This easy one-pot curry will warm you up from the inside out! Lentils and turkey get cooked in a curry spiced tomato broth into a stew-like consistency. Butter gets stirred in at the end to give the curry a silky smooth texture. I love this over a bed of warm jasmine rice, but you can also enjoy it on its own with a side of toast or turn it into a brothy soup (see note)!
Money saver! By using a combination of lentils and turkey, you’ll learn how you can get plenty of protein using less meat. Plus you’ll see how you can stretch that meat into multiple meals.
Ingredient Highlight
Lentils! My favorite small but mighty pulse (AKA legume)! They are packed full of protein, fiber, folic acid, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. One half cup of uncooked lentils (or about 1 ¼ cup cooked) contains 24g of protein, that’s more than you get in 3 oz of steak!
Servings 4 -6 (about 6 cups)
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 15 minutes Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ lb ground turkey
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1 (14 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3-4 cups cooked jasmine rice*
- Plain greek yogurt, for topping
- Fresh herbs (cilantro or scallions), for topping
- Lime wedges
- *Rice is optional, but recommended (see substitutions)!
- Turn leftovers into brothier soup! ~ For every 2 cups of the lentil curry, stir in ½ cup of water. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Stir in some rice or eat with a side of toast.
- Note: ~ easily stir in some greens with the butter at the end, if you’d like.
Instructions
- Cook 2 cups jasmine rice if you haven’t already (instructions here).
- In a 6-quart Instant Pot, press the sauté button set to “normal” or “medium”. Add oil and once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for about 3 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add turkey and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook for another 2-3 minutes, breaking the turkey into small chunks. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 more minute, stirring often.
- Add lentils, tomatoes, water, and soy sauce. Use your hands to break open the tomatoes to release their juices and break into small chunks (you could also just use scissors). Stir everything to combine.
- Lock the lid in place and set the vent to “sealing”. Select “manual pressure” (set to high) and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, manually release the pressure. Remove the lid and stir in the butter until melted. If it’s too dry or you want it to be a little brothier, just stir in some water.
- Serve over rice and top with yogurt, herbs, and squeeze of lime.
Stovetop instructions:
- Follow the recipe as is, using a large pot instead of an Instant Pot. Once you’ve stirred everything together, cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then simmer rapidly for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through. Follow the rest of the recipe as is.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 2 cups rice (if using or use other grain, 3-4 cups cooked)
- Chop 1 yellow onion
- Peel and chop 2 carrots
- Make the curry
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, skip the turkey and use 1 ½ cups lentils and increase water to 3 cups.
- To make vegan, see above and skip the butter or use a vegan butter alternative. Use a vegan yogurt alternative or skip it all together and top with a squeeze of lime and some chopped avocado.
- Use any ground meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb).
- If you can’t find whole peeled tomatoes, a (14 oz) can of diced, crushed, or pureed tomatoes should work just fine.
- You can enjoy this as a stew without any grain, but with a side of toast or pita. You can also use any grain in place of the rice (brown rice, quinoa, millet, pasta, etc…)
- If you want to add more veggies (mushrooms, sweet potato, bell pepper, cauliflower, etc…), chop them up and stir them in with the water, etc…To add greens, just stir them in at the end with the butter.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover curry and rice in the microwave. Top with lots of herbs, lime, and yogurt.
- Turn leftovers into brothier soup! For every 2 cups of the lentil curry, stir in ½ cup of water. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Stir in some rice or eat with a side of toast.
- Top with a boiled or fried egg.
Servings 4 -6 (about 6 cups) Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ lb ground turkey
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1 (14 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3-4 cups cooked jasmine rice*
- Plain greek yogurt, for topping
- Fresh herbs (cilantro or scallions), for topping
- Lime wedges
- *Rice is optional, but recommended (see substitutions)!
- Turn leftovers into brothier soup! ~ For every 2 cups of the lentil curry, stir in ½ cup of water. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Stir in some rice or eat with a side of toast.
- Note: ~ easily stir in some greens with the butter at the end, if you’d like.
Instructions
- Cook 2 cups jasmine rice if you haven’t already (instructions here).
- In a 6-quart Instant Pot, press the sauté button set to “normal” or “medium”. Add oil and once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for about 3 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add turkey and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook for another 2-3 minutes, breaking the turkey into small chunks. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 more minute, stirring often.
- Add lentils, tomatoes, water, and soy sauce. Use your hands to break open the tomatoes to release their juices and break into small chunks (you could also just use scissors). Stir everything to combine.
- Lock the lid in place and set the vent to “sealing”. Select “manual pressure” (set to high) and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, manually release the pressure. Remove the lid and stir in the butter until melted. If it’s too dry or you want it to be a little brothier, just stir in some water.
- Serve over rice and top with yogurt, herbs, and squeeze of lime.
Stovetop instructions:
- Follow the recipe as is, using a large pot instead of an Instant Pot. Once you’ve stirred everything together, cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then simmer rapidly for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through. Follow the rest of the recipe as is.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 2 cups rice (if using or use other grain, 3-4 cups cooked)
- Chop 1 yellow onion
- Peel and chop 2 carrots
- Make the curry
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, skip the turkey and use 1 ½ cups lentils and increase water to 3 cups.
- To make vegan, see above and skip the butter or use a vegan butter alternative. Use a vegan yogurt alternative or skip it all together and top with a squeeze of lime and some chopped avocado.
- Use any ground meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb).
- If you can’t find whole peeled tomatoes, a (14 oz) can of diced, crushed, or pureed tomatoes should work just fine.
- You can enjoy this as a stew without any grain, but with a side of toast or pita. You can also use any grain in place of the rice (brown rice, quinoa, millet, pasta, etc…)
- If you want to add more veggies (mushrooms, sweet potato, bell pepper, cauliflower, etc…), chop them up and stir them in with the water, etc…To add greens, just stir them in at the end with the butter.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover curry and rice in the microwave. Top with lots of herbs, lime, and yogurt.
- Turn leftovers into brothier soup! For every 2 cups of the lentil curry, stir in ½ cup of water. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Stir in some rice or eat with a side of toast.
- Top with a boiled or fried egg.
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My husband and 5 year old son loved this dish. He ate 2 bowls of it.
Amazing!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂