By Anadi Misra · Updated · originally published
By Anadi Misra · Updated · originally published
By Anadi Misra · Updated · originally published
About this recipe
Rich, creamy Dal Makhani made restaurant-style in your Instant Pot. A hearty Indian lentil dish perfect for weeknight dinners with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
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Dal makhani is a rich and satisfying Punjabi recipe that’s packed with royalty! This was one of my favorites to enjoy at restaurants! It’s not typically made at home, but I’ve tried my hand at making this restaurant favorite. Check out my traditional Restaurant-Style Dal Makhani recipe! But now it’s time to adapt this classic to an Instant Pot recipe!
Dal Makhani is a dish that originates from the Punjab reason. It quite literally means “buttery lentils.” Whole black urad dal (black lentils) and rajma (red kidney beans) are cooked with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and aromatic spices commonly used in Indian cooking, such as garam masala and cumin seeds. We’re going to cook in ghee, butter and cream to make this dish so flavorful and luxurious.
This Dal Makhani is:
Not to worry if you don’t have an Instant Pot. This recipe can easily be adapted to be prepared just as well without one. All you need is a pressure cooker to cook the lentils, or, boil the kidney beans and the urad dal/black lentils on low heat until they mash easily. Check out the recipe here!
As a busy guy, the Instant Pot really comes in handy! Yes, cooking is probably my favorite thing to do (apart from eating!), and I love making my favorite dishes in their traditional ways. However, there’s so much work that goes into getting these recipes up for you guys! Of course there’s the actual cooking involved, but I have videos to edit, these posts to write, Instagram to catch up on, just so much goes on!
The thing is, traditionally we have to soak the lentils and kidney beans for quite some time before cooking. It also takes time to sauté them before making the rest of the dish. I love to eat delicious food no matter what, so sometimes the shortcuts to greatness are necessary! That’s exactly what this one-pot dal makhani recipe is - a shortcut to deliciousness!
1. Add the lentils and kidney beans to the Instant pot with the rest of the ingredients, salt to taste and 3-4 cups of water.
2. Close the lid and set the knob to Sealing mode. Set the Instant Pot to Bean/Chili setting and cook for 45 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Once cooked set the pot aside with the water, do not drain the cooking liquid. Lightly mash the lentils with the back of a serving spoon.
1. Heat a pan on medium heat and add ghee, cumin seeds and hing. Cook until cumin seeds turn reddish brown and are aromatic.
2. In the meanwhile, add ginger, garlic, chilies and tomato to a food processor and blend into a smooth paste.
3. Add the puree to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and deggi mirch and cook, while stirring occasionally to ensure the mixture does not burn. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until mixture releases oil or appears dry.
4. Add tomato paste to the center of the pan and cook for about a minute. Stir the tomato paste into the masala and turn off the heat.
1. Add the cooked tadka to the Instant Pot with the cooked lentils and cooking water and mix well. Change the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on Low and bring lentils up to a simmer.
2. Crush the kasoori methi between your hands and add to the Instant Pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Then, add in the butter, garam masala and mix well.
4. Gradually pour the cream and stir until you get a light brown color. (If you add too much cream, the dish will turn white, which won't look as appetizing and it will just be cream!). Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the lentils thicken and coat the back of a spoon.
5. If the lentils become too thick, add water 1/4 cup at a time to adjust consistency. Once ready, you can leave the lentils in Keep Warm mode.
Enjoy the dal makhani with steamed rice, naan, or roti. Check out some of my recipes for rice and breads that go well with this delicious dal makhani:
You sure can! This would be a great recipe to make for when you have a vegetarian crowd come visit your home! The Instant Pot is great because you can cook many portions, depending on what model you have! To avoid a mess, you can keep your prepared Dal Makhani in the pot of the Instant Pot, and leave the entire pot in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Be sure to cover the pot with plastic wrap.
Yup! All of the ingredients in dal makhani are vegan except for the ghee, butter and cream. Simply use a plant-based oil, such as olive oil, for cooking instead of the butter and ghee. To replace the cream, I recommend using full fat coconut milk or coconut cream to garnish your dish.
For another rich North Indian legume, try my rajma masala.
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 @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Rich, creamy Dal Makhani made restaurant-style in your Instant Pot. A hearty Indian lentil dish perfect for weeknight dinners with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
Instant Pot
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7 min
Prep
1 hr 10 min
Cook
1 hr 17 min
Total
4
servings
medium
Level
Tap any quantity to scale
Add the lentils and kidney beans to the Instant Pot with the rest of the ingredients, salt to taste and 3–4 cups of water.
Add the lentils and kidney beans to the Instant Pot with the rest of the ingredients, salt to taste and 3–4 cups of water.
Close the lid and set the knob to Sealing mode. Set the Instant Pot to Bean/Chili setting and cook for 45 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, about 15-20 minutes.
Close the lid and set the knob to Sealing mode. Set the Instant Pot to Bean/Chili setting and cook for 45 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, about 15-20 minutes.
Once cooked set the pot aside with the water, do not drain the cooking liquid. Lightly mash the lentils with the back of a serving spoon.
Once cooked set the pot aside with the water, do not drain the cooking liquid. Lightly mash the lentils with the back of a serving spoon.
Heat a pan on medium heat and add ghee, cumin seeds and hing. Cook until cumin seeds turn reddish brown and are aromatic.
Heat a pan on medium heat and add ghee, cumin seeds and hing. Cook until cumin seeds turn reddish brown and are aromatic.
Learn the techniqueIn the meanwhile, add ginger, garlic, chilies and tomato to a food processor and blend into a smooth paste.
In the meanwhile, add ginger, garlic, chilies and tomato to a food processor and blend into a smooth paste.
Add the puree to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and deggi mirch and cook, while stirring occasionally to ensure the mixture does not burn. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until mixture releases oil or appears dry.
Add the puree to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and deggi mirch and cook, while stirring occasionally to ensure the mixture does not burn. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until mixture releases oil or appears dry.
Add tomato paste to the center of the pan and cook for about a minute. Stir the tomato paste into the masala and turn off the heat.
Add tomato paste to the center of the pan and cook for about a minute. Stir the tomato paste into the masala and turn off the heat.
Add the cooked tadka to the Instant Pot with the cooked lentils and cooking water and mix well. Change the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on Low and bring lentils up to a simmer.
Add the cooked tadka to the Instant Pot with the cooked lentils and cooking water and mix well. Change the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on Low and bring lentils up to a simmer.
Crush the kasoori methi between your hands and add to the Instant Pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Crush the kasoori methi between your hands and add to the Instant Pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Then, add in the butter, garam masala and mix well.
Then, add in the butter, garam masala and mix well.
Gradually pour the cream and stir until you get a light brown color. (If you add too much cream, the dish will turn white, which won't look as appetizing and it will just be cream!). Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the lentils thicken and coat the back of a spoon.
Gradually pour the cream and stir until you get a light brown color. (If you add too much cream, the dish will turn white, which won't look as appetizing and it will just be cream!). Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the lentils thicken and coat the back of a spoon.
If the lentils become too thick, add water 1/4 cup at a time to adjust consistency. Once ready, you can leave the lentils in Keep Warm mode.
If the lentils become too thick, add water 1/4 cup at a time to adjust consistency. Once ready, you can leave the lentils in Keep Warm mode.
251
Calories
8g
Protein
19g
Carbs
16g
Fat
5g
Fiber
2g
Sugar
1571mg
Sodium
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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Cozy, flavorful Dal Tadka made easy in the Instant Pot! Mixed lentils simmered with aromatic spices make the perfect homestyle Indian dinner. Serve over rice for a hearty, satisfying meal.
Recipe history
Make this easy Maseladar Chana Dal in your Instant Pot for a rich, flavorful Indian lentil dish perfect for weeknight dinners. Serve with rice for a comforting homestyle meal.
Rich, creamy, and deeply satisfying, this restaurant-style Dal Makhani brings bold Indian flavors straight to your kitchen. A hearty vegetarian dinner the whole family will love.
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2 comments
How much hing please?
it's just about a pinch of hing. If I had to put a number to it, I'd say 1/8 tsp. Let me know if you have any other questions!
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