on Jan 11, 2021, Updated Dec 05, 2023 If you want to try more Instant Pot recipes, here are some of my everyday favorites: Instant Pot Hot Chocolate, Instant Pot Chicken Curry, Instant Pot Chicken Stew, and Instant Pot Cuban Chicken Soup. Instant Pot was just released and was very expensive in India compared to the US. So, I asked my sister to get me one on her upcoming visit. I have a voltage converter, so the 110 V was not an issue. Now that I have used it for some time, I am a big promoter. It is easier than using a traditional stovetop pressure in many ways. I will talk on that subject later, but for today, I am sharing my very popular dal makhani recipe, which I made using Instant Pot. You will find this dal on the menu of almost every North Indian restaurant, and no parties or special occasions in the Northern part of India are complete without it being on the menu. I am sharing a One-Pot Instant Pot Dal Makhani Recipe in this post. Dal Makhani, made in an instant pot, tastes just like the ones made traditionally, minus all the time and hard work. This Instant Pot makhani dal recipe is quick, fuss-free, rich, and creamy. It comes together without much effort, and the taste is comparable to that of your favorite Indian restaurant. You can also check out my classic Dal Makhani post to make it more traditional. I made this recipe in my 3-quart instant pot. If you want to scale it up, use a bigger pot (6 qt). The cooking time will remain the same. These lentils are soaked in water for 8 to 10 hours or overnight to cook faster and become easily digestible. Kidney Beans – Add red kidney beans (rajma) along with lentils. These are also soaked for 8-10 hours or overnight and then cooked with the lentils. Ghee – I will always recommend you make dal makhani recipe in ghee. Ghee adds a distinct flavor, aroma, and richness to the dal. Butter and Cream – These are must ingredients in a dal makhani recipe, as the name itself has ‘Makhan.’ So do not compromise on them. Tomato Puree adds perfect tartness to the dal. For better taste, I recommend using canned tomato puree. You can also replace tomato puree with tomato paste. Kasuri Methi is my favorite ingredient whenever I want to add a restaurant-style touch to my homemade dals and curries. Others – You will also need bay leaves (tejpatta), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), red onions, ginger-garlic paste, fresh ginger, Kashmiri red chili powder, Roasted Cumin Powder, garam masala powder, and salt.
½ cup whole black lentils ¼ cup red kidney beans 1 tablespoon Bengal gram
Drain the water and wash the lentils once again. Drain well and set aside. Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot. When it says HOT, add 4 tablespoon of ghee to the pot. When the ghee is hot, add 2 green cardamoms and 2 bay leaves and saute for 4-5 seconds. Add 1 cup of grated onions and cook for 8-10 minutes until they are pinkish, stirring frequently. Now add 2 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste and cook until onions turn lightly browned (6-7 minutes), stirring frequently. Add the following ingredients and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
6 tablespoon of canned tomato puree (or 4 tablespoon tomato paste) 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder 1 teaspoon grated ginger
soaked lentils and kidney beans 2 and ½ cups of water 2 teaspoon salt
Close the lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Press CANCEL, press PRESSURE COOK, and set the timer to 35 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE. The instant pot will take some time to build the pressure and the timer to start. Once the timer goes off, do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually by moving the vent to the venting position. Open the pot lid and mash the lentils very well using the back of a spoon or a potato masher until they are creamy. Press CANCEL and then press the SAUTE button again. Cook the dal for 8-10 minutes and keep mashing it frequently. Add some water if the dal is too thick for your liking. Add the following ingredients to the pot and mix well.
2 tablespoon of butter (salted or unsalted) ¼ cup of unsweetened heavy cream 1 tablespoon of Kasuri methi 1 teaspoon garam masala
Cook for 2-3 minutes. Check for salt and add more if needed. Garnish with heavy cream swirls and crushed Kasuri methi, and serve! This dal tastes the best the next day. So, if possible, make it a day before serving. If you forgot to soak the lentils, wash and add them to the pot, increasing the pressure cook time to 50 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally once the timer goes off, and then open the lid. For better taste, I recommend using store-bought tomato paste or puree, as they are more concentrated in flavor than homemade puree.
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