Zucchini Dal recipe is a comforting and easy dal made in an Instant Pot pressure cooker with masoor dal (red lentils), zucchini, tomatoes, Indian spices, and cooked with pot-in-pot rice. This dal is vegan, gluten-free, and pairs well with rice, quinoa, and roti.
When someone mentions "comfort food from India," what is the first meal that comes to mind? It's either dal chawal, or dal roti for any of us. Dal is one ingredient that appears in all of these meals. They are not only packed with protein and other healthy ingredients, but they are also utterly tasty!
The enormous diversity of dals in Indian food speaks powerfully about the culture's unending devotion to it. We offer a dal dish for every occasion, ranging from rich and buttery dal makhani to healthy panchratna and filling moong ki dal.
Here, we bring you one more type of dal that is loved by all. Ever heard? Zucchini dal. If not, this is the time to try it out! Simple yet a crowd-pleaser at all times, this dal recipe combines masoor dal (red lentils) with rich Indian flavors and zucchini. This dal is vegan and gluten-free and pairs best with steamed rice, quinoa, paratha, and roti.
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Health Benefits of Zucchini
Zucchini, a summer squash, is a member of the cucumber, gourd family. This green vegetable has many benefits, rich in several vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial plant compounds that are well known to reduce weight, improve digestion, slow aging, and are rich in antioxidants.
Check for more about Zucchini and its health values here.
How to Make Zucchini Dal in Instant Pot
Let's gather all the ingredients required to make Zucchini red lentils in an Instant pot.
- Zucchini: I used fresh zucchini for this recipe. Make sure to cut into 1.5-2 inch pieces.
- Masoor dal (Red lentils): I used masoor dal for this recipe. It's easily available in local & Indian grocery stores in the USA. You may also substitute it with moong dal or toor dal or use a combination of them.
- Oil (or ghee): I used oil in this recipe, but using ghee for tempering gives the dal a divine taste.
- 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 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: You can skip onion for no onion recipe variation.
- 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. You can increase or decrease the spices according to your choice.
- Water: lentil to water ratio - For 1 cup of dal, 3 cups of water is added.
- Coriander leaves: I have used coriander leaves for garnish.
Press Saute on Instant Pot. Add oil, and once it's hot, add cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
Add ginger-garlic paste, asafetida, green chili, and saute for 15-20 secs.
Then add chopped onion. Saute till onions turn light brown.
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.
Then add diced Zucchini, rinsed lentils or dal, salt, water, and give a stir. Adjust spices at this stage. No need to soak the dal for this recipe.
Once you add all ingredients for Zucchini Lentil Curry in the instant pot, place the trivet and then the bowl of rice with water. This way they will both cook together.
Close the lid on the pot, and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and increase the timer to 5 minutes.
Once the pot beeps, let it release the pressure naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes.
Add cilantro and lime juice, mix well. Serve zucchini lentil curry hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti.
Note on the consistency:
If one wants soft mashed dal, 6 minutes manual/pressure cook (High Pressure) is probably the ideal setting in manual mode.
But I like dals (lentils) to be a little firm, so I selected 5 minutes Manual/Pressure Cooker (high pressure) option.
If you want a more firm dal, choose 4 minutes Manual/Pressure Cooker (high pressure).
Accessories needed for this Dal and Rice Pot-in-pot recipe
- Tall Trivet
- Stackable Steamer Insert Pans, or any oven-safe bowl
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
- In a pressure cooker, add diced zucchini, minced garlic-ginger, green chilies, onion, tomatoes, masoor dal, turmeric powder, salt, water, and pressure cook up to 2 whistles.
- Meanwhile, prepare the tempering and add this tempering into the dal once cooked along with red chili powder and garam masala and let the dal simmer for 6-8 minutes.
- Add cilantro and lime juice, mix well, and serve zucchini masoor dal hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti.
Serving suggestions
Zucchini Dal (lentil) curry is served traditionally with basmati rice, roti, or chapati. But it can be eaten with quinoa, brown rice!
Tips & Variations
- Choose tender and fresh zucchini with no seeds. Always taste a small piece of zucchini, if it's bitter, discard it.
- Today I have used masoor dal (red lentils) with this zucchini recipe, but you can use any kind of dal/lentils like toor dal, split yellow moong dal, or a mixture of toor, masoor, and moong dal.
- If you are a South Indian and want to make sambar with zucchini, follow the same steps, instead of the dry spices mentioned below, add 1.5 tablespoons of sambar powder and some tamarind extract instead of lemon juice to make a zucchini sambar recipe.
- To make a simple no onion-no garlic dal, you can also skip onion and garlic.
More Indian Zucchini Recipes
- Zucchini Stir Fry
- Zucchini Carrot Paratha
- Zucchini Besan Sabzi
- Zucchini Pakoda
- Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini
- Zucchini Bajji
- Zucchini Chutney
More Lentil Recipes
- Dal Tadka – Dal prepared with split pigeon peas lentils, assorted spices
- Green Lentil Soup – lentil soup made with green lentils, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and Indian spices.
- Whole Masoor Dal (Brown Lentils) - Dal cooked with whole masoor dal.
- Spinach Dal / Palak Dal – Dhal cooked with spinach leaves
- Whole green moong dal– Dal cooked with whole mung beans
- Panchmel dal – dal prepared with five varieties of lentils
Instant Pot Zucchini Dal
Ingredients
Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml
- 1 cup masoor dal (red lentils)
- 2 large zucchini chopped into 1.5 inch pieces (about 2-3 cups)
- 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds(jeera)
- 1 pinch asafetida (hing)
- 2 green chillies split into halve
- 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 large tomato finely chopped
- salt to taste
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped
- juice of ½ lemon
Dry Spices:
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
For Basmati Rice
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1.5 cups water
- a pinch salt (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Press Saute on Instant Pot. Add oil, and once it's hot, add cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
- Add ginger-garlic paste, asafetida, green chili, and saute for 15-20 secs.
- Then add chopped onion. Saute till onions turn light brown.
- 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.
- Then add diced Zucchini, rinsed lentils or dal, salt, water, and give a stir. Adjust spices at this stage. No need to soak the dal for this recipe.
- Once you add all ingredients for Zucchini Dal in the instant pot, place the trivet and then the bowl of rice with water. This way they will both cook together.
- Close the lid on the pot, and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and increase the timer to 5 minutes.
- Once the pot beeps, let it release the pressure naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes.
- Add cilantro and lime juice, mix well serve zucchini lentil curry hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker:
- In a pressure cooker, add diced zucchini, minced garlic-ginger, green chilies, onion, tomatoes, masoor dal, turmeric powder, salt, water, and pressure cook up to 2 whistles.
- Meanwhile, prepare the tempering and add this tempering into the dal once cooked along with red chili powder and garam masala and let the dal simmer for 6-8 minutes.
- Add cilantro and lime juice, mix well serve zucchini masoor dal hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti.
Notes
Tips & Variations:
- Choose tender and fresh zucchini with no seeds. Always taste a small piece of zucchini, if it's bitter discard it.
- Today I have used masoor dal (red lentils) with this zucchini recipe but you can use any kind of dal/lentils like toor dal, split yellow moong dal, or a mixture of toor, masoor, and moong dal.
- If you are a South Indian and want to make sambar with zucchini, follow the same steps, instead of the dry spices mentioned below add 1.5 tablespoons of sambar powder and some tamarind extract instead of lemon juice to make a zucchini sambar recipe.
- To make a simple no onion-no garlic dal, you can also skip onion and garlic.
- If one wants really soft mashed dal, 6 minutes manual/pressure cook (High Pressure) is probably the ideal setting in manual mode. But I like dals (lentils) to be a little firm so I selected 5 minutes Manual/Pressure Cooker (high pressure) option.
- Vegan Variation: Skip ghee and use the oil of your choice.
Nutrition
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Maggie says
If you want to double the ingredients of the recipe for the instant pot, do you double the amount of water as well plus increase the time? This information would be very helpful to know. Please can you advise?
Many thanks in advance
Bhavana Patil says
Hi Maggie, In the recipe card there is an option see the ingredients quantity when you do 2X, or 3x times. Coming to your question, Yes you will need to double the water but the cooking time will remain the same.Hope this helps.