Easy Maseladar Instant Pot Chana Dal Recipe

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Cooking With Anadi

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You will find chana dal stocked up in tins or jars in most Indian kitchens and it is a rich and healthy source of protein and fiber. They are also rich in antioxidants and is known to help keep a healthy heart by regulating and lowering blood pressure. Also, it is a great vegetarian option for people seeking a low-carb diet or foods to help with diabetes.

These lentils come from black chickpeas (kabuli chana) and once cooked, has a creamy and nutty flavor. This recipe is prepared similar to my North Indian household, which has classic Punjabi influences. Adding ghee and other vegetables may alter the nutrition profile of this dish so I will show you how to cook the plain lentils. You should be able to use this base recipe and alter it to your own requirements, or follow the recipe for the Punjabi tadka and enjoy the spice of India.

Tools Needed

• Instant pot
• Colander
• Measuring spoons
• Nonstick pan
• Wooden spoon
• Cutting board
• Chef's knife

How to Cook Chana Dal | Split Lentil Chickpeas

Cooking Lentils in a Stovetop Pressure Cooker

1. Rinse the lentils well under running water 3-4 times and drain well
2. Add chana dal to a pressure cooker and add 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp salt
3. Add 3 cups of water, the ratio of lentils to water is 1: 3
4. Pressure cook the lentils for 7-8 minutes on medium-high heat and let pressure release naturally.

Cooking Lentils in a Pot or Pan

1. Rinse the lentils well under running water 3-4 times and drain well
2. Add chana dal to a pot and add 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp salt.
3. Add 4 cups of water, the ratio of lentils to water is 1: 4
4. Bring the water up to a boil, cover and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until softened.

Cooking Lentils in an Instant Pot

1. Rinse the lentils well under running water 3-4 times and drain well
2. Add chana dal to the Instant Pot and add 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp salt.
3. Add 4 cups of water, the ratio of lentils to water is 1: 4
4. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook mode, and change the Instant Pot to Sealing mode and cook for 12 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.

Temper the Dal with a Punjabi Tadka

1. Heat a pan on medium and add ghee. Add in a pinch of hing and cumin seeds and let them crackle until reddish brown. Then add in the onions and sauté until they are soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook for two more minutes. After, add in the tomatoes and chilies and a pinch of salt to help cook the tomatoes. Cook this mixture until the tomatoes are completely broken down.
3. After the tomatoes have become soft, add all of the remaining spices into the tomato mixture and stir this mixture in the pot containing the dal.

Serve it with rice, or try my rajma masala for a heartier bean curry.

Frequently Asked Questions

No Ginger, No Mustard Seeds, No Vegetable Oil: What Goes Into This Tadka

Almost every dal recipe you will find opens with ginger and garlic. This one does not. There is no ginger in these ingredients at all, and once you have made it you will understand why: 6 finely chopped green chiles and 1 teaspoon of red chili powder are already carrying the heat, and ginger on top of that flattens the tomatoes. The aromatics are 3 cloves garlic minced, half a medium onion chopped and 2 diced tomatoes, and that is the whole base.

The fat is 3 tablespoons of ghee. Not vegetable oil, and it matters here, because the tadka is poured over the finished dal and you taste it directly rather than as a background note. If you need to swap, the card offers unsalted butter at the same amount or coconut oil for a dairy-free version. Into the hot ghee go a pinch of hing and cumin seeds, left to crackle until reddish brown. No mustard seed, which is the South Indian habit rather than the Punjabi one, and no curry leaves either.

The dry spices are 1 and a quarter teaspoons of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander and half a teaspoon of garam masala, and they go in after the tomatoes have softened, not before, so they bloom in the tomato rather than scorching on dry heat. There is no black pepper anywhere in it. A full cup of chopped cilantro finishes the pot. If you are short of ground coriander, cumin is the swap on the card, a little earthier for the same warmth.

Three Ways to Cook the Lentils, and What the Instant Pot Buttons Actually Mean

The lentils and the tadka are two separate jobs, and the first one you can do whichever way suits your kitchen. In a plain pot, 1 cup of chana dal to 4 cups of water with a quarter teaspoon of turmeric and half a teaspoon of salt, brought to a boil then covered and left on medium-low for 45 minutes to an hour. In a stovetop pressure cooker, the ratio drops to 1:3 and the cook time drops to 7 to 8 minutes on medium-high. In the Instant Pot it is back to 1:4 and 12 minutes.

On the Instant Pot specifically: close lid, set the valve to Sealing rather than venting, and use Pressure Cook. On older models that same button is labeled Manual, which trips people up more than anything else about the machine. When the 12 minutes are up, walk away and let it come down on its own. This recipe calls for natural pressure release, not a quick release, and chana dal in particular turns watery and split if you force the steam out. Only open lid once the pin has dropped by itself.