Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani is a rich and creamy north-Indian curry made with black lentils, kidney beans, aromatic herbs, and toasted spices. Here's a restaurant-quality recipe for this flavor-packed vegetarian lentil curry, made easy using the Instant Pot.

Enjoy these creamy lentils with naan, roti, or cumin rice. Optionally, elevate this dish with the charcoal-smoked method called Dhungar!

Dal Makhani is one of the most popular lentil curries from the Punjab region in northern India.

To make this delicious lentil curry, black lentils (whole urad/ black gram) and red kidney beans are cooked in butter, with ginger, garlic, onion, tomato, herbs, and spices, till they get soft and creamy.

Its flavor is enhanced by simmering it low and slow with a touch of heavy cream. The end result is pure creamy deliciousness. Due to its rich and luxurious taste, you will always find it on restaurant menus.

In this easy dal makhani recipe, I'm sharing how to make a restaurant-quality dish using an Instant Pot. You'll be amazed at the results! Let's get started!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• How to Make Dal Makhani
• Try a Variation: Vegan Dal Makhani
• Serving Suggestions
• How to Store
• Recipe Tips & Notes
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Indian Lentil Curry Recipes
• 📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It's an easy lentils recipe that tastes like it has been cooking for hours, thanks to the pressure cooker, which cuts the cooking time dramatically.
• Soak your beans if you have the time or take a shortcut with unsoaked beans - the choice is up to you!
• It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, with an easy option to make it dairy-free and vegan!
• I've included tips to serve it straight away or make it in advance for entertaining and dinner parties.

How to Make Dal Makhani

This recipe is good for cooking an authentic Dal Makhani in an Instant Pot, or any other electric pressure cooker. Let's take a look at the ingredients.

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

For ease of preparation, the dal makhani ingredients are broken up into a few parts - lentils and beans, curry, spices, and finishing.

Black Lentils: Also known as whole urad or black gram, these are whole black lentils easily found in the global section of supermarkets. They are also easily available at specialty Indian markets or on Amazon.

Red Kidney Beans: Dried kidney beans are easy to spot in the bulk section of Whole Foods or in the beans aisle of any major supermarket. Directions are given for both soaked and unsoaked beans, as well as their canned variety.

Fat: Butter is more traditional, but olive oil keeps it light and healthy. Avocado or coconut oil are also great options.

Cumin Seeds: Add the cumin seeds to the hot fat and saute just until they pop for a burst of savory flavor.

Onion: One medium-size yellow onion offers just the right amount of aromatic flavor.

Green Chiles, Ginger + Garlic: For spice, depth, and savory goodness. Use ginger garlic paste if you are short on time.

Tomatoes: Seek out Roma tomatoes for the best flavor and ease. If you can only find beefsteak tomatoes, halve and remove the seeds before pureeing.

Spices: A simple yet flavorful mix of salt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander and Kashmiri red chili powder provides the right balance of bitterness, warmth, citrus and spice. Replace the red chili powder with paprika for a mild heat level.

Water: A little water goes a long way in cooking the legumes to a creamy consistency.

Finishing Flavors: A touch more garam masala, butter, heavy cream, and cilantro give it that extra special finishing touch.

Ingredients for Optional Dhungar Method: All it takes is a small piece of charcoal and a mere teaspoon of oil to achieve another level of smokey flavor. Additional equipment includes a trivet, a small bowl, and tongs.

Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Dal Makhani in Instant Pot

I offer cooking times and instructions for both, soaked and unsoaked, lentils and beans. Pick whatever is most convenient to you, however, I highly recommend soaking them overnight.

Soak 8 Hours (or Overnight)

Wash and soak black gram and red kidney beans in water for 8 hours to overnight. Once ready, strain and rinse the lentils well. Keep aside.

Pressure Cook

• Turn on saute mode and heat butter (or oil). Add cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle.
• Now add onions and saute for 3 minutes, until translucent. Add green chiles, ginger and garlic paste and saute another minute. Now add pureed tomato and deglaze the pot by scrapping off any brown bits at the bottom of the pot (Pics 1 & 2). 
• Add all the salt and spices, followed by strained lentils and water (Pics 3 & 4).
• Close the lid and set vent to sealing position. Pressure cook for 30 mins on Bean/Chili or Manual mode, at high pressure. After the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid after the pin drops.

Finish & Serve

• Select Saute and adjust it to 'low'. Using a potato masher, mash a few beans to make the curry naturally creamy. Sprinkle garam masala, add heavy cream and butter, and let the dal simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes (Pics 5-7). 
• If the dal starts thickening, add a few tablespoons of warm water. Dal makhani is ready when it turns deep red in color. At this point garnish with cilantro and serve (Pic 8)! If you want a restaurant-style 'slow-cooked' taste, stir in ¼-⅓ cup warm water and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Optional: Dhungar Method for Dhaba-Style 'Smoky' Taste

• Place a trivet in the Instant Pot over the dal. Place a small steel bowl over it. Now, using tongs, heat a small piece of charcoal on the stove directly over the flame until it becomes hot. Keep turning the charcoal so it heats evenly.
• Place the hot charcoal in the small bowl and pour ½ teaspoon of oil on it. It will start smoking. Cover the pot with the lid and let the smoke get infused in the dal makhani for about a minute. After that, remove the bowl, stir the dal and enjoy!

Try a Variation: Vegan Dal Makhani

In this recipe, substitute the butter with avocado, coconut, or olive oil. Instead of adding heavy cream for that rich taste, you can add any of the following:

• Cashew paste: Soak 2-3 tablespoons of raw cashews in ½ cup warm water for 10 minutes. Grind them to a fine paste with a small blender, add after pressure cooking and simmer for 10 minutes. Alternatively, add 2 tablespoons of cashew meal instead.
• Coconut Milk: Open a can of full-fat coconut milk without shaking it. Carefully skim the fat layer off the top, reserving the liquid in the bottom for another recipe. Stir that in after pressure cooking, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

An authentic dal makhani will often always appear on Indian restaurant menus and there are a few traditional sides that complement its flavors. Here are a few popular pairing options:

Restaurant-Style Meal: Serve it as your favorite Indian restaurant alongside naan, aloo gobi, and cucumber raita.

Homestyle Meal: Celebrate the comfort of home with paratha, bhindi masala, and boondi raita.

Lower Carb Pairing Suggestion: Keep it clean and low-carb with India cauli rice - a favorite of hubby and me!

How to Store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

This is one of those dishes that gets tastier the longer it sits. Believe it or not, Dal Makhani is way tastier the day after. It also gets creamier and thicker the longer it sits, which intensifies the flavor even more.

If the dal appears too thick, stir in a few tablespoons of water before warming it.

How to Make Ahead for Dinner Parties and Entertaining

This Instant Pot Dal Makhani makes a showstopping entree for any occasion. When I have to serve this for entertaining in the evening, I prepare the dal in the morning or the night before. To do so, simply:

• Pressure cook the dal, cool, transfer to an oven safe dish, cover and store in the fridge. I save the "finishing" step for later.
• An hour before dinner, remove the dal from the fridge, uncover and add the garam masala, heavy cream and butter to the dish. Stir and stick it in a preheated low oven at 225°F for 30-45 minutes.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• No-Soak Method: If you want to skip the soaking process, rinse and drain the lentils and add them as per the recipe. Adjust the pressure cooking time to 45 minutes, followed by natural release of pressure.
• Slow-Cooked Taste: For a restaurant-style 'slow-cooked' taste, follow the extra step to simmer the lentils after pressure cooking. 
• Dhungar Method: This optional step adds a smoky taste to the lentils, giving them an authentic dhaba-style taste. Since you only need a small piece of coal, ask a friend or neighbor who has a charcoal BBQ. Make sure that the coal is not treated with lighter fluid though.
• Canned Lentils & Beans: If using canned lentils and kidney beans, reduce the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes, followed by a 5 minute natural pressure release.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Indian Lentil Curry Recipes

If you liked this recipe, you might enjoy some more Indian Vegetarian Recipes:

📖 Recipe