Dal Tadka in Instant Pot

Dal served with tadka of fried onions on top

Dal Tadka in Instant Pot

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.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, North Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings people

Calories 302.09kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Instant Pot

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.

Notes

Dal tadka masala is optional. But do add it if you can. It gives this recipe a very nice flavor.

This yellow Dal tadka can also be served without the tempering. It will still taste good. The tadka helps elevates 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.

Nutrition