Butternut Squash Dal (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

The Butternut Squash Dal is a comforting and easy dal recipe made with toor dal (split pigeon peas), butternut squash, tomatoes, and a few Indian spices, all cooked together with pot-in-pot rice in an Instant Pot pressure cooker. This butternut squash lentil curry is vegan, gluten-free.

Rice and dal are our go-to comfort foods for busy weeknights! Today, I am sharing a twist on the traditional dal tadka by adding the seasonal vegetable butternut squash to make it nutrient-dense. Similarly, I love making variations like zucchini dal, mango dal, and ridge gourd dal.

Butternut Squash (aka Butternut Pumpkin), is a type of winter squash tastes sweet, juicy, rich, and somewhat like pumpkin or sweet potatoes. They can be roasted, grilled, pureed, mashed, or pressure-cooked.

It is a good source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other vital nutrients, low in calories, and has lower carbs than sweet potatoes.

I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT, and it can be made in under 30 minutes.

If you are looking for more Indian butternut squash recipes, then check out

• Butternut Squash Stir fry with Coconut
• Butternut Squash Paratha
• Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

Jump to:

• Ingredients for Indian Butternut Squash Dal
• How to Make Butternut Squash Dal in Instant Pot
• Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• Tips & Variations
• More Instant Pot Lentil/Beans Recipes
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Dal

Ingredients for Indian Butternut Squash Dal

• Butternut Squash: Choose butternut squash that has a nice beige-ish color, is firm, feels heavy for its size, and has no deep cuts or bruises. If you're short on time, you can use peeled and pre-cut squash available in grocery stores or opt for frozen cubed squash.
• Split toor dal: I used toor dal (yellow split pigeon peas) in this recipe. However, you can substitute it with yellow lentils (moong dal) or red lentils (masoor dal). You can also use a combination of toor, masoor, and moong dal for a unique flavor and texture.
• Oil (or ghee): I used oil in this recipe, but I always prefer to use homemade ghee for tempering, as it gives the dal a divine taste. You can also use a combination of ghee and oil for this squash dal tadka recipe.
• Cumin seeds (jeera): They are a must in any Indian dal tempering, so do not skip them.
• Ginger and garlic: I have minced fresh ginger and garlic for this recipe. You can also use store-bought ginger and garlic paste. You can skip garlic for no garlic variation.
• Green chilies: I used 1 Thai green chili. However, you can skip to reduce the heat.
• Onion: I used red onions.
• Tomato: I have used chopped fresh Roma tomatoes. For a variation, you can skip tomato and use extra lemon juice for tanginess.
• Spices: I have used turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala.
• Water: The lentil-to-water ratio for cooking dal is typically 1 cup of dal to 3 cups of water.
• Coriander leaves: I have used coriander leaves for garnish.

How to Make Butternut Squash Dal in Instant Pot

Firstly, soak toor dal for at least 15 minutes in hot water.

Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Heat oil (or ghee), and add cumin seeds. Let them crackle.

Then add ginger garlic paste, asafetida, green chili, chopped onion. Saute till onions turn light brown.

Add the tomatoes along with the dry spices: turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes turn soft.

Next, add the diced butternut squash, rinsed and soaked lentils or dal, salt, and water. Stir well and adjust the spices at this stage if needed.

After adding all the ingredients to the Instant Pot, place the trivet on top and then place the bowl of rice with water on the trivet. This way, both the dal and rice will cook together.

Close the Instant Pot with the 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 minutes high pressure.

Once the pot beeps, let it release the pressure naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes.

Lastly, add cilantro and lime juice, and mix well. Serve butternut squash dal hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti.

Accessories needed for this Dal and Rice Pot-in-Pot recipe

1. Tall Trivet
2. Stackable Steamer Insert Pans, or any oven-safe bowl

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

Follow the steps according to the Instant Pot instructions. If using a traditional pressure cooker, cook until you hear 2-3 whistles on medium flame, and then let the pressure release naturally. All the other steps remain the same.

Storage Suggestions

• Refrigerate: Store the leftover butternut squash dal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
• Freeze: You can store the dal fry in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 2-3 months in the freezer.
• Reheat: Reheat the squash dal on the stove or in the microwave oven. The dal will thicken on standing, so thin it out with some water. If frozen, Defrost for a few hours on the kitchen counter before reheating.

Tips & Variations

1. Size of Butternut squash: The size of the butternut squash pieces is crucial; aim to dice them into 1.5-2 inch pieces. This will help ensure that the squash remains firm and doesn't become mushy or dissolve into the dal.
2. Type of Lentils/Dal: I used toor dal for this butter squash recipe, but you can use any kind of dal/lentils like red lentils (masoor dal), chana dal, split yellow moong dal, or a mixture of toor, masoor, and moong dal.
3. Soaking Lentils: Don’t skip soaking the toor dal for at least 15-20 minutes. Toor dal takes longer to cook than butternut squash, so soaking helps soften the lentils and reduces cooking time, ensuring the butternut squash remains firm and doesn’t turn mushy.
4. Other Veggies: You can also add bottle gourd, zucchini, or pumpkin to this dal.
5. No Onion-No Garlic: To make a simple no onion-no garlic dal, you can also skip onion and garlic.

More Instant Pot Lentil/Beans Recipes

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