Red Lentil Dal {Instant Pot}

Red lentil dal and rice in a brass bowl.

4.87 from 36 votes

Red Lentil Dal {Instant Pot}

Make a big batch of this vegan Red Lentil Dal in your Instant Pot and enjoy it for meatless lunches and dinners the rest of the week. So easy to make!

Prep Time5

Cook Time8

Pressure & Release time30

Total Time43

Course: Entrees

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Gluten Free, Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: Cups

Calories: 177kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

2 teaspoon ghee (non-vegan) or coconut oil (vegan)* (See Note 1)
½ medium yellow onion minced
1 tablepoons minced ginger
3 garlic cloves minced
¼ cup mild curry paste** (See Note 2)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (14 ounce) can lite coconut milk
5 cup low sodium vegetable broth
2 ½ cups split red lentils masoor dal
salt to taste

Instructions

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.
Add the garlic, curry paste, coriander and cumin, and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the Instant Pot.
Whisk in the coconut milk and vegetable broth, then stir in the red lentils.
Put the lid on the Instant Pot, close the steam vent and set to HIGH pressure using the Manual or Pressure Cook setting. Set the time to 8 minutes. It will take about 20 minutes for the Instant Pot to reach pressure.
Once the time is expired, wait for 10 minutes (natural release), then carefully use the quick release valve to release the remaining pressure.
Season with salt, to taste.
Serve or store in the fridge.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Ghee is not vegan, though it is vegetarian. Use coconut oil for a vegan option. The nutritional information was calculated using ghee, but it is nearly identical when coconut oil is used.

Note 2: For a spicier dal, use spicy curry paste or add some cayenne pepper.

Make-ahead tip: If making ahead and storing in the refrigerator, the dal will stiffen up. Stir in additional vegetable broth when reheating to re-constitute the dal.

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the LoseIt! calculator. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.

Nutrition