Here's my easy-to-follow recipe for Instant Pot Dal Makhani, a traditional Indian dish made with black lentils.This Instant Pot Black dal is easy, simple, comforting, and delicious.
Tastes just like the Dal Makhani from Dishoom restaurant, in the comfort of your home. This no soak recipe requires minimal effort and about 30 minutes of hands on time. Naturally vegetarian, it can be served with rice or naan for a satisfying and flavourful dinner.
About this easy Instant Pot Black Dal recipe
If you're a fan of Indian food, you've probably heard of dal makhani – a delicious, creamy lentil dish that's a staple at many Indian restaurants. You'll be really happy to know that you can easily make this dish in your Instant Pot pressure cooker just like Instant Pot Pav Bhaji.. And it makes a delicious Dal for busy weeknights or curry nights.
Making dal makhani in the Instant Pot is actually quicker and easier than making it on the stove, and it tastes way better than any takeaway version I've tried. Plus, you get the added bonus of knowing exactly what ingredients are going into your food, so you can feel good about what you're eating.
I can also tell you this dal tastes as delicious as the ones from the Dishoom restaurant - one of my favourite Indian restaurants in London. Their dal makhani is to die for, but it's not something I can have every day (or even every week).
That's where my Instant Pot comes in. With a few simple ingredients and the magic of pressure cooking, I can recreate that same creamy, comforting dal makhani at home in a fraction of the time.
And this homemade dal I can enjoy every day!
Don't have an Instant Pot, make this Dal Makhani on Stove top.
Why should you make Dal Makhani in Instant Pot?
- Quick and easy: The Instant Pot cooks food quickly and evenly, so you can have delicious dal makhani on the table in a fraction of the time it would take to cook it on the stove.
- Convenient: With the Instant Pot, you can set it and forget it. Just add your ingredients, set the cooking time, and let the Instant Pot do the work. This makes it a great option for busy weeknights or when you don't feel like spending hours in the kitchen.
- It tastes better: Let's be real, homemade food always tastes so much better than takeaway. Plus, with the Instant Pot, you can customise the seasoning, spiciness and creaminess of the dal makhani to your liking, so you can have it exactly how you like it.
- Dietary needs: The recipe is naturally vegetarian. It can be made vegan if you are using vegan butter and cream.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this restaurant style Black Dal in many ways.
- Serve Dal Makhani over rice or along with naan bread, kachumber salad, vegetable raita, and popadom for a comforting meal.
- Include it as a component of a curry night menu comprising of Brinjal Bhaji, Paneer curry, Garlic naan, onion raita, vegetable pakora and refreshing mango lassi.
- Serve this restaurant-style dish alongside spicy curries like Rogan Josh, Okra Bhaji, and Chana Masala.
- For a simple and satisfying meal, enjoy it along with simple Yellow rice and a glass of masala lassi to complement the flavours of the dish.
Storing leftover Dal Makhani
Fridge: To store leftover Dal Makhani, transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer: To freeze leftover Dal Makhani, allow it to cool to room temperature and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Label the container with the date and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw:To reheat frozen Dal Makhani, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Alternatively, it can be reheated in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between until heated through.
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Ingredients
- 1½ Cup Black dal lentils Black Urad Dal
- ½ can Kidney beans cooked (optional)
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or more to taste
- 4 cm ginger grated
- 500 ml Tomatoes pureed
- 2-3 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- ¾ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- Salt to taste
- 1000 ml Water or more as needed
Whole Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Green Cardamom or 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
- 4 Cloves
To finish
- 2 teaspoon Kasoori Methi Dried Fenugreek leaves
- ½ cup Cream
- 2 tablespoon Butter
Instructions
- Rinse the black lentils a couple of times in cold water until clear. Then, place the lentils and kidney beans and 1 litre of water in the Instant Pot pressure cooker.
- Cook on Manual High for 25 minutes and let the steam release naturally. Once done, drain the black lentils and save the lentil stock.
- Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot and set the timer for 35 minutes.
- Add butter and whole garam masalas and saute for 1 minute.
- Add ginger garlic paste, fresh tomato puree, salt, and spice powders to the masala. Mix them together and cover with a lid.
- Cook on low flame for 10-12 minutes until the base masala has reduced a bit. Keep an eye on the tomato puree as it tends to bubble and throw a lot of spills.
- Next, add the black lentils, kidney beans (if using), and the reserved stock after draining the dal. Stir frequently and cover.
- Cook for at least 20 minutes until the lentils integrate and thicken. If needed, add more water as necessary. For a better taste, simmer and cook for a longer time.
- Once the desired consistency is achieved, add cream, butter, kasuri methi, and stir well. Cook for another 5 minutes and switch off.
- Serve Instant Pot Black lentils dal with Naan or rice.
Video
Notes
- Soaking Urad Dal is not required for this process. Dal Makhani generally tends to thicken after it cools down. So always make sure to leave a little thin consistency when you switch off the flame.
- If you would like to add Kidney beans to the Black Daal, add ½ a can of cooked kidney beans.
- If you don't have enough stock left from the cooked Black Dal, add water instead.
- If you don't want to use Whole Garam masalas, use 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder.
- Instead of Fresh Tomato Puree, you can use about 75g of Tomato paste. Dilute the tomato paste with water before using it in the recipe.
Natasha says
I've been making this (almost) same recipe for 15+ yrs. The only changes are using crushed tomatoes (Canada/US staple canned tomato product) and adding some pickled ginger juice at the end. I used (homemade) garam masala powder and threw in half a stick of cinnamon and a couple of Indian bay leaves. 25 minutes in the Instant Pot was the perfect amount of time. I LOVE this recipe! Thank you for sharing and making it so simple to follow.
Sandhya Hariharan says
Thanks Natasha.. Your feedback means a lot, and so glad you loved making Black Dal in the Instant Pot with my simple recipe.
Glenn Brickell says
Absolutely perfect, real comfort food. Easy to follow recipe to make a next level Dal Makhani. Added to my bookmarks. Thanks Sandhya
Beth Sachs says
Such a tasty and hearty recipe. I'm definitely trying this in my Instant Pot soon!
Dannii says
Such a great way to use an instant pot. So comforting too.
Gina Abernathy says
The instant pot makes this dish easy to prepare. The flavors are fantastic.
Kushigalu says
Instant pot version of dal makhani looks so delicious. Thanks alot for sharing.
dina and bruce miller says
So good, and so easy to make!! The flavors were perfect! We loved it with your easy Naan bread.