Instant Pot Persian Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 3- 4 patties of HomeBurgers or Nature Burgers (trimmed and cut into 1 - 2 inch chunks)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 4 cups bone broth (or beef or chicken stock)
• 1 1/2 cups dried split peas (rinsed)
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice (plus zest of 1 lemon)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Accompaniments: cooked basmati rice; radishes; fresh mint and basil leaves

Instructions

BEFORE Cooking

Chop up the Homeburger or Nature Burger patties into cubes 

1. Set Instant Pot to SAUTE, add vegetable oil and brown the meat on all sides. Meat will not be cooked through. (Be sure not to crowd the pot - you may have to work in batches). Transfer browned meat onto a plate.
2. Add onions and garlic and sauté for a minute or two then add the tomato paste and saute for 1 minute longer.
3. Pour in the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot.
4. Return the beef to the pot and add in the split peas, crushed tomatoes, and spices.
5. Cover and seal the lid - turn the vent to sealing. Hit CANCEL then press the MANUAL (high pressure) button and set the timer to 25 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for Instant Pot to come to full pressure, then the display will show a countdown timer.
6. Once the 25 minutes are up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
7. Open the lid, stir in the lemon juice and zest and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.