Traditional Indian Masoor Dal | Brown Lentils - Instant Pot & Stove-top

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Dec 31

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An easy and delicious brown lentil soup known as **Masoor Dal**, made in the Instant Pot but can also be made in any stovetop pressure cooker. This meal is wholesome, healthy, budget friendly!

Sabut Masoor dal is also known as brown lentils and is almost the same as red split lentils, but without the brown skin. These are essentially whole red lentils, and these lentils are widely consumed around the world! Brown lentils have an earthy flavour, and they are commonly used in stews.

I feel this rich lentil soup really defines Indian cuisine the way I love it. This richness doesn’t change me from any cream, the lentils are so creamy in itself and combined with rich sweet tomatoes is the ultimate comfort food. I haven’t had this comforting home-style dish for over 5 years before I remembered this amazing dish and that first bite took me right back to my childhood days. Food is so wonderful and I’m sure you would love to try this dish and make your own memories.

Masoor dal can be made in the Instant Pot or in a stove-top pressure cooker. This entire recipe is done in the Instant Pot, which is great because it’s a one-pot, saving you time, energy, and dirty dishes! That’s always a bonus when you’re in a pinch for time and don’t want to clean! Not to mention that the active time is minimal, as you let the Instant Pot do the work for you!

In this recipe, I’ll be showing you how to make Masoor Dal in the Instant Pot and in a pressure cooker. You can watch the video for more details on the pressure cooker recipe, and the pictures below will show you how I made it in the Instant Pot. So whatever equipment you have, you can enjoy this fantastic recipe!

Happy Eating!

What is Dal?

Dal, also known as “dhal,” simply means lentils. Lentils are such a nutrition powerhouse, which is great for vegetarians and vegans! Even if you’re an omnivore, lentils can be a component of a balanced diet. Lentils are an excellent source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals.

In Indian cuisine, we use a variety of lentils, such as:

sabut urad dal (black gram lentils)
urad dal (split black gram lentils)
chana dal (split peas)
moong dal (green lentils)
sabut masoor (red lentils)

Benefits of Brown Lentils

I highly recommend you include some brown lentils in your diet! For one cup of cooked lentils, you get 18 grams of protein and nearly 16 grams of fibre. Additionally, vegetarians and vegans tend to be deficient in iron and Vitamin B6, but you’ll get 18% and 37%, respectively, of your daily recommended intake with these lentils! Furthermore, brown lentils contain nine essential amino acids, which can be harder for vegans and vegetarians to obtain from their diets.

Source: Healthline

Brown lentils are perfect for curries and stews because of how they hold their shape. Once cooked, they will have a wonderfully creamy texture.

Ingredients for Masoor Dal

Only a handful of ingredients are needed to make a satisfying masoor dal dinner! Let’s go over what you’ll need:

Sabut masoor dal
Ghee
Green chilies
Garlic cloves
Ginger
Onion
Tomatoes
Cumin seeds
Hing
Turmeric
Ground coriander
Garam masala
Salt
Water
Cilantro

How to Make Masoor Dal in the Instant Pot

Begin by soaking the masoor dal in water for 10-15 minutes.

In the meanwhile, add the onion, ginger, and garlic into a blender or food processor.

Blend until you have a smooth puree (add 3-4 green chiles at this step if using). Add extra water if necessary.

Transfer to a bowl and set aside for later.

Then, add the tomatoes to the blender or food processor.

Blend until you have a smooth puree, then set aside.

Select Saute mode on your Instant Pot at normal setting and set the time for 30 minutes.

In your Instant Pot, add the ghee, hing and cumin seeds and sauté until reddish brown and aromatic. Then, add the onion, ginger and garlic puree. Cook until the mixture turns fragrant and light brown.

Cook until the mixture turns fragrant and light brown.

Pour in the puréed tomatoes. Add the ground coriander and turmeric. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. You can add some water if the mixture is too dry.

Followed by garam masala.

Drain the water from your lentils and transfer them to the Instant Pot.

Season with salt and mix well.

Add 4 Cups water.

Close the Instant Pot lid. Select Pressure Cook mode on High and set the time to 12 minutes. Ensure the Instant Pot is in Sealing Mode.

When the pressure has released naturally, open the Instant Pot lid, the lentils should be completely cooked.

Season with salt to adjust for seasoning and garnish with fresh cilantro, mix well.

Serve hot and enjoy!

How to Make Masoor Dal in a Stovetop Pressure Cooker?

Soak masoor dal in water for 10-15 minutes.
In the meanwhile grind your ginger, garlic, onion and chilies into a smooth paste. Add extra water as necessary and set aside.
In the same blender, grind your tomatoes to a smooth paste and set aside. Alternatively, you can boil your tomatoes for a few minutes, peel skin and then grind them.
In a pressure cooker, heat ghee. Once ghee is hot, add cumin seeds and hing, sauté until reddish brown and fragrant.
Add your ginger, garlic, onion paste and cook until mixture turns fragrant and light brown.
Add in the ground tomatoes, ground coriander, turmeric and garam masala and cook for 5-8 more minutes. You can add some water if mixture is too dry.
Then add the lentils and 1 tsp salt, mix well. Add 4 Cups of water close the pressure cooker. After about 2-3 whistles, take off the heat and let the pressure release naturally.
Open the pressure cooker and taste for seasoning. Add cilantro for garnish and serve hot with rice/roti.

Check out my video recipe to see how to make make Masoor Dal in the pressure cooker.

How to Make Masoor Dal Vegan

All the ingredients in this masoor dal curry are vegan except for the ghee. The simple answer here is to simply replace ghee with any plant-based oil of your choice!

What to Serve with Masoor Dal?

You could serve masoor dal with so many sides! Here’s what I recommend:

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cookingwithanadi. Thank you!