Craving a comforting meal that’s quick and easy to make? This Instant Pot Dal comes together in 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights. With a simple mix of lentils, spices, and aromatics, this dish delivers bold flavors without any fuss.
I make this Indian dal almost every day, and over time, I’ve fine-tuned the cooking process. To make it even easier for you, I’ve created a handy tool to find the exact cooking time and water ratio for any lentils.
Dal is a classic Indian side dish made with lentils, cooked until soft and tempered with simple spices. Traditionally, it’s slow-cooked on the stovetop, but with the Instant Pot, you can make it in a fraction of the time without compromising on flavor.
I make dal almost every day, switching between different lentils for variety. If you love a lighter, creamier texture, try my Instant Pot Masoor Dal, made with red lentils that cook in minutes. Instant Pot Spinach Dal and Instant Pot Brown Lentil Dal are great options for an earthy, wholesome twist.
To make cooking even easier, I’ve created a handy tool to help you find the right water ratio and cooking time for any lentils.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Dal or lentils: I used split pigeon peas or toor dal in this recipe. This is the most common lentils used to make Indian dal. But you can also use other lentils like yellow lentils (moong dal), brown lentils (sabut masoor dal), and red lentils(masoor dal) to make this Instant pot dal. The only difference would be the cooking times. Please refer to the cooking times section for various lentils.
- Spices: Dal is an everyday dish in most homes, so it just has the basic spices like cumin, ground coriander, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. I sometimes add garam masala powder or curry powder to flavor it more and change the taste.
- Aromatics: This recipe uses finely chopped garlic, ginger and onion to flavor the dal. You can use either garlic, ginger, onion, or all of these to flavor the dal.
Detailed Steps
Step 1: Start the Instant pot in saute mode and add oil.
Step 2: Once it is hot, add cumin, mustard, minced garlic, chopped ginger, slit green chili (optional), curry leaves, and asafoetida.
Step 3: I usually take some tempering and keep it aside for the garnish. So once the seeds splutter, carefully scoop out the tempering.
Step 4: Add finely chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 5: Add the finely chopped tomatoes and spice powders - ground cumin, coriander powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.
Step 6: Add rinsed lentils to the Instant Pot inner pot.
Step 7: Add water and mix the dal well. Stop the Instant Pot saute mode and Close it with its lid. Seal the vent.
Step 8: Start the Instant Pot in pressure cook or manual mode and cook it on high pressure for 6 minutes.
Once the Instant Pot finishes cooking., wait 10 minutes and manually release the pressure.
Step 9: If using leafy veggies, finely chop them and add them to the dal.
Step 10: Start the Instant Pot in saute mode and cook the dal for a couple of minutes. Add the tempering and serve the dal.
Instant Pot Dal Water Ratio & Cooking Time Calculator
Wondering how much water to use for different dals in the Instant Pot? Use this Dal Water Ratio & Cooking Time Calculator to get the perfect water-to-dal ratio and cook time based on your preferred texture.
Select your dal type and texture preference to see the exact water ratio, cooking time, and soaking recommendation for the best results.
Tip: Choose the soft texture option if you like your dal creamier. For a firmer bite, go with medium or firm.
Instant Pot Dal Water Ratio & Cooking Time
Water Ratio: 1:3
Cooking Time: 8 min HP, 10 min NPR
Soaking Needed? Recommended
Variations
- Vegetables: Add more nutrition by mixing in bottle gourd, ridge gourd, zucchini, or carrots. Hard veggies should be pressure-cooked with the dal.
- Leafy Greens: Spinach, fenugreek, kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens, amaranth, or sorrel leaves all work well. Add after pressure cooking to keep their color and nutrients. If needed, use saute mode for a quick simmer.
- Herbs: Fresh cilantro is the classic garnish, but mint or dill can add a unique flavor twist. Try them for a refreshing change!
Storage & Reheating
- Room Temperature - Stays fresh for 8-10 hours.
- Refrigerator - Store for up to 2 days.
- Freezer - Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Always thaw only what you need and consume immediately - do not refreeze.
- Reheating - Dal thickens when stored. Add water while reheating and use it right away. Discard if the color or odor changes.
Have you tried this recipe? Provide your feedback by giving a star rating and/or leaving comments. And don't forget to share the recipe with others on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.
Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Dal
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Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup split pigeon peas Toor dal (you can use any lentils)
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup tomato finely chopped
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 green chili optional, use it for spicier dal
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic grated or smashed
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 6 curry leaves optional
- Hing pinch (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Salt adjust according to taste
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils and keep them aside.
- Start the Instant pot in saute mode and add oil, cumin, mustard, curry leaves, crushed garlic, and asafoetida (if using). Add green chili now if you are using it.
- Once cumin seeds splutter, add finely chopped onions and cook them for a couple of minutes.
- Now add finely chopped tomatoes and let them also cook for 2 minutes.
- Then goes the spice powders - ground cumin, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt.
- Add the rinsed lentils to the Instant pot inner pot and mix it well.
- Add water and deglaze the pot if required.
- Stop the Instant pot saute mode and close it with its lid.
- Seal the vent, start the Instant pot in manual or pressure cook mode and cook it for 6 minutes on high pressure. Please check the cooking times section as time varies for different lentils.
- Once the Instant pot finishes cooking, wait for a natural pressure release or manually release the pressure after 10 minutes.
- Stir the dal and add more water to adjust the consistency of the dal.
- If using any leafy veggies, add them now and cook the dal for a couple of minutes in saute mode. Or close the Instant pot and keep it aside for 10 minutes. The residual heat will cook the leafy greens.
- The delicious Instant pot dal is ready to serve.
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