• Add the ghee or butter and onions and cook for 2 minutes, to soften. Add garlic, ginger and cilantro and cook together for another minute, stirring well.
• Finally, add all the spices and salt and stir through the onion mixture to release the aromas. Press Cancel to stop the Sauteing process. The mixture will brown and get pretty sticky and some of it may get stuck to the bottom. Add a little splash of water to the pot and stir through scraping off any stuck mixture from the bottom. This will prevent any burning during pressure cooking.
• Add the lamb and tomatoes and stir through well. Pop the lid and lock, making sure the top valve is pointing to Sealing. Press Manual/Pressure Cook, set to HIGH pressure for 25 minutes. It will take 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to build up the pressure and the timer will commence. Once done, release pressure naturally (should take 15 minutes). In the meantime, prepare ingredients for Part 2.

Part 2

• Open the lid and stir the curry. Press the Saute function again. Add the carrots and peppers and cook for 5-7 minutes on Saute, stirring frequently. The curry will bubble away, which will thicken the broth.
• To finish the curry, add the thickened coconut milk and stir through.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1055mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2633IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 5mg

CourseMain

CuisineIndian

KeywordIndian

Made this recipe?Mention @instantpoteats or tag #instantpoteats!

SAVE THIS LAMB CURRY RECIPE TO PINTEREST