Simple, practical, and full of everyday flavour, Veggie Lentil Dhansak Instant Pot is a vegan, vegetarian Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan main made with total split dals, chopped vegetables (heaped), and packed chopped greens in about 45 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan

Ingredients

Dal and Veggies:

  • 3/4 cup total split dals (combination of red lentils(masoor dal and yellow lentils(mung dal) or toor and moong dal))
  • 2 cups chopped vegetables (heaped) (such as cauliflower, eggplant, zuchhini, opo squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli etc))
  • 1 cup packed chopped greens (such as spinach, fresh fenugreek leaves, mustard leaves, chard or amaranth)
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 hot green chile minced
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp dhana jeera powder* (or 1/2 tsp garam masala + 1/2 tsp coriander powder + a good pinch of ground cloves)

Tempering:

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 3/4 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion (heaped)
  • 3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala (or more as needed)

Method

  1. Soak the dals for 15 mins to half hour. Drain and combine in a pressure cooker/Instant pot with the vegetables, and the rest of the ingredients under Dals and Veggies(ginger, garlic, spices)and 2.5 to 3 cups water. Cook for 3 minutes on manual (high pressure). Let the pressure release naturally.
  2. Meanwhile, make the tempering. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add mustard and cumin seeds and let them start to pop. Add onion and garlic and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. (a heavy bottom pan, a good pinch of salt and stirring at regular intervals gives an even golden onion). Add garam masala and mix in.
  3. Once the pressure has released, open the lid. At this point you can mash the veggies and lentils for a more traditional version..
  4. Mix in half the tempering into the lentil vegetable mixture in the Instant Pot. Taste and adjust salt and heat(cayenne). Add more salt and garam masala if needed. Garnish with the remaining half tempering, cilantro and lemon juice and serve.
  5. Serve with rice, flatbread, toasted bread or garlic bread, garlic naan and kachumbar salad (cucumber tomato onion salad).

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.