Instant Pot Dal Tadka | Dal Fry

One of the most ordered Indian dish in dhabas (roadside eateries) and restaurants world over. This is easy and comforting food at it's best. Made with basic ingredients, this quintessential everyday dal is incredibly delish and too good to be missed. Enjoy with steaming rice or by itself as a soup with bread of your choice!!!

There are so many versions of this popular dal with different combinations of lentils used, but this one with toor, masoor, and moong is a family favorite.

It's such a simple and effortless dish. The lentils are first tempered with aromatics and then simmered together. It is the second tadka (tempering) with asafoetida, cumin, dry red chilies, garlic and kashmiri chili powder in ghee that takes it to a different level altogether. Visually, as well as aromatically appealing, this winner of a recipe is sure to pull everyone at your home to the dinner table. Paired with jeera rice, it has a way of hitting the spot every single time!!!

Ingredients

• ½ cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• ¼ cup dhuli masoor dal (red lentils)
• 3 tablespoon dhuli moong dal (petite yellow lentils)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3-4 cups water
• salt to taste

For Tempering

• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 4-5 garlic pods, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chilies
• 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro (coriander), finely chopped for garnishing
• ½ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Rinse and soak all the dals for 30 minutes.
2. Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode.
3. Add oil, once it's hot, add cumin seeds. Let them pop for about 30 seconds.
4. Then, add ginger and garlic, saute till light brown and aromatic.
5. Stir in onions and green chilies. Saute for 4-5 minutes or till golden brown.
6. Now, add tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Keep stirring until they turn mushy.
7. Mix in all the spices - kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder, and turmeric. Stir in between. Splash a little water to make sure nothing is stuck at the bottom and the spices don't burn. Season with salt.
8. Add all the lentils and 3 cups of water. Give it a good stir.
9. Cancel the SAUTE mode. Close the lid of the IP with the vent in the sealing position.
10. Change the setting to PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL MODE at High for 6 minutes.
11. Once the time is up and IP beeps, manually release the pressure after 6 minutes.
12. Open the lid and mix well. Mash the lentils slightly using the back of a ladle.
13. Adjust the consistency of the lentils by adding more water if need be.
14. Turn on the SAUTE mode again at Low. Add butter and let the lentils come to a simmer. Cancel the SAUTE mode.
15. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro.
16. In a small pan, pour ghee. Once hot, add hing, dry red chilies, and cumin seeds. Saute till cumin starts sizzling.
17. Add garlic and onions. Keep stirring until they are a nice shade of golden brown.
18. Finally, add kashmiri chili powder and turn off the burner.
19. Pour the tempering over dal.
20. Serve hot with rice, roti or paratha!!!

Stove Top Instructions

1. Rinse and soak all the lentils for 30 minutes.
2. Add them in the pressure cooker with 3 cups of water, salt, and turmeric.
3. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
4. In a large pan, add oil. Once it's hot, add cumin, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Saute for a minute.
5. Stir in onions, saute for 4-5 minutes or till golden brown.
6. Now, add tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Keep stirring until they turn mushy.
7. Mix in rest of the spices - kashmiri chili powder, and coriander powder. Stir in between.
8. Add the cooked lentils and mash a little using the back of a ladle.
9. Adjust the consistency of the lentils by adding more water if need be.
10. Add butter and let the lentils come to a simmer.
11. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro.
12. For tempering, in a separate small pan add ghee. Once hot, add hing, dry red chilies, and cumin seeds. Saute till cumin starts sizzling.
13. Add garlic and onions. Keep stirring until they are a nice shade of golden brown.
14. Finally, add kashmiri chili powder and turn off the burner.
15. Pour the tempering over dal.
16. Serve hot with rice, roti or paratha!!!

Recipe Notes

• Depending on the availability and personal preference, you can use just toor dal or a combination of toor with masoor or toor with moong too.
• To make it vegan, use oil instead of ghee and omit butter completely.
• For a lighter version, go easy on oil, ghee, and butter.
• Skip using asafoetida to make it gluten-free.