If you love kidney beans and cooking with the Instant Pot as much as I do, I have the perfect recipe for you today: my Instant Pot Kidney Beans Curry with Spinach and Potatoes.
This recipe packs more flavor and nutrition than any single dish has a right to, and the potatoes add a touch of decadence without taking away from the healthfulness of the curry.
I usually make this curry when I am multitasking, because it takes just a small amount of prep and the Instant Pot makes this a mostly hands-off cooking experience. It's a good idea to pre-soak the kidney beans for a couple of hours, simply because it helps you better determine the amount of water to add to the Instant Pot. You don't want to add too little because the curry would be too dry and could stick to the bottom of the pot. You don't want to add too much because, of course, you'd be stuck with a watery curry.
Convenience is certainly one of the most attractive features of this kidney beans curry, but it doesn't, in any way, take away from its incredible deliciousness. I add a tiny bit of vegan yogurt to the dish to make it even more flavorful and rich. Try and use rajma masala, available online and at Indian groceries, if possible. If not, use garam masala instead. Your dish will still be delicious.
If you make the Instant Pot Kidney Beans Curry with Spinach and Potatoes, be sure to come back and let me know. It has become a staple at our home.
Related recipes
- Instant Pot Vegan Dal Makhani
- Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken with Tofu
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Biryani
- Instant Pot Kidney Beans Curry with Spinach and Potatoes
- Spicy Dry Green Peas Curry
- Rajma
- Vegan Tandoori Naan Burger
Instant Pot Kidney Beans Curry with Spinach and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dry kidney beans or rajma
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoon vegan yogurt (I use cashew yogurt, but if you want to make this nut-free, use coconut or any other nut-free yogurt)
- 1 heaping teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne or any powdered red chili pepper
- 2 tablespoon rajma masala powder or garam masala powder
- Puree of 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 small bunch spinach, about 5 cups
- 4 medium yellow or red potatoes
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves or cilantro for garnish
- Slices of lemon
Instructions
- Soak the kidney beans for two hours in enough hot water to cover by at least two inches. Drain before use.
- Add a tablespoon of water to the liner of the Instant Pot and set it to saute. Add the onions, ginger and garlic and saute for a few seconds while you prep the potatoes and spinach.
- When the onions start to turn translucent, add the vegan yogurt and saute for another minute. Add the tomato puree, turmeric, cayenne and rajma masala or garam masala and give everything a stir.
- Add the potatoes and spinach along with the drained kidney beans and mix well. Add three cups of water. Turn off the saute function, click in the Instant Pot lid, and set to the "beans" function which should set the curry to pressure cook for 30 minutes.
- Let the Instant Pot release all pressure or, if you're in a hurry, wait 10 minutes after cooking and release any remaining pressure. Open and add salt to taste and stir well. Garnish the curry with coriander leaves and squeeze in lemon, if you wish.
- Serve hot with rice, roti or naan.
Nutrition
Deanna Seeley
Somehow I missed an important ingredient when making this delicious Holy Cow Vegan dish, Instant Pot Kidney Beans Curry with Spinach and Potatoes: CURRY
Vaishali
You don't need to add curry powder to every curry. That's why we have the other spices! 🙂 Happy you enjoyed it.
Isabella
Have just had it for dinner! Delicious!
Priya
I recently went dairy and soy free and i Love your recipes. They are so true to Indian cuisine. I made this curry today. Since I didn’t have beans to soak, I used kidney beans from a can and used coconut milk since I didn’t have nondairy yogurt. This dish still came out wonderful!!! My 2 year old ate a bunch and I’m about to go do the same.
Faith
Very tasty and so easy to make. The only thing I would change is the amount of masala. I almost wonder if teaspoon and tablespoon were mixed up?
Amanda Caunt
This was great! I used canned kidney beans and a pressure cooker. Now on my list of go to recipes.
Vaishali
So happy you tried, Amanda!
Lotte
I can't believe how good this is with such simple ingredients. One of the best meals I've had in a kong time!
Vaishali
Thanks, Lotte!
Supriya
My picky, hard-to-please teenager had 3 bowls of this tonight and said “this is REALLY good!” The house smells amazing too.
Krithika
This looks like a great way to do a quick rajma-chawal dinner. Can't wait to try it out in my IP!
Could I ask a favor? Could you please help adapt your gumbo recipe for the Instant Pot? I love the recipe, but I seem to spend at least an hour by the stove for it. I'm hoping the IP will help with that but I'm not sure what the best way to cook it would be.
Vaishali
Krithika, great idea, and I will do that.
Clare
Can you adapt this for the Slow Cooker, with tinned kidney beans, as I don't have an Instant Pot. Thanks!
Vaishali
Clare, absolutely. Just add all ingredients at the same time and use canned or cooked beans. You might want to check on the water a couple of times during cooking and add more if the curry gets dry.
Clare
Thanks! I am gonna give this a try 🙂