Creamy red lentil dal, made in minutes, in an instant pot!
Once upon a time, a girl named Ashley, with a food blog came up with this great recipe for red lentil dal, also known as masoor dal. But she had absolutely nothing interesting to say about the dal other than the fact that it was tasty. When she tried explaining this to the bowl of masoor dal, the dal was quite offended. So masoor dal decided HE would take over Ashley’s post and talk a little about himself.
Hi. I’m Red Lentil Dal, but feel free to call me Masoor. I’m taking over Ashley’s blog post today because, frankly, I don’t trust her to do me justice. She thinks the only thing interesting about me is the fact that I taste good. 🙄To be quite honest, as a lentil, I feel a bit misunderstood, and I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you about the real me.
I know what you’re thinking. But Masoor, you’re so popular. You’re everywhere! You’re in every grocery store. Everyone LOVES you.
Yes, it’s true. I’m basically a lentil celebrity. But that doesn’t mean I feel UNDERSTOOD. I sort of feel like no one really knows the real me. I mean, even my name. They call me Red Lentil, but I’m really more orangey-pink/salmon in color, and then after you cook me, I turn into a beautiful shade of gold. Yes. Gold.
And I know everyone knows OF me, but no one really appreciates how truly special I am. I’m not the lentil you bring to a party or introduce to family/friends. Why is that? Everyone loves chana dal for its texture and for how nutty it is, and ugh, don’t get me started on the bigger guys, kidney, and chickpea… they are so full of themselves. They show up at every Indian dinner party.
Everyone thinks of me as this mild, sweet lentil, and I have this reputation for turning to mush under any type of pressure. But I mean, it’s not my fault – I’m a sensitive dude—a quality to be admired. Also, I’m low maintenance. You don’t need to soak me (unless you want to) – just give me a quick rinse and cook. Easy, tasty, and filling – what more could you possibly want?
I know I’m a common lentil, but I’m not ordinary, okay? I am really, really special.
Everyone treats me like I’m old news. Yes, I’ve been around for a while (my ancestors were around before domestication – like 11000BCE), but I’m not history… I’m historic. I mean, I’m mentioned a few times in the Bible… someone (Esau) gave up his birthright (to Jacob) for a bowl of ME (RED lentils). Yeah. I’m also mentioned in early Sanskrit lit (along with my buddies, ma (urad) and mung – who also deserve more love, in my opinion).
I’m also still really relevant now. I’m economical – I’ll keep your pockets and your belly nice and full. And I’m good for the environment, so please appreciate my plant-based awesomeness.
WHEW. Alright. I’ve made my case. You see it now, right? I’m one special lentil. So feel free to keep me on your weekly menu but invite me to a party every now and then too, okay?
If you want to learn more about my bean friends, check out this post about the different lentils used in Indian cooking or read this surprisingly fascinating book about beans, or this interesting read about Indian food history. Enjoy!
“This is the best lentil recipe I have ever, ever made or had. I loved it so much I ate it for breakfast! The onion masala is genius and while it requires prep work, once it’s done the recipes using it have a complexity many of the Indian recipes I’ve made at home lack. I will be making all your recipes that use it!”
Marcella W.
Instant Pot Red Lentil Dal (Masoor Dal)
Instant Pot Red Lentil Dal (Masoor Dal)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 serrano pepper slit in half but still intact
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup red lentils masoor dal, rinsed
- ½ cup onion masala
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne or red chili powder to taste
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
- Press the sauté button, add oil and allow it to heat up for a minute. Add cumin seeds and serrano pepper to the pot. Once the cumin seeds start to brown, add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure or wait 10 minutes, then release pressure.
- Adjust salt to taste and add more water if you’d like a thinner dal. The dal will thicken as it cools so if you are reheating it, you’ll likely need to add more water.
Julie says
Hi! I was wondering how much you can increase this recipe in a 6qt IP? I want to make it for a work event, mmmm. I’m assuming I can at least double it? I’m going to make it in the IP, then probably bring it to work and heat in the slow cooker, so I can probably make multiple batches. Thank you! It’s my very favorite dal recipe.