Instant Pot Dal Tadka (Restaurant Style)
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.
Servings 4
Calories 220kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup split toor dal (split pigeon peas) rinsed
- 1 tablespoon ghee (or coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic minced
- 2 green chillies finely chopped
- 1 big pinch asafetida (hing)
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 large tomato finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- salt to taste
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped
For Extra Tadka/Tempering
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 stalk curry leaves (optional)
- big pinch asafetida (hing)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 dried red chilies
For pot-in-pot Rice Cooking
- 1 cup sona masoori rice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Firstly wash and rinse the dal, keep it aside. Press SAUTE 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 a few seconds.
- 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.
- Once you add all the ingredients for the dal in the instant pot, place the trivet and then the bowl of 1 cup of sona masoori rice with 2 cups of water. This way, they will both cook together.The big advantage of Pot-in-Pot cooking with Instant Pot is that you can cook multiple dishes at the same time, saving both time and effort.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.
- For an extra burst of flavor, add a final tempering (tadka) with ghee, cumin seeds, curry leaves, hing, red chili powder, and dried red chilies. Your Instant Pot Dal Tadka is ready! Serve this comforting dal hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti for a wholesome meal.
Stovetop Pot Method:
- 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 a few seconds.
- 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.
Video
Notes
I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT
Tips & Variations
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 601mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 430IU | Vitamin C: 37.3mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 4.1mg