Instant pot beef curry with potatoes and carrots is delicious, hearty, and comforting. This Indian stew is made quick and easy in the instant pot, giving you all the flavor, nutrition, and goodness of a stovetop curry but with less time and effort. It's made with yogurt to add creaminess, and is well-seasoned for incredible layers of flavors like garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, and cumin. The best part? You can make this pressure cooker curry ahead of time and store it easily in the fridge or freezer. It's perfect for meal prep, and leftovers might actually taste better the next day!
Why You'll Love Instant Pot Beef Curry
- A classic curry sauce meets quality beef. This instant pot beef curry is a match made in heaven. Stewing beef, such as chuck or round, is a quality beef that isn't too expensive. Paired with a classic homemade curry sauce made with yogurt, this beef reaches new heights.
- Quick cooking in the instant pot. Pressure cookers speed up the cooking process (this cooks in just 25 minutes with a 15-minute release time) and tenderizes the beef to absolute perfection. You'll never cook curry any other way!
- It's packed with protein. One serving of this pressure cooker beef curry contains a whopping 40 grams of protein, which is a excellent source of protein.
- So flavorful. The stewing beef does more than just add protein to your meal. It also lends delicious savory notes that you can't get anywhere else. Plus, it's well-seasoned with an assortment of curry spices that you don't want to skip on.
Ingredient Notes
To make delicious and easy Instant Pot Beef Curry, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- vegetable oil - I typically use avocado oil. Coconut oil is a good option too.
- onion
- garlic + ginger
- stewing beef
- seasoning - salt, ground turmeric, cumin powder, garam masala, and bay leaves (optional).
- tomato paste
- plain yogurt - we love using our Homemade Yogurt in this recipe. You will be surprised to find out how easy it is to make at home.
- vegetables - we used some classic filling veggies like carrots and potatoes. I recommend using Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes in this recipe. Some other vegetables that you could throw in here are cauliflower or sweet potatoes.
- water
You will also need measuring cups and spoons and a pressure cooker like an instant pot.
The secret to good curry is to spice it up! Don't be shy when it comes to the seasoning, and feel free to add in your own favorite spicy ingredients.
How to Make the Best Instant Pot Beef Curry
- Sauté aromatics.Turn on the Sauté function on high on the instant pot. Add oil and heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Sear beef. Add cubed beef and sear until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. The beef shanks don't need to be fully cooked at this point.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add salt, turmeric, garam masala, and bay leaves. Stir well. Stir in tomato paste and yogurt until evenly mixed. Add carrots, potatoes and water. Mix until well combined.
- Pressure cook. Put the lid on and switch to pressure cooking mode on manual High. Seal the lid (the steam release knob must be turned to the sealed position) and let the beef curry pressure cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Once the time is up, you can let the instant pot slowly release the pressure, about 15 minutes or quick release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the venting position. Season with more salt to taste and serve.
How to Serve
You typically need a starchy side to serve along a Beef Curry like this so that it can soak up all that delicious sauce. Some of my favorite sides to serve with this are:
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- How to store: Leftover instant pot beef curry can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- How to freeze: To lengthen its life, once cooled, transfer the beef curry to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. I'd recommend portioning it out into separate meal prep containers for easy reheating. When ready to eat, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- How to reheat: Instant pot beef curry tastes best when you reheat over the stovetop on medium heat, stirring frequently. If the curry becomes too thick, stir in some water.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Cranberry Chicken
- Butternut Squash Soup in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more recipe updates.
Recipe
Instant Pot Beef Curry
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Instant pot beef curry with potatoes and carrots is delicious, hearty, comforting, and flavorful. It's made quick and easy in the pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 pound stewing beef, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1-2 bay leaves (optional)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Turn on the Sauté function on high on the instant pot. Add oil and heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add cubed beef and sear until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. The beef shanks don't need to be fully cooked at this point.
- Add salt, turmeric, garam masala, and bay leaves and stir well. Stir in tomato paste and yogurt until evenly mixed. Add carrots, potatoes and water. Mix until well combined.
- Put the lid on and switch to pressure cooking mode on manual High. Seal the lid (the steam release knob must be turned to the sealed position) and let the beef curry pressure cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Once the time is up, you can let the instant pot slowly release the pressure, about 15 minutes or quick release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the venting position.
- Season with more salt to taste and serve with Naan Bread or Basmati Rice.
Notes
How to store: Leftover instant pot beef curry can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
How to freeze: To lengthen its life, once cooled, transfer the beef curry to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. I'd recommend portioning it out into separate meal prep containers for easy reheating. When ready to eat, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to reheat: Instant pot beef curry tastes best when you reheat over the stovetop on medium heat, stirring frequently. If the curry becomes too thick, stir in some water.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Stew
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Indian
Ellen says
This was great with a few adjustments for my personal taste. I added some coriander and chili for some spice before cooking, let it sit for about an hour warm after cooking for the flavors to seep in (that way it doesn’t have that “missing something” taste), and added some extra yogurt at the end for an extra tart yogurt dimension. I love how easy it is.