Instant pot dal recipe for busy weeknight dinners. This flavorful dal with soaked pigeon peas and few simple ingredients is so easy make and quicker too using an electric pressure cooker.
Make this ultimate Indian comfort food and enjoy with piping hot steamed rice. Vegan & gluten free!
I have been using instant pot for over an year and now I am all ready to share my favorite instant pot recipes with you all 🙂
Of all the instant pot recipes I have tried this easy dal recipe in instant pot is my top favorite It comes out so good and delicious every time. No guess works, consistent results every single time.
Apart from being able to cook hands free and use just one pot, curries cooked in instant pot have a wonderful texture and the flavor is more concentrated.
This instant pot dal recipe is so delicious, flavorful and tastes just like the ones from top restaurants at a fraction of cost.
I have noticed that soaked pigeon peas cook better and faster in instant pot than the un soaked ones. So for creamier smooth dal, always soak the lentils for thirty minutes.
As with any classic dal fry recipe, here also I have kept the spices minimum here too. Always remember, if you want to make perfect dal then keep the spics minimum and let the ginger-garlic shine.
I love lentils and can survive on it happily. Just give me dal and rice with some yogurt and I am one happy soul!
If you want comfort in a bowl, I highly recommend you try recipe soon and enjoy!
This Instant Pot Dal Is
Made hands free, perfect for weeknight dinner
ready under 40 minutes
creamy, delicious and flavorful
vegan & gluten free
best served with rice.
To make this instant pot dal, I soak the pigeon peas or toor dal for 30 minutes. Soaking lentils helps in faster cooking and also they mash up very well.
The main flavor and taste of this dish comes from sauteed onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Instead of whole spices I like to a dash of garam masala powder.
One ingredient I never miss in my dal is ground turmeric. It not only adds a wonderful color but also adds great flavor and nutrition.
I also add a pinch of kasuri methi towards the end, it improves the flavor dramatically. If you have fresh methi leaves saute it with onions. It also tastes good.
Sometimes I do dhungar to infuse smokey flavor to the dal. Dhungar is nothing but infusing the flavor of burning charcoal to the dish. It gives tandoori effect.
Ingredients For Instant Pot Dal
Lentils– For this recipe I have used split pigeon peas or toor dal or arhar dal. You can also make this dal recipe with a mix of masoor or red lentils and pigeon peas. Other lentils you can use in this recipe are chana dal. Cooking time will vary though.
Onions & tomatoes– Finely chopped onions and tomatoes are the base masala for this dal. Sauteed onions lend a wonderful flavor and tomatoes lend a slight tangy taste.
Ginger-garlic– For flavor and taste. As we are not adding much spices, use good amount of ginger and garlic and saute them well for nice flavor.
Kasuri methi– Kasuri methi or dried methi leaves for flavor. I never miss this in my north Indian dal or curry recipes. They impart such a wonderful favor. If you have fresh methi
Other ingredients- Few other pantry staple ingredients like garam masala powder, red chili powder, ground turmeric.
How To Make Dal In Instant Pot
Pick, rinse and soak split pigeon peas or toor dal in plenty of water.
Place the insert or inner pot in your instant pot and switch it on.
Press the saute button. Once it displays hot add 2 tablespoons oil.
Add cumin seeds, minced ginger garlic, slit green chili and finely chopped onions.
Saute for 2 minutes until onions turn a bit soft.
Next in goes finely chopped tomatoes or tomato puree. I also added some fresh methi leaves. You can skip if you don’t have.
Add ground turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste. Mix well and saute for 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes are well cooked.
Add 1/2 cup water to de glaze and mix very well. Make sure nothing is stuck at the bottom of the pot. Let cook for minute.
Next add soaked and drained split pigeon peas or toor dal. Mix well.
Add 2 cups water and mix well.
Cancel saute, close the instant pot and set pressure valve to seal. Press pressure cook button and set timer for 8 minutes.
Once done, let it sit for 5 minutes. Then release the remaining pressure.
Add 1/2 cup water if required to adjust consistency. Press saute again and cook for 2-3 minutes. Cancel saute. Unplug the instant pot.
Add cilantro leaves and lemon juice. Mix well.
Serve dal warm with rice, chopped onions and lemon wedges.
Stove Top Instructions
If want to make this dal on stove top here are the instructions.
Soak, rinse and drain the pigeon peas or toor dal. Add the lentils to a pot and cover with enough water, a pinch of ground turmeric and salt.
Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are completely cooked. Drain excess water and mash the lentils well. Set aside.
While the lentils are cooking, you can make the masala base side by side.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan.
Add minced ginger garlic, onions, green chili. Saute well for 2-3 minutes.
Now add pureed tomatoes and spice powders. Mix well and cook till oil separates.
Add the cooked lentils, mix well, adjust consistency by adding 3/4 cup water and mix well
Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from flame. Add cilantro leaves and lemon juice. Mix.
Recipe Notes & Tips
Though not mandatory like dried chickpeas, soaking split pigeon peas considerably reduces cooking time. Also soaked lentils cook and mash up very well. So if time permits do soak the lentils for 30 minutes.
After adding chopped tomatoes and spice powders saute them really well. Sauteing the spice powders in oil helps in releasing the flavors and also removes a raw taste.
To make creamy dal, make sure to cook the lentils really well and mash them with a masher if required after opening the pot.
This is a vegan dal recipe and I have used oil. If you prefer you can add ghee also. Ghee adds a wonderful flavor and rich taste to this dal.
Serve dal piping hot or warm over a bed of steamed basmati rice for perfect comforting meal. You can serve some pickled onions, mint chutney or potato roast in side.
The recipe can be doubled but make sure your instant pot can fit. Also increase the pressure cooking time by another 3-4 minutes.
More Dal Recipes
Easy dal tadka
Restaurant style dal fry
Delicious Gujrati dal
Creamiest dal makhani
I hope you will try this instant pot dal recipe and enjoy as much as we did. P
Stay tuned for more Indian instant pot recipes.
Instant Pot Dal
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup split pigeon peas toor dal
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 green chilies slit
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste or freshly minced
- 3/4 cup chopped onions
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric or turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- salt to taste
- 2 talespoons chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 teaspoons crushed kasuri methi or 1/2 cup fresh methi leaves
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Pick, rinse and soak split pigeon peas or toor dal in plenty of water.
- Place the insert or inner pot in your instant pot and switch it on.
- Press the saute button. Once it displays hot add 2 tablespoons oil.
- Add cumin seeds, minced ginger garlic, slit green chili and finely chopped onions.
- Saute for 2 minutes until onions turn a bit soft.
- Next in goes finely chopped tomatoes or tomato puree. I also added some fresh methi leaves. You can skip if you don’t have.
- Add ground turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste. Mix well and saute for 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes are well cooked.
- Add 1/2 cup water to de glaze and mix very well. Make sure nothing is stuck at the bottom of the pot. Let cook for minute
- Next add soaked and drained split pigeon peas or toor dal. Mix well.
- Add 2 cups water and mix well.
- Cancel saute, close the instant pot and set pressure valve to seal. Press pressure cook button and set timer for 8 minutes.
- Once done, let it sit for 5 minutes. Then release the remaining pressure.
- Add 1/2 cup water if required to adjust consistency. Press saute again and cook for 2-3 minutes. Cancel saute. Unplug the instant pot.
- Add cilantro leaves and lemon juice. Mix well.
- Serve dal warm with rice, chopped onions and lemon wedges.
Stove Top Instructions
- Soak, rinse and drain the pigeon peas or toor dal. Add the lentils to a pot and cover with enough water, a pinch of ground turmeric and salt. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are completely cooked. Drain excess water and mash the lentils well. Set aside.
- While the lentils are cooking, you can make the masala base side by side.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add minced ginger garlic, onions, green chili. Saute well for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add pureed tomatoes and spice powders. Mix well and cook till oil separates. Add the cooked lentils, mix well, adjust consistency by adding 3/4 cup water and mix wel. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from flame. Add cilantro leaves and lemon juice. Mix.
Notes
- Though not mandatory like dried chickpeas, soaking split pigeon peas considerably reduces cooking time. Also soaked lentils cook and mash up very well. So if time permits do soak the lentils for 30 minutes.
- After adding chopped tomatoes and spice powders saute them really well. Sauteing the spice powders in oil helps in releasing the flavors and also removes a raw taste.
- To make creamy dal, make sure to cook the lentils really well and mash them with a masher if required after opening the pot.
- This is a vegan dal recipe and I have used oil. If you prefer you can add ghee also. Ghee adds a wonderful flavor and rich taste to this dal.
- Serve dal piping hot or warm over a bed of steamed basmati rice for perfect comforting meal. You can serve some pickled onions, mint chutney or potato roast in side.
- The recipe can be doubled but make sure your instant pot can fit. Also increase the pressure cooking time by another 3-4 minutes.
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