15+ Easy Pakistani Instant Pot Recipes
Here’s a list of Pakistani Instant Pot recipes that are easy-to-make, healthy (I count real food as healthy), and 100% delicious!
This roundup includes a beautiful mix of tested-and-perfected Instant Pot recipes: mostly curries, a couple of pulao recipes, and one of my favorite desserts. Most of these are common household Pakistani and North Indian recipes, though I’ve included a couple of mainstream ones (I couldn’t leave Butter Chicken out with a clear conscience). This is a growing list, so I’d recommend you bookmark it for whenever you need Instant Pot inspiration.
Before we begin, here’s the Instant Pot I use to make all these recipes: (affiliate link) If you are still on the fence about it, I hope this recipe roundup will convince you that you can’t live without one! If you’re new to the Instant Pot or just want to learn how to use it for Indian & Pakistani cooking, please check out my guide on How To Use The Instant Pot For Indian And Pakistani Cooking.
If you try any of these recipes, I’d love for you to leave a comment on the recipe and let me know how you liked it! If you’re on Instagram, snap a photo and tag me so I can see. I always love hearing from you!
Easy Pakistani Instant Pot Recipes
Easy Pakistani Haleem Recipe (Instant Pot)
Instant Pot Whole Masoor Dal (Brown Lentil Curry)
The BEST Instant Pot Kheer
Easy Instant Pot Keema
Easy Sarson Ka Saag (Stovetop & Instant Pot)
Instant Pot Pakistani Chana Dal
Pakistani Urad Dal (Maash Ki Dal)
Easy Shami Kebab (Instant Pot and Stovetop)
Instant Pot Pakistani Chicken Curry
Easy Instant Pot Nihari (Pakistani Beef Stew)
Instant Pot Chicken Pulao
Punjabi Kadhi Pakora (Stovetop and Instant Pot)
Instant Pot Keema Lobia (Ground Beef and Black Eyed Peas Curry)
Easy Instant Pot Carrot Halwa (Gajar ka Halwa)
Instant Pot Red Lentil Dal
Instant Pot Goat Curry
Chana Pulao (Chickpea Pilaf) – 20-minute prep!
Instant Pot Butter Chicken (Easy and Authentic)
Easy Instant Pot Pakistani Beef Curry
15+ Easy Pakistani Instant Pot Recipes including Easy Pakistani Haleem Recipe (Instant Pot)
Video
Ingredients
Lentils and Rice
- 1/4 cup (~48 g) chana dal, raw split chickpeas or sub yellow split peas
- 1/4 cup (~48 g) maash dal, split urad lentils
- 2 tbsp (~25 g) masoor dal, red split lentils
- 2 tbsp (~27 g) split moong dal, yellow lentils
- 2 tbsp (~24 g) basmati rice
Whole Spices
- 2-3 dried bay leaves
- 1-2 black cardamom pods
- 2-3 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2-3 green cardamom pods, leave whole or remove seeds and grind into a powder using a mortar and pestle
- 4-5 whole cloves, leave whole or grind into a powder using a mortar and pestle
For the Instant Pot
- 2 (~300 g) small onions or 1 large, cut into eights
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1 – 1 ½ inch cubes
- 2 (~250 g) medium tomatoes, quartered
- 1-2 green chili peppers, stems removed and sliced
- 1 tbsp haleem masala powder, homemade (see post for recipe) or store-bought
- 1-2 tsp red chili flakes
- 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 1/2 – 2 3/4 tsp table salt or sea salt, start with 2 1/4 tsp if using store-bought haleem masala
- 2 tbsp whole milk yogurt
- 3 cups water
After Cooking
- 1/4 cup rolled oats, or sub instant oats
- 1/2 tsp garam masala or chaat masala
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Tadka (Tempering) – Optional
- 1 (~85 g) small or half medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2-3 tbsp ghee or oil
Garnishing
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, julienned
- 1-2 green chili peppers, finely chopped
- 1 lemon or lime, cut into wedges
- chaat masala or garam masala – optional
- mint leaves – optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the lentils and rice and rinse a few times until the water runs clear. Fill the bowl with warm water and allow to soak. Set aside.
- Place the onion, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and pulse to chop finely (but not blend).
- Turn Instant Pot on Sauté mode and set to More. Once hot, add oil, ghee, and chopped onion mixture. Sauté for about 8-10 minutes, until the onions are lightly golden. While the onions are sautéing, add all the spices listed under Whole Spices.
- Add the meat and sauté until the color of the meat changes (~5 minutes). Meanwhile, pulse to chop the tomatoes and green chilies in the food processor. Set aside.
- Add the spices (haleem masala, red chili flakes, and turmeric) and salt and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the chopped tomato mixture and yogurt along with 3 cups of water.
- Drain the soaked lentils and rice and add it to the Instant Pot. Mix to combine. Cancel Sauté. Cover the Instant Pot and set the valve to Sealing. Select the Meat/Stew Setting to set the pressure time to 45 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 5 minutes, and then manually release the remaining pressure. Open the pot, and use a slotted spoon and tong to remove the beef pieces and add them to the food processor. Discard any large whole spices (the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, etc.) as they come up. Pulse to process the beef until it is just shredded and stringy but not smooth (7-8 pulses).
- Use an immersion blender to blend the dal until smooth. (You can also blend in the food processor after shredding the beef.) Turn the Instant Pot on to Sauté mode and set to Less.
- Add the shredded beef and rolled oats and stir. Sauté for 3-5 minutes to cook this mixture down. Once the haleem starts bubbling, cancel sauté and cover with a lid.
- Select Slow Cook and set to More. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 20-30 minutes (See Note 1). The haleem is done once a 'laced' consistency is achieved. (See Note 2) If the haleem thickens too much, add 1/2-1 cup boiling water and continue to stir. Add the garam masala and black pepper and stir to mix.
Tadka (Optional Step)
- In a medium skillet, heat ghee or oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (~5-6 min). Stir more cautiously toward the end because you want them the deep brown color but not burnt.
- Pour the tadka over the haleem. Garnish and serve with more garnishing on the side.
2 Comments on “15+ Easy Pakistani Instant Pot Recipes”
Thank you for sharing such wonderful dishes with us! I see your dishes are simple and easy to cook. I like the images you have used in this wonderful post. I will add all the above recipes to my food repertoire.
Thank you, Supriya!