Instant Pot Yellow Dal Tadka is a deliciously comforting dish made with mixed lentils, veggies and spices. This Indian dal recipe is vegan and can be made in 30 minutes.
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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
Ingredients needed 🧾
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).
How to make it 🔪
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- Mix all the 3 dals (tur dal, masoor dal and chana dal) together and rinse well under running water. Wash gently by rubbing with your fingers. There is no need to soak the dal.
- Turn on the Instant Pot in saute mode. Add ghee. Once it's hot, add cumin seeds, ginger paste, garlic, green chillies and turmeric powder. Saute for 30 seconds,
- Then add the onions and dried red chillies. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
- Add the tomatoes along with salt. Continue to saute till the tomatoes turn soft.
- Now add the spices like chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala, dal tadka masala, garam masala and crushed Kasuri methi. Mix and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the rinsed lentils. Give it a mix.
- Finally add the water. Hit cancel. Close the lid and select manual or pressure mode. Cook it for 7 minutes with the valve in sealing position. When done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Hit cancel and then do a manual pressure release. Chef Tip - Open the lid and mash the cooked lentils with a whisk or with the back of the ladle and give it a mix.
- Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Add a cup of water if the Dal is very thick. Using the ladle, mash the lentils lightly.
- In a tadka pan, temper cumin seeds, then add asafoetida, dried red chillies and Kashmiri chilly powder. Fry for 10 seconds.
- Add the fried onions and cilantro. Fry for 30 seconds. Pour this tadka over the prepared Dal.
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.
Recipe FAQs 📖
The Indian Dal is very customizable. You can either use just one type of Dal or mix it up. Lentils may be whole split, with skin or without.
Some of the popular Indian lentils used to make the vegan Indian Dal are tur dal, chana dal, moong dal, masoor dal, and/or urad dal.
Soaking lentils prior to cooking them helps cook them faster. You can soak them 30-40 minutes prior if you want.
Since we are making this Dal Fry in the Instant Pot, there is no need to soak them. They cook very easily in the Instant Pot.
You can very well make it on the stovetop. The lentils can either be cooked using a traditional pressure cooker or in a pot with salt and turmeric.
Then the tempering can be prepared using a tadka pan and poured over the cooked dal.
The consistency of Dal is a personal preference. The water proportion I have shared results in a thick Dal.
If you like it thinner, add some warm water once it's cooked till you get the desired consistency. Also remember, it will thicken as it cools.
In case the consistency is thin, then use the Sauté mode and cook the dal for a few minutes.
It's very convenient to store Dal. You can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to a week. It also freezes well for 3-4 months.
To use, thaw it in the fridge overnight. Add some water or broth to loosen it because it would have thickened as it cooled. Heat it in a pot or in the microwave.
More Dal recipes
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Recipe 📖
Dal Tadka in Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
To make the Dal
- 1 cup tur dal
- ⅓ cup masoor dal
- ⅓ cup chana dal
- 2 tablespoon vegan ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 green chillies
- 1 onion
- 3 dried red chillies
- 2 tomatoes
- salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon chilly powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon dal tadka masala
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi
- 4 cups water
For Garnish
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
To prepare the tadka
- 1 tablespoon vegan ghee
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilly powder
- 2 dried red chillies
- ⅓ cup fried onions
- 1 tablespoon cilantro
Instructions
To make the Dal
- Mix all the 3 dals (tur dal, masoor dal and chana dal) together and rinse it well under running water. There is no need to soak them.
- Turn on the Instant Pot in saute mode. Add ghee. Once it's hot, add cumin seeds, ginger paste, garlic, green chillies and turmeric powder. Saute for 30 seconds,
- Then add the onions and dried red chillies. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
- Add the tomatoes along with salt. Continue to saute till the tomatoes turn soft.
- Now add the spices like chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala, dal tadka masala, garam masala and crushed Kasuri methi. Mix and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the rinsed lentils. Give it a mix.
- Finally add the water. Hit cancel. Close the lid and select manual or pressure mode. Cook it for 7 minutes with the valve in sealing position.
- When done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Hit cancel and then do a manual pressure release. Open the lid and give the dal a mix.
- Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Add a cup of water if the Dal is very thick. Using the ladle, mash the lentils lightly.
To prepare the tadka
- In a tadka pan, temper cumin seeds, then add asafoetida, dried red chillies and Kashmiri chilly powder. Fry for 10 seconds.
- Add the fried onions and cilantro. Fry for 30 seconds.
- Pour this tadka over the prepared Dal.
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Madhuri Diwanji says
Hello Priya,
Thank you for posting all awesome recipes for us.
I tried Dal Tadka in instant pot following your recipe. It came out so tasty.
Thank you!
Priya says
Thank you so much. This makes me so happy. We love it too 🙂
Anna says
Trying this today! It looks epic. It doesn't say how many it serves though?
Priya says
Thank you. It serves 6 people. Hope you like it. 🙂