Creamy And Easy Instant Pot Masoor Dal Recipe

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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 flavor, 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 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!

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 fiber. 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. Lentils are also gluten-free!

Tools Needed

• Instant pot
• Food processor
• Measuring cups
• Wooden spoon
• Strainer

Ingredients for Instant Pot 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 Instant Pot Masoor Dal

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?

1. Soak masoor dal in water for 10-15 minutes.
2. In the meanwhile, grind your ginger, garlic, onion and chilies into a smooth paste. Add extra water as necessary and set aside.
3. 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.
4. In a pressure cooker, heat ghee. Once ghee is hot, add cumin seeds and hing, sauté until reddish brown and fragrant.
5. Add your ginger, garlic, onion paste and cook until mixture turns fragrant and light brown.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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 Masoor Dal in the pressure cooker.

How to Make Instant Pot 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!

The Tadka: Where the Flavor Starts

Every good dal begins with a tadka — the tempering step where whole spices are bloomed in hot fat before anything else goes in. Here that is ghee, a pinch of hing and cumin seeds, cooked until the seeds turn reddish brown and the kitchen smells like an Indian household on a weeknight. Only then does the onion, ginger and garlic puree go in, and it needs to cook down to a light golden brown before the tomatoes arrive. Rushing this is the difference between a dal that tastes flat and one that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.

• A few curry leaves dropped into the ghee with the cumin seeds add a distinctly South Indian fragrance.
• Kashmiri red chili powder is worth keeping on hand — it gives the dal a deep red color with far less heat than ordinary red chili powder.
• For a restaurant finish, make a second tadka at the end: bloom cumin seeds and a pinch of Kashmiri chili in a spoonful of ghee in a small frying pan and pour it over the finished dal just before serving.

Getting the Consistency Right

Dal is all about the water ratio, and the right answer depends on your equipment and how you like it:

• Instant Pot: 12 minutes on high pressure using Pressure Cook or Manual mode, sealing valve closed, then let the pressure release naturally rather than venting it.
• Stovetop pressure cooker: four cups of water per cup of masoor dal, then take it off the heat after two or three whistles and let the pressure drop on its own.
• Dal thickens noticeably as it sits, so it should look slightly looser in the pot than you want it on the plate. Stir in a splash of hot water at the end to loosen it.
• Pot-in-pot cooking works beautifully here: set a tall trivet over the dal with a bowl of rinsed basmati rice and water on top, and both cook together in the same 12 minutes.

Easy Variations

This is a base recipe that takes additions well:

• Stir a few big handfuls of spinach through the hot dal at the end until it wilts — that turns it into dal palak.
• A diced potato or a cup of mixed vegetables added before pressure cooking makes it more of a one-pot meal.
• A splash of coconut milk stirred in at the end gives it a softer, more southern character.
• Add the green chilies to the blender with the onion and garlic if you want the heat carried through the whole dal rather than sitting on top.

Serving, Storing and Reheating

Serve it hot over basmati rice or with roti, with fresh coriander leaves on top and a squeeze of lemon or lime — the acidity lifts the whole bowl and is the one thing people forget. Quinoa works too if you want the protein without the rice.

• Cool leftovers and refrigerate in an airtight container in portions for three to four days. The flavor genuinely improves overnight.
• It freezes well for two to three months. Freeze flat in portions so it thaws quickly.
• Reheat in a pan over medium heat, or in the microwave, with a splash of water stirred through — it will have thickened in the fridge. Let frozen portions come closer to room temperature before reheating so they warm evenly.