Whole Masoor Dal (Brown Lentils) cooked in the Instant Pot. This simple and flavorful dal is vegan and gluten-free and pairs well with rice for a comforting meal.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 35 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil (15 ml, I used avocado oil)
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 inch ginger (chopped)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 1 green chili (chopped)
  • 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1 cup whole masoor dal (brown lentils)
  • 2.5 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • lemon wedges (to serve)

Method

  1. Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil and then add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
  2. Then add the chopped ginger, onion, green chili and mix. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until onions are light golden brown in color. Stir often.
  3. Add in the tomatoes and de-glaze the pot by scrapping the bottom with a spatula. There shouldn't be anything stuck at the bottom.
  4. Add the spices- coriander powder, turmeric and garam masala. Also add the salt and mix. Cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the rinsed whole masoor dal to the pot and toss with the masala.
  6. Then add in the water and stir. Close the pot with the lid.
  7. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 13 to 14 minutes, with the pressure valve in sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally.
  8. Open the pot and add chopped cilantro and mix. At this point, you can also add a teaspoon of ghee for extra flavor. You can also add crushed kasuri methi or squeeze in some lemon juice.
  9. Serve whole masoor dal with rice or roti or paratha.

Stove-Top Pressure Cooker Instructions

  1. Follow all the steps as it is and then pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on high heat. Let the pressure release naturally. Alternatively, you can also pressure cook the dal only with salt and turmeric and water and then make a tempering/tadka in a separate pan and add to the dal.

Stove-Top Pan Instructions

  1. If you don't have a pressure cooker and want to make this dal, follow all the steps as it is until add the lentils. Add the lentils, water and then cook for around 30-35 minutes uncovered on medium heat until lentils are soft and done. You may need to adjust the amount of water here as water will evaporate when cooking in an open pot compared to a pressure cooker.

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.