Dal Tadka in Instant Pot

Indian Dal decoded

Also known as Daal, Dhal or Varan is an extremely popular North Indian side dish that's made with lentils which is cooked with aromatic spices.

It has a beautiful yellow/orange hue thanks to the spices used. It's often served with rice and is considered as comfort food for Indians.

Many mistake it as a curry, but Dal is not a curry. It uses fewer spices, and is way simpler to make. It's more like a creamy lentil stew with an earthy taste.

Lentils and pulses are called Dal in Hindi. The term 'Dal' is used to describe the dish as well as the ingredient.

Many variations of Dal

Yes, every Indian household has its own recipe to make Dal. There are many variations to it. Right from lentils and spices used to the way it's tempered, everything can vary. Dal Tadka or Dal Fry is one of the ways of cooking the Indian Dal. I call it the dressed-up version of the staple Yellow Dal. That is why you will find it on restaurant menus, celebratory events, and parties. The Yellow Dal Tadka recipe is naturally vegetarian but today I am sharing how to make it vegan and in the Instant Pot.

What does tadka mean

Tadka also referred to as Tarka, vaghar, or chaunk means tempered spice-infused oil. It is a very common cooking technique in Indian cooking. Spices when tempered in ghee or oil, release essential oils, aroma, and flavors which gives the dish an uplifting flavor. We use a special tadka pan for this. The sizzling sound you get when you pour the tadka over the dish is like music to the ears.

Why make it in the Instant Pot

This home-style version of yellow Tadka Dal can easily be made in the Instant Pot. I prefer to make it in this because it's a one-pot meal. I just add all the ingredients and let the Pot do the magic. No more counting the whistles of the traditional pressure cooker! Since I like to serve this Dal with rice, I also like to cook it with the Dal using the pot-in-pot method.

Why make this

• This Dal recipe is vegan
• It's very nutritious, high in protein and fiber content
• Easy to digest
• A budget-friendly meal
• Can be made with basic pantry ingredients
• One-Pot meal
• Simple, easy and quick to make
• Is easily customizable and scalable
• It's mouthwateringly delicious

Lentils - I have used 3 kinds of pulses/lentils to make this Dal Tadka. It's made with tur dal (split pigeon peas), chana dal (split chickpea lentils), and masoor dal (red lentils). Mixing the three dals together gives it better flavor and texture. You can also make this recipe with just one variety of dal. All these pulses can be easily found on Amazon or in an Indian grocery store. When selecting them, ensure there are no insects in them or are not stale.

Veggies - onions and tomatoes are the two basic veggies we need that will help enhance the flavor.

Spices and herbs - cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, green chillies, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, red chilly powder, dried red chillies, and Kasuri methi give this Dal an aromatic flavor.

Dal Tadka masala - This is an optional ingredient but do add it if you have. This spice mix can be found on Amazon or in an Indian grocery store.

Traditionally, ghee is used to temper Dal, but since this is a vegan dal recipe, I have used vegan ghee.

The ingredients that will be used in the takda/tempering of this Instant Pot Yellow Dal are:

Fried onions - this is one of the key ingredients that will elevate the flavor by many notches. Avoid skipping this.

Other ingredients are cilantro, lemon juice, cumin seeds, asafoetida, dried red chillies, and Kashmiri red chilly powder (this gives color without the spice).

To make smoky Dal Tadka

An additional step that you can do here is to give the Dal a smoky flavor. Transfer the cooked Dal to a large serving bowl. Place a small bowl in the center. Burn a piece of natural coal or a cinnamon stick and place it carefully in the small bowl. Drizzle oil on it cover the serving bowl immediately and let the smoke flavors infuse the Dal for 2 minutes. Then open the lid and discard the coal. This smoking technique is also known as Dhungar. Instead of doing this, you can also just add smoky paprika instead of chilly powder to get that smoky flavor.

Serving suggestions 🍽 

Yellow Dal Tadka tastes the best with Jeera rice, white or brown rice. But if you are looking for low-carb options, serve it with cauliflower rice or alternate grains like quinoa. Serve a small bowl of Dal along with some curry like Aloo Gobi and Indian bread like chapati, roti, naan, paratha, or bhakhri to make a complete meal. You can also have it like a soup. We usually make Dal and rice on days when we want to eat light or detox. It's also the meal we prefer to have when we get back home after a trip. Dal, rice with yogurt, papad, and pickle on the side is like the best food combo ever. If you have some leftover Dal, use it to make Leftover Dal Pancakes. Serve this home-style rustic Indian Instant Pot Dal Tadka on weekdays, weekends, brunches, parties, potlucks, or even pack it in lunchboxes.

Top recipe tips 💭

Dal tadka masala is optional. But do add it if you can. It gives this recipe a very nice flavor. This Instant Pot vegan yellow Dal tadka can also be served without the tempering. It will still taste good. The tadka helps elevate the flavors of Dal. You can also prepare the Dal ahead of time and do the tempering just before serving. Curry leaves can also be added at the tempering stage to give it more flavor. If you feel the lentils are slightly undercooked, pressure cook it for a couple of more minutes. To make this vegan Dal gluten-free, skip adding asafoetida. If you are not vegan, do the tempering in ghee instead of vegetable oil.