INSTANT POT MUNG BEAN STEW
Give yourself a much-needed break in the kitchen! Whip up this Instant Pot Mung Bean Stew for a meal that cuts way back on cooking time, but not flavour.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium potato peeled, cut into 1" cubes
- 3-4 skinless chicken thighs
- 1 and ½ cup canned diced tomatoes 16oz/376ml
- 1 cup of dried mung beans washed
- 1 chicken stock cube*
- 2 cups water
- ½ bunch of spinach washed, roughly chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves pressed or minced
- 1 cup red bell pepper diced
Spices:
- 1 teaspoon turmeric ground
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1 " ginger root finely diced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Garnish:
Sumac onions**, limes/ lemon and cilantro/ parsley
Instructions
- Sauté the onions. In your 6qt Instant Pot/ pressure cooker set to sauté on medium heat, add oil, ghee and onions. Keep an eye on the onions, stir frequently. You want the onions to be a golden colour. Add in all the spices and sauté 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Coat the chicken in the spices. Add the chicken to the Instant Pot, allow the chicken to be coated in the spices, 2-3 minutes (chicken should be a nice yellow colour from the turmeric). Once the chicken is coated in the spices, add the potatoes and give a good stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes⏤we're just coating them in the spices.
- Toss in the mung beans & tomatoes. Add in your mung beans, garlic and diced tomatoes. Stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Season. Add the stock cube and water to the soup, stir everything. Turn off the sauté function.
- Set the Instant Pot. Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot to the bean/chilli function and time for 15 minutes. Once the time is finished, you can choose to do a quick release or a low release. I prefer a 5-minute slow release. I'll leave the choice up to you.
- Release the pressure. Remove the lid. If the stew looks a bit dry, add ½ cup of water. (don't worry, it won't affect the taste too much.) Take out the chicken thighs allow cooling slightly on a plate. Remove the meat from the bones.
- Final Touches. As the chicken cools, add the spinach and bell peppers to the stew. Stir and cover for 5 minutes to allow the final ingredients to cook and flavours to marry each other. After 5 minutes, add the chicken meat back into the stew. You may need to adjust the salt at this point.
- Serve. Ladle the stew in a shallow bowl and serve with sumac onions, cilantro, and lime.
Notes
Stovetop: Use a 6qt pot or dutch oven and follow all the directions of the recipe with the exception of adding 1 additional cup of water and simmer for 40 minutes on medium high heat.
*Omit the stock cube for actual stock or broth if you it on hand.
**Sumac Onion: 1 red onion sliced, 1 tablespoon sumac, 2 tablespoon parsley, and a pinch of salt. Let sit 30 minute at room temperature before using.
This dish serves 4 people as a side or 2 people as a main.