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Instant Pot Lentil Dal Recipe {Indian Lentils}

Feb 27, 2018 by Dara 16 Comments

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Make a big batch of this vegan Instant Pot Lentil Dal and enjoy it for meatless lunches and dinners the rest of the week. 177 calories and 2 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
This Indian dal recipe is easily made in the Instant Pot or any other pressure cooker. Healthy and vegan dinner recipe. 177 calories and 2 Weight Watchers SP

When I first bought a pressure cooker, my initial cooking goal was to make a killer Instant Pot lentil dal. A year and half later, after many batches of Instant Pot Lentil Soup, chicken stew and applesauce, I finally got around to making my first dal recipe.

These Indian spiced lentils, also known as masoor dal, are a breeze to make, particularly with my “cheat” ingredient. The leftovers keep well in the fridge, making them the perfect make-ahead option for quick vegan meals throughout the week. Just add a little extra vegetable broth when reheating.

Make a big batch of this red lentil dal recipe in the Instant Pot, and you'll be set for meatless meals for the week! 177 calories and 2 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

What is lentil dal?

  • Dal, also known as dhal, dahl or daal, refers to both the main ingredient and the dish itself.
  • The ingredient is a type of split pea or a certain type of lentil. The dish is a spiced dish that is simmered for a long time until the peas or lentils become very soft.
  • There is a huge range of dals, depending on the main ingredient. For example, this version is made of split red lentils, also know as masoor dal. Other examples are urad dal (black lentils), toor dal (pigeon peas) and channa dal (chipckpeas).
  • Split red lentils can be found in some grocery stores, in Indian markets and on Amazon (affiliate link).

Masoor dal - red lentils - in a pressure cooker.

How to make dal in an Instant Pot:

  • The Instant Pot (affiliate link) and other pressure cookers are ideal for cooking dried pulses of any kind, ranging from split peas to black beans. They cook at high pressure, breaking down and cooking the pulses quickly, often eliminating the need for pre-soaking.
  • In this recipe, I set the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting, then cooked some onion, fresh ginger, garlic, spices and curry paste (affiliate) in some ghee or coconut oil.
  • Is curry paste necessary for making a dal? Absolutely not. Traditionally, dals are made with a variety of spices. Curry paste is my “cheat” for making this recipe extra speedy to put together.
  • Next, the coconut milk and vegetable broth are whisked with curry paste mixture, then the red lentils are added.
  • Using the Manual setting, cook the dal at high pressure for 8 minutes. Because of the amount of liquid in this recipe, it will take about 20 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
  • Release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes, then switch to quick release.
  • Serve right away with basmati rice and chutney, if desired. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. When reheating, you may need to add some additional vegetable broth to loosen up the mixture.

Make a big batch of this vegan Instant Pot Lentil Dal and enjoy it for meatless lunches and dinners the rest of the week. 177 calories and 2 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

Are red lentils good for you?

  • Lentils are little powerhouses of nutrition! One cup of cooked red lentils contains 230 calories. And believe me, one cup will leave you feeling very satisfied.
  • Each cup of cooked lentils contains about 18 grams of protein, making them a fantastic option for vegetarian and vegan diets.
  • They are rich in fiber, folate, iron and manganese.

These pressure cooker Indian lentils are richly spiced and packed with nutrients. Perfect for an easy vegetarian meal. 177 calories and 2 Weight Watchers Freestyle SmartPoints

Instagram-button If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I’ll be sure to find it.

5.0 rating
7 reviews

Instant Pot Lentil Dal (Indian Lentils)

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Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Total Time 47 mins

Make a big batch of this vegan Instant Pot Lentil Dal and enjoy it for meatless lunches and dinners the rest of the week. 177 calories and 2 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

Yields 8 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp ghee or coconut oil*
  • ½ medium yellow onion, minced
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup mild curry paste**
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 (14 oz.) can lite coconut milk
  • 5 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 ½ cups split red lentils (masoor dal)
  • Salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Set the Instant Pot to the Saute setting. Heat the ghee or coconut oil. Add the onion and ginger. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic, curry paste, coriander and cumin, and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the Instant Pot.
  3. Whisk in the coconut milk and vegetable broth, then stir in the red lentils.
  4. Put the lid on the Instant Pot, close the steam vent and set to HIGH pressure using the manual setting. Decrease the time to 8 minutes. It will take about 20 minutes for the Instant Pot to reach pressure.
  5. Once the time is expired, wait for 10 minutes, then carefully use the quick release valve to release the remaining pressure.
  6. Season with salt, to taste.
  7. Serve or store in the fridge.

by From the kitchen of cookincanuck.com

Recipe Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 2 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 5 (Old SmartPoints), 4 (Points+)

*The nutritional information was calculated using ghee, but it is nearly identical (and Weight Watchers Points are the same) when coconut oil is used.

**For a spicier dal, use spicy curry paste or add some cayenne pepper.


Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Filed Under: Entrees, Gluten Free, Healthy Dinner Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian Recipes Tagged With: clean eating, dal, dhal, healthy, Indian, Instant Pot, lentil, pressure cooker, recipe

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Comments

  1. FoodJunkie says

    Feb 27, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    This sounds really tasty but I am not sure what you gain by cooking red lentils in the Instant pot? Red lentils cook in 15-20 minutes so the only advantage to the Instant pot is unattended cooking as this may actually take longer to cook using a pressure cooker. Is there something I am missing here?

    Reply
    • Dara says

      Feb 27, 2018 at 1:00 pm

      Yep, that’s exactly it! You’re absolutely right that dal can be made quickly and easily on the stovetop, particularly when made with red lentils. However, I love being able to set the Instant Pot and walk away, without having to worry about stirring the lentils during the cooking time. Both are great options!

      Reply
  2. Aggie says

    Feb 28, 2018 at 3:52 am

    I saw this today and am craving it..I love Indian food but I haven’t tried this dish yet!! I love lentils and have a bag of red ones in the pantry. I may need to try this.

    Reply
  3. Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish says

    Mar 5, 2018 at 2:47 pm

    Mmm I love Indian flavors! So glad to find a new Instamt pot recipe too

    5.0 rating

    Reply
  4. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says

    Mar 5, 2018 at 4:46 pm

    LOVE Dal! Can’t wait to try this!

    5.0 rating

    Reply
  5. Jennifer Farley says

    Mar 5, 2018 at 6:22 pm

    Lentils are delicious! What a great recipe for the instant pot!

    5.0 rating

    Reply
  6. gerry speirs says

    Mar 5, 2018 at 10:49 pm

    Another reason why I need an Instant Pot 🙂

    5.0 rating

    Reply
  7. Jennifer Blake says

    Mar 6, 2018 at 10:09 am

    Very different from the recipes I usually make for my family but so beautiful!

    5.0 rating

    Reply
  8. Meseidy Rivera says

    Mar 6, 2018 at 10:36 am

    This looks perfect for a cold day. So comforting!

    5.0 rating

    Reply
  9. Elizabeth says

    Aug 29, 2018 at 4:55 pm

    Looks delicious! What brand of curry paste do you recommend?

    Reply
    • Dara says

      Sep 4, 2018 at 1:24 pm

      Hi Elizabeth, I like Patak’s because that’s what my mum has always used. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Cornelia says

    Sep 27, 2018 at 6:26 am

    I on,y have green lentils in the cabinet. Will I need to add cooking time? Will they work with this recipe?

    Reply
    • Dara says

      Sep 27, 2018 at 7:33 am

      Hi Cornelia, I haven’t actually tried green lentils in this recipe, but you can make it work. The lentils will have a different flavor and texture, and they take longer to cook. For my Instant Pot Lentil & Sweet Potato soup, I cook the green lentils for 12 minutes on HIGH pressure. However, you may want to add a few minutes to reach a texture more similar to the red lentils in this dal. I hope that helps.

      Reply
  11. Katie says

    Dec 5, 2018 at 7:56 pm

    Thanks, I’m excited to try this. One question though – usually Instant pot recipes I see with coconut milk add the coconut milk after cooking, as it can curdle and burn. I notice you add it before cooking. Do you find that it matters?

    Reply
    • Dara says

      Dec 7, 2018 at 1:47 pm

      Hi there, Katie – typically I wouldn’t add the coconut milk in until the very end because of the burning issue you mentioned. However, it isn’t an issue with this dal because it is cooked for such a short period of time. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  12. Natalie Winslow says

    Jan 18, 2019 at 3:02 pm

    Cooking lentils and dried beans is one of the reasons I bought an Instant Pot, so I’m so happy I found this recipe. It did not disappoint! Using the curry paste made things really easy. We served it with naan heated up in the oven for a few minutes and scooped up the dal with pieces of the naan.

    5.0 rating

    Reply

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I'm Dara, a Canadian living in the U.S. and sharing my favorite healthy recipes, as well as healthy lifestyle tips. My cooking motto is that healthy eating never needs to be boring!
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