Instant Pot Dal Tadka (Restaurant Style)

5 from 10 votes

Dal Tadka is an easy one-pot pressure cooker recipe prepared with split pigeon peas lentils, assorted spices and cooked with pot-in-pot rice.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, North Indian

Keyword dal recipes, dal tadka, instant pot dal, lentil recipes

Diet Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Method Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 220kcal

Author Bhavana Patil

Firstly wash and rinse the dal, keep it aside. Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add oil and once it's hot add cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
Add asafetida, minced ginger-garlic, chopped green chili, curry leaves, and saute for 15 secs.
Then add chopped onion. Saute till onions turn light brown in color.
Add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes turn soft, takes 2-3 minutes.
Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, rinsed lentils or dal, salt, water and give a stir. Adjust spices at this stage. No need to soak the dal for this recipe.
Close the lid securely, and turn the vent to "SEALING". Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 8 minutes.
When the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure before removing the lid.
Garnish with coriander leaves. Also, adjust the consistency of the dal at this point. If it's too dry, turn on SAUTE mode, add some water and boil for 2 minutes.
Dal Tadka is ready ,add extra tempering (tadka) and serve hot with boiled rice, quinoa or roti.

Pressure cook the dal adding 3 cups of water for 3-4 whistles.
Heat oil or ghee in a Kadai and add the cumin and let them splutter.
Then add asafetida, minced ginger-garlic, chopped green chili, curry leaves, and saute for 15 secs.
Next, add the onions and saute till the onions turn light brown in color.
Add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes turn soft, takes 2-3 minutes.
Add all the spice powders – turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, or garam masala powder and fry for a minute.
Now add the cooked and mashed dal, stir well. Add water to adjust consistency and salt to taste.
Boil dal for 2-3 minutes on a medium-low flame. Finally, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Dal Tadka is ready, add extra tempering (tadka) and serve hot with boiled rice, quinoa or roti.

I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT

Soaking Lentils: If you soak the toor dal in water for 30 mins - 1 hour, it helps to cook lentils even faster.
Adjust Consistency: If your dal is watery, you can turn on the saute mode and cook for another 2-3 minutes in the end.
No Onion: For a variation, you can also make this dal by skipping onion, ginger, and tomatoes.
Vegan: Skip ghee and use any cooking oil of your choice.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.