Butternut Squash Dal recipe is a comforting and an easy dal made in Instant Pot pressure cooker with toor dal (split pigeon peas lentils), butternut squash, tomatoes, Indian spices and cooked with pot-in-pot rice.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
  • 2-3 cups butternut squash (peeled and diced in to 1.5 inch pieces)
  • 1 tablespoon ghee ((or oil))
  • 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
  • a pinch asafetida (hing)
  • 1 green chili (finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 small onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 large tomato (finely chopped)
  • salt (adjust to taste)
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (chopped)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon

Dry Spices:

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

For Basmati Rice

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1.5 cups water
  • a pinch salt ((optional))

Method

Instant Pot Method:

  1. Firstly, soak toor dal (split pigeon peas) for 15 minutes in hot water.
  2. Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil and once it’s hot add cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
  3. Then add ginger garlic paste, asafetida, green chili, chopped onion. Saute till onions turn light brown in color.
  4. Add tomatoes along with dry spices turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and cook till tomatoes turn soft, which takes 2-3 minutes.
  5. Then add diced butternut squash, rinsed & soaked lentils or dal, salt, water and give a stir. Adjust spices at this stage.
  6. Once you add all ingredients for Butternut squash Dal in the instant pot, place the trivet and then the bowl of rice with water. This way they will both cook together.
  7. Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes. If you don't have time to soak the dal, then increase the timer to 8 min high pressure.
  8. Once the pot beeps, let it release the pressure naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes.
  9. Lastly, add cilantro and lime juice, mix well. Serve instant pot lentil butternut squash curry hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker:

  1. Follow the steps from the instant pot instructions. Give 2-3 whistles on medium flame and let the pressure release naturally. All the other steps remain the same.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.