Instant Pot Moong Dal - Simple Yellow Lentil Dal
This Instant Pot Moong Dal is a simple and wholesome Indian lentil dish made with yellow moong dal, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. Ready in minutes, it's perfect with rice or roti for a comforting meal.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup moong dal yellow lentils
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup veggies chopped, optional
- ½ cup tomato chopped
- 1 inch ginger chopped or grated
- 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
- 1 curry leaf sprig optional
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Prep: Rinse moong dal thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. Keep it aside. Chop the Veggies and keep them aside.
- Saute Aromatics: Press Saute on the Instant Pot and heat oil. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Saute a minute until they turn aromatic.
- Add Tomatoes and Spices: Add chopped tomatoes, along with spice powders such as turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Cook till tomatoes turn soft.
- Add Veggies and Lentils: Now add chopped vegetables (if using), moong dal, and mix well. Pour in water and cancel saute mode.
- Cook on High Pressure: Secure the lid and set Instant Pot to 'Pressure Cook' mode for 4 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes after cooking.
- Serve and Enjoy: Open the lid, gently mash the dal to achieve a creamier texture, and adjust the salt and spices as needed. Serve this piping hot Instant Pot Moong dal with steamed basmati rice or Indian flatbread roti.
Notes
Tested Tips from My Kitchen
- If you're adding spinach or other quick-cooking greens, stir them in after the pressure cooking is complete.
- For thicker dal, reduce water to 2.5 cups or mash the cooked dal slightly.",
- I sometimes skip garam masala for a lighter flavor. You can add more for a richer taste.
- Adding vegetables to the dal is optional, but I try to incorporate them as much as possible. In this recipe, I used bottle gourd, other veggies like carrots, green beans, squash, pumpkin, and ridge gourd go well in this yellow lentil dal.
- Moong dal, or yellow lentils, cook easily, so I skipped the soaking step. If needed, you can soak the lentils and use them to make this yellow dal.
Nutrition
Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2653IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg
