You no longer have to go to an Indian restaurant to enjoy a bowl of delicious dal makhani. This pressure cooker dal recipe is quick and easy to make in an instant pot!
This popular Punjabi dal is so easy to make in an instant pot! Dal makhani is a rich and creamy dal recipe that calls for a combination of lentils: whole lentils that maintain their texture and split lentils that melt together to create a creamy dal. Stir some ghee into the dal before serving to give it a rich buttery flavor and you’ve got the perfect bowl of lentil soup.
I’ve been eating dal makhani for as long as I can remember. I was a pretty picky eater as a kid but when it came to eating buttery lentils – I was always on board. A favorite childhood meal: dal makhani, roti, spicy achar (pickle) and dahi (yogurt). So simple but so tasty. Just thinking about it makes me nostalgic.
Speaking of nostalgia, that’s pretty much the whole reason I’m even sharing this recipe. My mom makes the best dal makhani and right after I got married, she made sure to share her recipe with me. By her recipe I mean, “Ash, just use a pinch of this, a handful of that and a few scoops of this.” In the past, her directions would overwhelm me… but now I think I’ve got the hang of converting “mom’s measurements” to actual measurements (#IndianGirlProblems). Even though mom’s cooking is always the best, I have to say this dal makhani is absolutely spot on – or “on fleek” (wow… I feel super awkward and way too old to be using that phrase IRL. same with IRL…). The best part is, you can make this in your Instant Pot – a magical electronic pressure cooker that’ll have the dal done in no time at all. Trust me, this dal is restaurant-quality for sure.
Serve this dal with basmati rice and dahi (yogurt). You can make my plain basmati rice, jeera rice or matar pulao.
Instant Pot Dal Makhani
Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup whole and split lentils (any combination of whole black lentils, whole mung beans, whole masoor beans, red lentils, red kidney beans, etc), soaked overnight
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (I like avocado oil)
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced ginger
Spices
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ – 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons ghee, adjust to taste
- Cilantro, garnish
- Drizzle of heavy cream, optional garnish
Instructions
- Soak the lentils in cold water overnight. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot, add the oil and allow it to heat up for a minute. Add the cumin seeds and once they start to brown, add the onion and bay leaf. Stir-fry for 6-7 minutes or until the onion begins to brown.
- Add the garlic, ginger, spices and stir, then add the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down.
- Add the lentils to the pot along with the 3 cups of water and mix well.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 30 minutes at high pressure.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Stir in the ghee and garnish with cilantro if desired.
Notes
- Feel free to add more ghee to this recipe! Ghee is what gives this dal its delicious buttery flavor. You can also add a bit of heavy cream if you prefer!
Like this recipe? Then check out my cookbook: Indian Food Under Pressure for more Indian Instant Pot Recipes!
Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? Try these:
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Instant Pot Saag
Instant Pot Carne Guisada
Instant Pot Habanero Chili
Goat Curry in a Hurry
Instant Pot Texas Beef Chili
Instant Pot Ground Lamb Curry
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
I only have Moong and Masoor daal at home…. will those work?
Yes, that’ll work! 🙂
This recipe couldn’t be any easier or tastier!! I had it with the paleo naan… so delicious!
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Happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for ya, Sabin! 🙂
Sounds amazing! How long would you cook it if using a crock pot? I don’t have a pressure cooker. Thanks!
Jessica, I haven’t tried making this with a slow cooker yet but I’d guess 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. If you try, will you please let us know?
In a slow cooker it is 8-10 hours but then it tastes better the next day because the lentils aren’t quite as soft as they need to be on day 1. In a pressure cooker it is 30 minutes but then you have to keep an eye on the pressure valve and ensure you have the the right ratio of water to lentils and not freak out when the pressure valve starts making lots of noise. My Indian mom has the pressure cooker method down perfectly but I haven’t been able to master it. And for that, I am considering the IP
How about putting some of it in the freezer or even fridge? Will it remain good awhen reheated? 🙂
FYI – You should not cook kidney beans in a slow cooker. They can be toxic due to the presence of phytohemagluttinins.
Hi,
Do you use equal proportions of each of the three types of lentils?
Hello! I just wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful recipes you post. They are so perfect for my family. Not only am I trying to eat healthier and have a love for my Instant Pot, but my husband and children are Indian as well, so I try to incorporate the cuisine in our dinner rotation. Whenever I ask my mother in law for recipes, she has no clue about measurements of spices and only counts in Indian pressure cooker whistles, haha. So far, we’ve tried the egg curry, carne guisada, baingan ka bharta, and sarson ka saag. All were so wonderful and delicious! Thank you for posting such easy and tasty recipes. 🙂
Thanks so much for the kind words, Jen!! And I completely understand – my mom used to give me directions in whistles too, lol! I’m really happy to hear that you’ve tried and liked so many recipes on the blog – makes my day 🙂
Hi,
You mention tomatoes in recipe instructions but not in ingredient list. ??
Do you use fresh? Canned?
Hi, they are in the ingredients list too 🙂 It says 2 tomatoes, chopped – I use fresh.
Another perfect recipe!!!
Instant pot is certainly on my list “to buy”
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Thanks, Shwetha!! 🙂
Do you have to soak the beans overnight, or could you cook them in the instant pot first?
Well, I don’t have 24 hours before serving, so I guess I will try it and find out!
This recipe looks wonderful. I don’t have an Instant Pot, how long would you cook with a regular electric pressure cooker? Would you use the high setting? Thanks so much.
I make this recipe at least once a month for my family! A few changes since I’m vegan, but that’s mainly to leave out the ghee and use a bit of cashew milk to finish. Thanks for a great recipe!
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Kristi, I’m so happy to hear that you like it!
Literally my first attempt with the instant pot and it was so easy and turned out great!
That’s great!! Happy to hear that! 🙂
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I did sit down and do an approximate carb break-down of it for anybody who’s interested. I came up with a total of 71g carbs and approximately 20.6g fiber for the entire recipe, so 50.4g net carbs. If you do this as 4 servings (I didn’t see a number of servings mentioned but that’s what I’m going to ballpark it as) that’s about 12.6g carbs per serving. I’m on a low-carb diet and I’m definitely looking forward to making this as a treat! I love dal makhani so so much and I was worried I’d never be able to eat it again, so thank you so so much for posting this recipe! I don’t have a Instant Pot or a pressure cooker, so I’m going to try it out in a crock pot/slow cooker.
Thanks for the breakdown, Jana! I hope you love the recipe 🙂
So I am making this tonight. Put the lentils to soak overnight. I will let you know how it turned out. Going to serve it with cauli rice and plantain rotis.
Awesome! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you 🙂
So I was being too quick with it all and realize that last night I didnt soak the whole urad daal but instead did a mixture or gree/yellow/red split/whole lentils hahaha. So lets say this was quite the same but turned out great. I also didnt use fresh tomatos but tomato paste instead. GREAT!!! What surprise me the most is that 1 cup of dry lentils made THAT much food!!! Dinner for two at least twice around here. https://www.instagram.com/p/BFfRCY5i5oC/?taken-by=paleo_tomek
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Love the picture!! I’m really glad you liked it 🙂
I don’t usually soak red lentils or moong dal(split mung beans) what happens if you don’t soak?
Because they are not whole lentils,right? Will they work? I don’t have black lentils.
Linda, you don’t have to soak the split daal – I keep these three types of lentils mixed together in one big container so it’s just easier for me to soak them all at the same time.
Thanks so much for a great recipe. This is actually the first recipe I used in my brand new Instant Pot! I made the following modifications: 1/3 c french green lentils (didn’t have black lentils), 1 regular sized can of diced tomatoes instead of 2 whole tomatoes. I will say the 1tsp of cayenne was very spicy, but my boyfriend loved it! The ghee at the end transformed this dish into pure luxury! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
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I’m so glad you liked it!! Hope you’ll let me know what else you try from the blog!
Nice recipe, would like to see it fully adapted to the Instant Pot to avoid having to soak the lentils overnight or for 24 or 48 hours or whatever. The Instant Pot is supposed to speed up and simplify cooking, not make it longer and add steps.
You can always skip the soaking part and cook it longer if you want. I soak lentils to reduce phytic acid – according to this article by Chris Kresser, soaking legumes can remove 30–70 percent of phytic acid. Also, it cooks pretty quickly and in a single pot, so it’s still faster than traditional cooking methods imo.
Hi! I am so great full for finding this site for Indian recipes using instant pot!! I just bought one and I am looking forward to making healthier meals for my family. I will be trying this recipe tonight! By the way, Would you happen to have a recipe for rajma?? Thanks for this website and I am looking forward to more of your instant pot recipes!!
Hi Rhoda! Glad you found my website too 🙂 I don’t have a rajma recipe using the Instant Pot yet, but I’ll add that to my list of things to make!
I wanted to offer up a comment to the “soaking the lentils overnight” issue. I made this recipe (or one very similar to it about a month ago) and it turned out just ok. A good friend of mine who is from India and has been using pressure cookers since way before the IP was around said that regardless of the fact we are told there is no need to soak the beans for Dal, it just turns out better if you do. I’m soaking my lentils (combination of whole black lentils – Urud – and some split red lentils) and will let you know how the consistency compares to non-soaking.
Perfect, we loved it! I didn’t persoak my beans otherwise followed the directions and it came out perfectly done and flavorful.
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Tiffany, that’s great to hear!! I’m so glad you loved it 🙂
Loved this recipe. I had tried other recipes, but this was simpler, easy to follow and turned out great. Thank you!
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I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Hi there!
I’m planning on trying this next week, would subbing ground cumin be totally crazy (new to cooking Indian food) I always have it in the house.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Denise, cumin seeds when spluttered in hot oil have a really unique flavor – one that’s different from ground cumin. I’d suggest getting cumin seeds if you can! Can’t wait to hear how this turns out for you 🙂
I unfortunately was out of cumin seeds, so I gave the ground cumin a try! I used crushed canned tomatoes, as well (about 1 1/2 cups). It was still absolutely delicious! Cumin seed is on my list for the next run to the spice shop…
Thanks for the recipe!
Glad to hear that you liked it!
Dear Ashley,
Just dropped in to say thank you for this delicious recipie. I’veven just tried it on my brand new instant pot. It was my first experience with pressure cooking, which turned out quite successful. I was bit hesitant to buy a pressure cooker, due to various accidents we hear, but I think it’s quite safe, if we follow the instructions.
I’m going to try other ‘desi’ recipes too. I wonder if you’ve got one for mutton karhai?
Best regards
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Hi Ali, I’m so glad you like the recipe! I have a few desi IP recipes and will be adding more soon! Here’s a link to my Instant Pot Goat Curry recipe: http://myheartbeets.com/goat-curry-in-a-hurry-instant-pot-recipe/ Let me know if you try it 🙂
Dear Ashley,
I am in love with most (if not all) of your recipes and have tried many already: the n’oatmeal bowls and naans have even become a staple in my house! 🙂 I just got myself an instant pot and I am loving it, but i am quite new to cooking with it. I can’t wait to try this recipe but I have one, perhaps silly question: when you say one cup of lentils, soaked overnight, do you mean one cup of dry lentils – which are then soaked and thus increased by weight – or one cup of lentils equivalent to cooked lentils – which will obviously be much less lentils due to all the absorbed water? thank you so much for all the inspiration and delicious recipes!!
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Hi Sarah! Glad to hear you like my recipes 🙂 There are no silly questions! I mean one cup of dry lentils (which are then soaked overnight) 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. My son and I made this for our lunch today. It turned out fantastic!
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Susan, that’s awesome! Happy to hear that 🙂
Can you make this with canned lentils?
I made this last night with my stovetop pressure cooker. I cooked it on high for 7 minutes with a quick release after soaking it for almost 18 hours. I didn’t click on the black lentil link in the recipe and used beluga lentils (whoops!) with red and mung beans instead and it still turned out great! We aren’t paleo, so I served it with some pressure cooked white rice and yogurt and my kids 7,5, and 2 loved it (I did leave out the cayenne). We aren’t Indian, but kids are always suckers for Indian food and we love your recipes.
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Katie, that’s great to hear! I’m so glad your kiddos liked the recipe!!
Just discovered your blog. We are a quasi-paleo family and Indian food lovers. Excited to try this and many of your other recipes! 🙂
Hi Alli! I’m glad you found my blog! I think it’s becoming quasi-paleo too haha. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe 🙂
Thank you for sharing your mom’s delicious recipe. I love lentils but every time I make them, my kids start moaning and groaning. Not tonight – everyone gobbled them up!
Hi Alli! Wow, that’s so great to hear!! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out for you all!
EXCELLENT recipe. I ended up using some homemade chicken bone broth in place of water and a little less than a can of diced tomatoes in place of fresh tomatoes (it’s January in the PNW). Thank you – it was a great introduction to the Instant Pot! (the first meal I’ve tried) Thank you for your generosity in sharing:)
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I’m so happy to hear that you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
I made this vegan by substituting Earth Balance in place of ghee! It turned out great but definitely a bit thin. Thickens up nice with flour but will use less water next time.
Also, the “print” icon on the recipe appears to be broken!
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Would just green lentils work?
How many servings is this would it feed 5 if served with rice and a vegetable?
Yes, I’d suggest doubling the recipe to be safe – and if you have leftovers, just freeze what’s left for a rainy day. I do this all the time. Hope that helps!
I’ve heard with the IP you don’t need to soak lentils or other beans. Have you tried that?
I soak beans to remove phytic acid: https://chriskresser.com/are-legumes-paleo/
Urad dal and mung I would sure soak. Would I soak the red lentils that long too? Want to make this today!
I soak everything together because it’s easier and it turns out just fine – the red lentils are going to “melt” while cooking anyway 🙂 Let me know what you think!
Which Brand and model instant pot(pressure cooker) are you using.
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Hi Harry! I link to my model in the blog post! 🙂
Hi, I love your recipes and am looking forward to making this one. I can’t seem to find the amount of tomatoes needed in the recipe. Did I miss it?
Hi Romaida, the recipe calls for 2 tomatoes (it’s listed right above the water in the ingredients section). I think I saw that you got the answer to this question in the Instant Pot for Indian Food group on Facebook. Sorry for the late reply – I was on vacation last week 🙂
is there any way to “fix” the dish if it’s too salty? freak accident with salt shaker thx to hubby not tightening the lid 🙁
Hi Mara, this is probably too late of a reply (my baby keeps me so busy!), but I really hope you were able to save the dish! You can add potatoes to the dish! Or try topping it with some sour cream. And if you want to make a second batch then just leave out the salt the second time around and combine the two batches.
This smelled wonderful. I soaked the whole lentils for 24 hrs and then followed directions but it turned out watery and just isn’t very good. I’m so bummed. Not sure why that happened. Any suggestions should I attempt again? Don’t soak? Or soak and less water?
Hi Rebecca, I’m surprised it’s watery – did you dump out the water the beans were soaking in and add fresh water when cooking? Also, give it a little time, lentils continue to thicken after they are cooked. If they do thicken, add ghee when serving for more flavor. Please update me and let me know how it turns out!
Thank you for responding. I did soak and then drain them and use fresh water for cooking. I did notice the lentils absorbed the water they were soaking in so maybe that was the problem. And as you said, it did thicken up but the taste was watered down. I will try again though because the base smelled wonderful. Maybe I’ll try a different brand of lentil too… Thanks!
Hi. Can you explain how to soak the lentils? When I google it, most sites I see say don’t soak more than 12 hours. Some suggest changing the water, etc. When you add the water to soak them, do you refrigerate that until it’s time to cook? Do you change the water? Should it be airtight? Sorry to be so clueless! And thanks for the great recipes! Your butter chicken is now a staple for our family! Thanks!
Hi! That’s a good question! Just put the lentils in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them sit on the counter overnight. You can change the water if you want to, but you don’t have to. Just make sure to give the lentils a really good rinse before using them (dump out the water they were soaking in – don’t keep or use that). Let me know how this turns out for you and let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
This recipe is incredible. I followed the recipe exactly but did make some additions (no revisions ) I added 2 diced Serrano peppers, one diced potato, and a cup of leftover frozen peas and carrots. It was amazing. Better than a restaurant. Will be a staple in our home! I hope you post a good Instant Pot Aloo Gobi recipe in the future! This is the fourth Indian IP recipe I’ve made of yours..all amazing! Plan on leaving more 5 star reviews 🙂
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Thanks so much, Hannah! I’m so happy to hear that you liked it so much 🙂 And I love the additions – I’ll have to try that the next I make this!
May I ask if you have a 5, 6 or 8 qt Instant Pot? I am trying to determine based on cups of ingredients/cans of beans, from multiple recipes, whether I would need the largest size in order to fit all of the ingredients.
Thank you!
Justine
I have the 6 quart but I plan on buying the 8 quart next 🙂 This recipe will definitely work in a 6 quart though.
Do you mean a cup each of split and whole lentils or a cup combined of lentils? This is for your recipe Instsnt Pot Dal Makhani.
Hi Dal, you just need 1 cup total (combination of whole and split). Let me know if you have more questions!
I don’t know if I posted my question properly. Does your recipe mean a cup each of whole and split lentils or does it mean one cup if combined lentils?
Hi Dal, you just need 1 cup total (combination of whole and split). Let me know if you have more questions!
Just made this and it’s delicious! Didn’t have cumin seeds so just used ground cumin. Thank you for this great recipe
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Samantha, I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
SO SO SO GOOD!
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I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
thank you for sharing this recipe. I;ve made this multiple times and its been a hit everytime.
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Radha, I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
This was just incredibly delicious and authentic- as was your roti I made to accompany it. My husband said it was delicious about 15 times, and he is usually always very unenthusiastic about “vegetarian night”. Im not Indian but he is, and I quickly fell in love with Indian food when introduced many years ago. When we adopted a somewhat paleo- 100% gluten free lifestyle, so many Indian staples were off the table. I am just so excited to have found your site. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
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Amy, that makes me so happy to hear!! And lol – my husband isn’t a fan of “vegetarian night” either haha! I hope you’ll let me know what you both think about any other recipes you try/like!
I thought I followed the instructions but what I ended up with looks more like a watery lentil soup rather than a dal. Am I not using the Instant Pot correctly? How can I be sure it is sealed and pressurized while cooking? Thanks.
Was the vent set to sealing? Were the lentils cooked?
The Instant Pot I just bought doesn’t have the bean/chili option. Should I use the soup/broth, meat/stew, or multigrain button? Just discovered this site and am so excited for more indian recipes!
Hi Johanne! You can use the manual button and set it to 30 minutes. Hope that helps! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
I don’t have an instant pot but do have a CrockPot. Can I use it for this recipe but cook it longer?
And if so how long?
I LOVE this. Our most-used cookbook has been Anupy Singla’s Indian Slow Cooker, but we just got out of the habit. Since we got an Instant Pot, I’ve wanted to make some Indian legume dishes. This was the first one I’ve tried, and I’m making it again today, three days later! Thank you for sharing.
Andrea, I’m so happy to hear that you like this recipe 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out for you!
I turned here for my very first Instant Pot recipe and it was amazing!! I didn’t have time to soak the lentils so I threw them in dry and cooked for 30 minutes, and let sit on warm for another 30. Just perfect! Thanks so much.
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Andrea, I’m so happy to hear that this was your first Instant Pot recipe and that you liked it so much 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Hi – is the recipe above for 2 or 4 people?
Thanks!
Hi Sachin, it will serve 4. I just updated the post with this info – thank you for asking!
Made this today and it turned out so good! A couple of changes that worked out well- I did not soak the whole lentils before cooking, decreased the water from 3 cups to 2.5, added a diced potato, 3 chicken thighs, and ground cumin instead of cumin seeds. Hearty, full of flavor, and lots of delicious leftovers to look forward to! Thank you so much for the recipe.
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Sonia, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out for you! 🙂
Ashley, after buying Instant Pot, the first recipe I tried was your Dal Makhani (I used chana dal, whole moong, and whole masoor), and it turned out sooooo good that I found myself eating some of the leftovers for breakfast! 🙂 In the past, I could never perfect it on the stove, but the texture and taste in this recipe is just wonderful – thanks so much!..
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Irene, that is awesome! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you!
I got my Instant Pot a couple weeks ago and have made one or two of your recipes already. I am eating this dal makhani as we speak. It is delicious!
I doubled the recipe (to have enough to freeze). I used 1/2 cup each of split red lentils, whole urad dal, whole moong dal, and small red kidney beans. I used a whole 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes and doubled most of the ingredients (a little less than 6c water). It came close to the half-full line on my 6Q Instant Pot. I got busy with work, so it sat keeping warm for longer than I planned, but it turned out beautifully. Thank you!
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Jason, that’s so great to hear 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Worked great for me too! Delicious! And thank you for being specific in what you used to double the recipe – I always double or even triple to make enough for a few days for hte family. And I use canned tomatoes instead of regular. So this helped a lot!
Hi!! I really can’t wait to try this one out. Question for you about the lentils, though. Anytime we’ve used red lentils, they disintegrate. Wouldn’t soaking them just make them fall apart overnight?
Hi Beth! I soak everything together in a bowl because it’s easier – the red lentils won’t dissolve if you soak them overnight but if you want to keep them separate, you can. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe 🙂
I’m cooking for 8, if I double the quantity of everything, do I double the cooking time too?
You can double the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. Let me know how you like it! 🙂
The taste is fabulous, but it’s rather runny – should I strain it or try to reduce the liquid on sauté?
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Hi Angela, you can cook on sauté to thicken it but the longer it sits, the thicker it will become 🙂
Thank you for posting the recipe. Instead of ghee or dairy have you tried non dairy milk ?
This was my first recipe in my new Instant Pot (after years using a Fagor multicooker, so not a total newbie ). We loved this. It was thicker than some dal recipes I’ve tried and had perfect spice, as usual. I did add a package of chopped spinach and traded a small jalapeno for the cayenne. I have to say I’ve tried many of your recipes and every one has been amazing. Thank you!
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Cyndi, I’m so happy to hear that you loved this dal! And even happier that you’ve liked every recipe of mine that you’ve tried!!
Can I use the black split urad dal and kidney beans? Would cooking time be the same?
This was my very first Instant Pot recipe, mostly because all I needed to buy for it was the Garam Masala. I used all red lentils (because that was all that we had in the house) and even though they mostly melted away, the flavor and the texture of this turned out amazing! I was literally eating it out of the container I was trying to put it away in! Thank you for a great recipe!
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That is awesome!! Love that you were eating out of the container lol 🙂 Thank you for letting me know how it turned out Brandy!
This was easy to make and quite good! I used 1/2t cayenne and it has some kick! A very good fish and it looks so nice too.
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Patricia, that’s so great to hear! I’m so happy that you liked it 🙂
Made it as described, except that I did not presoak the lentils, and I had to sub 1/2 canola/1/2 butter for the ghee as I don’t have any. I adjusted the seasoning at the end with a little salt. Otherwise it was fabulous! Made a ton and lentils were perfectly cooked without the presoaking- I did do a full natural release though. Thanks!
Glad you liked it 🙂
Hello! Thank you for such great IP recipes! Can avacado oil be substituted with anything else? Thanks!
Hi Meagan, you can use any neutral flavored fat – butter would be good!
Attempted the soaking of the lentils and unfortunately it produced shoots which looked to much like aliens to me (although I have been told this makes them even more nutritious) so due to a lack of time I did the recipe skipping the soaking and the dhal came our perfect!! Made it for my husband’s rather large punjab family and they all loved it too. Going to try the saag receipe next as it’s one of my favourites.
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If they produced shoots, I am guessing you soaked them for longer than a day? That is impressive lol! But glad you liked it 🙂 Let me know what you think of the saag!
I enjoyed the flavor, but my Dal came out way more watery than anticipated. Was I supposed to use a total of one cup of Dal? And 30 min seems excessive for pressure cooking. My normal Indian pressure cooker would do the same in less time. Thanks!
Hi Abha, yes a total of 1 cup of dal. Electric pressure cookers are actually a bit slower than stovetop pressure cookers but there is no need to watch a pot over the stove. You can read about the benefits of using an Instant Pot for making Indian Food here: https://myheartbeets.com/why-cook-indian-food-electric-pressure-cooker-instant-pot/
Hi can you just use red lentils alone for this dish or is it important to use a blend? I have canned kidney beans but if it’s just 1 cup total thought maybe I would just use red lentils. Thx!
Manisha, dal makhani is always made with a combination of lentils – you can use red lentils but it won’t have the same flavor (it should still be good though!). Please let me know how it turns out for you 🙂
I made this last night and it was amazing! Best dal I’ve ever made! Even the husband thought so. The flavors were divine and wasn’t too watery or too thick – just perfect in every way. I actually didn’t soak my lentils for too long (scatter-brained me forgot) – put them in water around noon and cooked them around 7pm. Still came out fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us!
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Sarah, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you and your hubby! 🙂
I’ve made this twice with an addition of cream at the end… and it is so good.
I deviated yesterday and used someone else’s recipe… fail. Your recipe is the clear winner. Thanks!
Aliyah, happy to hear that you like my recipe 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Hi Ashley. When making Dal Makhani if I use your onion masala how much would I need 1 cup? Thanks
I can’t wait to make this! Question: if I wanted to double the recipe, do I simply double amount of lentils and water? What about the spices and tomatoes, etc.? Thanks so much!
Bea, if you want to double the recipe then double all of the ingredients 🙂 You can keep the cook time the same though!
Made it tonight with soaked whole mung beans and splitted red lentils. It was amazing! Will make it again and again for sure ! Topped with pickled red onions and salted yogurt, yummy!
Amelie, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
My husband made this in 8 minutes and he said it was great. Is there a reason why the recipe calls for 30 minutes?
That’s awesome! It takes me 30 minutes to get the dal cooked the way I like it – maybe he used all split lentils? If it worked though that’s what counts!
This is so so good!! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
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Stephanie, I’m so glad you liked it!
Super delicious! This was a huge hit with my family. I do have a question, though: My husband would like this spicier but I want to keep it mild for the kids. Besides making two pots of dal to accommodate him (which I may do!), do you have any suggestions on spicing it up at the table? Thanks!
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You can add some cayenne to his bowl – my husband loves spicy food too so I do that with his almost all of his food lol 🙂
This was the first Indian food I ever ate and the first I learned to cook at home. I love it and it loves me. Thank you, Ashley, for making it possible for us to learn to cook these foods at home. And of course, thanks for making things InstantPot-friendly.
Mary, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for the kind words 🙂
I made this last night in the IP. It was my second recipe and it was delicious! I added the ghee and it was so incredible it was eaten before I even realized that I forgot the cream!
My husband and I love leftovers to bring to work the following day. How much water would i use to double this recipe?
Thank for you this delicious and easy recipe!
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Kyema, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much you liked this recipe!! To double the recipe, double all of the ingredients but leave the cook time the same 🙂 Hope that helps!
I really liked the recipe. I made my own additions. 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds, 4 dried kashmiri chilis, about 10 fresh curry leaves (instead of bay leaves), 1/2 tsp of fennugreek seeds. 2 1/2 cups water.
put the mustard seeds with the cumin seeds wait for popping. Add the chilis with the rest of the spices as well as the curry leaves. Add the fennugreek seeds with soaked lentils.
I really liked the variety of lentils in this dish just felt like it was missing a little flavor from I am used to.
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This sounds like a brand new recipe… did you try it the way it was written first?
This was amazing!! Followed it perfectly, but I made 1.5X the recipe!!
Thanks!
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Meera, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Hello! I’m new-ish to the instant pot (but thanks to Indian mom quite familiar with pressure cooking) and I love the IP because I can set it up with a timer in the morning before work. Would this strategy work with this recipe? So the dal would soak all day rather than overnight? Just found your blog and looking forward to trying your recipes! Thanks!
Hi Nandini, I would strain and rinse the dal well after soaking then add fresh water to cook with. Also, dal absorbs water as it soaks and so the proportions could also be off if you didn’t add fresh water. Hope that helps! Let me know what you think of the recipe 🙂
How much onion masala would this recipe use? I’m guessing around one cup, but I wanted to check!
I have made this probably ten times, and every time is perfect. I didn’t know I was into vegetarian recipes until I started looking into curries with beans and lentils! I absolutely love this one.
We have made this with crispy baked tofu as a topper, as well as scallion pancakes instead of naan, and you literally can’t lose. The flavors are always intense and delicious, and it’s even better as leftovers. My one aside: I disagree that this makes four servings. We always end up freezing half of this recipe and get about 8 meals (divided across two people) from it! So, it’s certainly not a complaint. 🙂
But anyway. Thanks again!!
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Lee, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know how much you like the dal makhani 🙂 Also, love the baked tofu topper idea – I’m going to have to try that!
This sounds delicious – but isn’t Dal Makhani made with urad dal and rajma only? Not mung dal, red lentils, massor dal etc? Using those other lentils will make a delicious dal – but I’m not sure I would call it Dal Makhani. Am I wrong?
Nope, dal makhani is made with a mix of dals 🙂 That’s how my family has always made it but I am sure each Indian family has their own method/preference.
My boyfriend and I adore Indian dishes and they comprise more than half of all our cooking. This recipe blew us away. Highly recommend the yogurt for creamy balance to the spicy goodness. Excellent!
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I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how this turned out for you and your bf 🙂
I’ve been looking for a recipe for tasty bite madras lentils and this looks very close. I can’t wait to make this and compare the two. I love indian cuisine and its pretty much my favorite ethnic food. I cant wait to try your lemon rice and butter chicken with just a few modifications. I’ve been in love with cooking my entire life and I chuckled when I read that you sing and dance to mariah carey while cooking. I am just as guilty of being weird in the kitchen. I live alone so nobody catches me lol! I moved to michigan several years ago and I cant find as good of ethnic stores as I had in california. I was wondering if you have any recommendations for online Indian markets and how I’d get ahold of fresh curry leaves?
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By the way, I own more than one instant pot and they are well loved! I just recently bought the ultra so I could use it as a sous vide for steak on the grill.
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Warren, have you thought about growing your own curry leaves plant? I’m thinking about doing that!
Warren, I can’t wait to hear what you think – let me/us know how it compares! I’ve tried those lentils before and in my (very biased) opinion, I think my recipe is much better lol. You can actually find fresh curry leaves on amazon — though they’re more expensive. In stores you can get a pack for a buck!
Hi Ashley — count me as another big fan of this! Very popular in my home 🙂
Just checking in on subbing in your onion masala — I think a cup would do, and maybe dial back the spices a little bit, or would you recommend something else? But this is already so easy and delicious as-is!
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Alex, I’m so happy to hear that you like this dal makhani so much! I haven’t tried but I would guess 1 cup of onion masala too! That’s how much I use when I make my langar dal recipe and it turns out perfect. Let me know how it goes!
So I thought your masala dal was my favorite, until I tried this. I’ve made it twice in three days because it disappears so quickly! Just fabulous. Such deep flavor. I am about to try your Instant Pot Bengain Bharta too.
Julie, lol that’s awesome! I’m glad you’re trying different dal recipes! Keep letting me know what you think 🙂 Hope you love the baingan!
Hello, I only soaked the whole dal, not the masoor dal, and only for a few hours. Also I only cooked on high pressure for 10 minutes, NPR 7 mins. 30 seems really ridiculous! But anyway my Indian grandmother liked it and got a second helping!!! But she said “why did soak it? We don’t soak dal.”
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Every family does things differently 🙂 Mine has always said to soak – they say helps with digestion.
I haven’t made it yet. Just wondering if it’s one cup of split lentils and one full cup of whole lentils OR 1 cup of split/whole lentils combined. Thanks!
Hi Richa, it’s 1 cup total — fill it with split/whole combined. Hope that helps!
I’m going to make this for 8 adults and 4 kids, should I double the recipe to accommodate? How many does this recipe serve? Thank you!
Hi Sneha, it really depends on what else you are serving but yes I would double the recipe! You can double all of the ingredients but keep the cook time the same.
Can you use onion masala? if so how much would your add
I would start with 3/4 cup and if it still seems like it needs more masala, add another cube at the end. Since the masala is cooked, you can always add more.
Which instant pot would you recommend me to buy?
Please advise , specially for your recipes .
Hi Jaya! I have and love the Ultra 6 quart 🙂
Hi,
It doesn’t say in the ingredients list of how many tomatoes to add?
Nevermind! i found it
I used 2/3 cup dried black lentils and 1/3 cup dried kidney beans (total one cup), and soaked them overnight per the recipe. I made the recipe as stated, but three cups of water made it very soupy…not creamy. Did I do something wrong? Too much water? Not enough lentils/beans?
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Hi Jill, dal makhani needs to be made with a mix of whole and split lentils. Whole lentils keep their shape and add texture and split lentils melt into the soup making it creamy. Try it again with a mix of lentils and I know you’ll love it.
One more question: is it 1 cup of whole lentils and 1 cup of split lentils (2 cups total) or 1 cup total to include whole and split? If the latter, how much that 1 cup should be split? Thanks!!
Hi Jill, just 1 cup total – you don’t need to use a lot of split, even a quarter will do. If you’d like an example, try a quarter cup of the following: whole black (urad), whole green mung beans, whole brown lentils (masoor) and split red lentils. You can sprinkle in a few kidney beans too. Let me know how that goes 🙂
Can I make this with your pre-made onion masala? If yes, what how many ’rounds’ of the masala do I use for this recipe?
Hi Jyoti, I’d say 1 cup (4 of those rounds) – that’s how much I use in my langar dal recipe.
This recipe is incredible. I have made it twice now and both times it’s been such a hit. Your website has really inspired me to learn more about Indian cuisine and grow the courage to try cooking so many new Indian dishes. This is my favorite of your recipes your far, I follow the recipe to a T – and I hardly do that LOL. Thank you!
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Haley, that’s so great to hear! I’m glad you’re cooking more Indian dishes at home – I can’t wait to hear what you think about any other recipes you try 🙂
I want to make more quantity, so do I double everything and keep the same time ?
Thanks
Hi Pam, yes to double this recipe you’ll want to double the ingredients and keep the cook time the same. Enjoy!
The recipe says 1 cup of whole and split lentils…is that one cup of each or 1 cup total?
1 cup total 🙂
This is my husband’s favourite dish and I’m happy to finally be able to make it at home! I learned a valuable lesson from my IP, it defaults to the last heat setting you use (I had my sauté setting on low to thicken up a recipe after pressure cooking). As a result, my cumin seeds never reached the sputtering phase and slowed down the start of my cooking process. The only change I made was from the recommended avocado oil to coconut oil, and from chopped tomatoes to canned tomato sauce. I didn’t have ghee, so I finished with butter and heavy cream. It was a little thin for my liking so I put the sauté setting back to low and let it simmer for a while. I’m wondering about lowering the 3 cups of water to some smaller amount. I know the trade-off for a thicker recipe is that you run the risk of the IP burn message. My hubby loved it and said it was better than our local Indian restaurant. Thanks for a great recipe!
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Corina, I’m so glad you and your hubby enjoyed this! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you guys 🙂
Wow, the taste is amazing! Thank you!
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I’m happy to hear that you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how the dal turned out for you 🙂
I was only able to use red lentils and kidney beans, and I had to substitute ground spices for whole. Also had to make my own version of garam masaala, again using only ground spices, no access to whole spices except fresh cracked black pepper. I found this to help with the garam masala: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/142967/easy-garam-masala/
I’ve tried to do Dal Makhani before and always failed. This time it was a success! Delicious!! Oh, and I didn’t soak the lentils, meant to rinse them but forgot, but I think the ones I bought were sufficiently cleaned before packaging because I didn’t notice anything off.
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Adam, so glad you liked it!
Last year we had the opportunity to spend about 10 days in India. During our vist, I ordered Dal Makhani a few times, because it was love at first bite. I’ve tried a number of recipes over the past year trying to duplicate it, but none came close. Your rendition is excellent. I made 2 changes, blenderized about 1/2 of the recipe to make it creamier and reduced the cayenne. So glad I decided up front to double the recipe!
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Nancy, that’s awesome to hear! I’m so glad you like this recipe so much – thank you for sharing!
What kind of onion and tomato should I use?
Any type of onion (yellow, white, red) or tomato will work 🙂
Hi Ashley, this recipe looks yummy , just like all of your other recipes. I am definitely going to try it this weekend.
I have a couple of questions if you could help me out.
1. I noticed the amount of garlic in this recipe is double than ginger, usually they are in equal proportions .
2. Also usually we add ginger & garlic before onions, but in this recipe it is in reverse order.
3. Is it important to add Bay Leaves?