Homestyle recipe for hearty and delicious Dal Tadka, also known as Dal Fry. In this satisfying Indian comfort food, split yellow pigeon peas (toor dal) are cooked with aromatics and mild spices, then finished with a spiced tempering called 'tadka'. Enjoy this easy Instant pot recipe with the option to make basmati rice in the same pot.
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Comforting One-Pot Indian Meal
Dal and rice are pure comfort food in most Indian homes. Toor Dal, also called Arhar Dal, is probably the most popular lentil all over India.
It's a staple in many households and is made daily in some homes. The creamy texture of this light and flavorful lentils places it among the soul foods in Indian cuisine.
In this simple Instant Pot recipe, I cook the lentils with sautéed onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes, and season it with mild Indian spices. I also make rice in the same pot, using pot-in-pot (PIP) cooking method, to make this a complete one-pot, gluten-free meal.
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What is Dal Tadka?
Dal is the Hindi word for lentils, and tadka refers to an aromatic tempering made by blooming spices in hot ghee or oil. So Dal tadka refers to a lentil curry finished with an aromatic tempering.
Let's understand the two components of this recipe in detail- Dal & Tadka!
What is Dal?
Dal, also spelled as Daal, Dhal, or Dahl, are dried pulses and belong to the legumes family of dried peas, beans and lentils.
Dal is naturally Vegan and Gluten-free and is a great source of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber and many essential vitamins and minerals. They can be whole or split, and are staples in many South Asian countries, including India.
What is Tadka?
Traditionally, the cooked lentils are flavored with a hot tempering called tadka , which is made by heating cumin or mustard seeds in hot ghee (or oil), till they sizzle. Dried red chillies are often added as well. This process helps the seeds and chillies bloom, bringing out their flavors and infusing the oil with them.
Dal Tadka is perhaps the most common lentil curry. In north India, you'll typically find two versions of it- a simple homestyle curry which is mild, and a rustic street-style version, called "Dhaba-style" Dal Tadka, which is more spicy.
This Dal tadka recipe is close to the homestyle version I grew up eating. It is soul-food for me, I hope you enjoy it too.
Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions
Besides lentils, you'll need common Indian spices and flavor building aromatics, like ginger garlic paste, onions, tomato, serrano chili, and fresh chopped cilantro for garnishing. Let's take a look at the key ingredients for this yellow dal tadka:
- Dal: I always make this recipe with Toor dal, also known as Arhar Dal, which are split yellow pigeon peas. Some recipe variations call for a combination of toor and masoor dal (red lentils) or moong dal (petite yellow lentils) following a 50-50 ratio.
- Mustard seeds: Mustard seeds and toor dal go hand in hand. The ones we use in this recipe (and most Indian recipes) are dark brown mustard seeds which are nuttier and impart more tart flavor than other kinds.
- Ghee or Oil: This totally depends on whether you want to make this dal vegan or not. I use oil for cooking the dal, and use ghee for the tadka (tempering), but you can use olive oil to keep it 100% vegan.
- Tadka: In this recipe, I cook dal with the main tempering. Then I make a simpler tadka (tempering), which I pour over the dal just before serving. This is an optional step, but really elevates this curry. For tadka, you will need ghee (or oil for vegan), dry red chili, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafetida (hing).
How to Make Dal Tadka
In this Instant Pot Dal Tadka recipe, I've combined my mother and mother-in-law's recipe, so it's the best of both worlds for us. Here's how I make dal tadka:
Step 1: Saute aromatics
Heat oil on Saute mode (high). When it displays 'hot', add mustard seeds (or cumin seeds). Wait for them to sizzle and splutter and add onions, green chilli and crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for a few minutes.
Step 2: Add tomato and spices, saute
Add chopped tomato and spices and saute to help the spices bloom.
Step 3: Add lentils,water, and pressure cook
Add rinsed lentils and water. Deglaze the pot, scrapping off any brown bits at the bottom. This step is very important to avoid the burn message.
If you're not making rice, proceed by closing the lid. Cancel saute and pressure cook for 6 minutes. If you like a more mushy dal, increase the time to 8 minutes.
When the cook time is up, wait for 5-10 minutes and release the remaining pressure by following the quick release instructions of your model. Open the lid after the pin drops.
Step 4: Prepare and add Tadka
Heat a small sauce pan on medium heat. Add ghee (or oil for vegan) along with dry red chili, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, hing (optional), kashmiri red chili powder (optional) and curry leaves.
Gently heat it until the seeds begin to splutter. Turn off heat and add this tempering on top of the cooked dal just before serving.
How to Make Dal Tadka with Pot-in-Pot Basmati Rice
Accessories Needed for This Dal and Rice Pot-in-Pot Recipe: Tall Trivet, Stainless Steel Bowl or any oven-safe bowl
- Assemble the dal as per instructions above.
- Now, place a trivet in the Instant Pot.
- In an oven safe bowl, add rinsed rice, water and seasoning. Stir everything.
- Place the bowl on top of the trivet. Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 minutes.
- Release pressure after 10 minutes. Open the lid after the pin drops.
- Remove rice and gently fluff with a fork. Garnish dal with cilantro and tadka.
What to Serve with Dal Tadka
Rice is the most common pairing with lentils, especially Dal tadka. If you want to jazz up the Basmati rice, you can also make Cumin Rice, also called Jeera Rice. Alternatively, enjoy it with healthier brown basmati rice, or Roti (phulka). Note: Since brown rice take 22 minutes pressure cooking time, I recommend cooking it separately.
Pair it with the following vegetable side dishes and some sweet and spicy lemon pickle recipe and enjoy a satisfying Indian meal:
Recipe Tips & Notes
- To make this lentil curry curry mild, omit red chili powder or reduce it to ¼ tsp.
- To make pot-in-pot rice, use any oven safe bowl for rice and make sure that it fits your pressure cooker with about 1 inch space around it.
- This recipe can easily be doubled in a 6qt or a 8qt cooker by multiplying the ingredients. Cooking time stays the same.
- To adapt this recipe for red lentils, follow the instructions and reduce the cook time to 3 minutes.
- The finishing tadka (tempering) is optional but highly recommended. It elevates this recipe to a whole new level.
- Store any leftover dal in any airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply microwave for 1-2 minutes or heat in a sauce pan.
More Dal Recipes
Learn more about Dal in these related posts: How to make lentils in Instant Pot, and 10+ Instant Pot Lentil Recipes
📖 Recipe
Dal Tadka | Dal Fry
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup toor dal : rinsed and soaked in warm water (split yellow pigeon peas)
- 2 teaspoons ghee or olive oil for vegan
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 3 cloves garlic minced pr paste
- 1 inch ginger minced or paste
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1-2 serrano chili (optional)
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 2- 2½ cups water (adjust to your desired consistency)
Spices
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder : adjust to your spice level
For Finishing
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped for garnish
- few drops of fresh lime juice optional
Tadka- Garnish Before Serving
- 2 teaspoons ghee heated in a small sauce pan. Use oil for vegan
- 1 dry Red Chili (whole) (Indian Chili or Arbol chili)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 pinch hing (asafetida) optional
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika
- 6-8 curry leaves (optional)
Pot-in-Pot Rice
- 1 cup basmati rice (or any long-grain white rice), rinsed 2-3 times, till water runs clear
- 1¼ cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or ghee
Instructions
Instant Pot recipe
- Rinse and soak lentils in tap water while you prepare tempering. Turn on Saute mode (high). When it displays ‘hot’, add oil and mustard seeds. Wait for them to sizzle and splutter.
- Add onions, serrano chili and minced ginger and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until the onion turns pink.
- Add chopped tomato and spices and saute for another minute. This helps the spices bloom.
- Add rinsed and drained lentils along with fresh water. Deglaze the pot, scrapping off any brown bits stuck at the bottom. If you’re just making dal without rice, close the lid, cancel saute and pressure cook for 6 minutes at high pressure (sealing mode). If making rice, read the following instructions.
- For Making Pot-in-Pot Rice: Place a trivet in the Instant Pot. In an oven safe bowl add rinsed rice, water and seasoning. Stir well. Place the bowl on top of the trivet. Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 minutes on Manual or Pressure Cook.
- After cook time is up, wait for 5-10 minutes, then manually release pressure. Open the lid after the pin drops. Remove rice and gently fluff with a fork. Garnish dal with cilantro and lime (if using). To add the tadka, follow the instructions below.
Tadka
- Heat a small sauce pan on medium heat. Add ghee (or oil for vegan) along with dry red chili, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, hing (optional), kashmiri red chili powder (optional) and curry leaves. Gently heat it until the seeds begin to splutter. Turn off heat and add this tempering on top of the cooked dal just before serving.
Stove top recipe
- Sauce pan: Heat a heavy-bottom sauce pan or a dutch oven, on medium-high heat. Follow steps 1, 2 and 3. Reduce heat to medium and cook the lentils for 20-25 minutes, covered, or until cooked through and soft. Garnish with lemon and cilantro and serve warm.
- Indian Pressure Cooker: Follow steps 1 and 2. Close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook on high-heat till 1 whistle and then reduce to medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. Wait for pressure to release naturally before opening. Continue with step 3.
Video
Notes
- To make this lentil curry curry mild, omit red chili powder or reduce it to ¼ tsp.
- To make pot-in-pot rice, use any oven safe bowl for rice and make sure that it fits your pressure cooker with about 1 inch space around it.
- This recipe can easily be doubled in a 6qt or a 8qt cooker by multiplying the ingredients. Cooking time stays the same.
- To adapt this recipe for red lentils, follow the instructions and reduce the cook time to 3 minutes.
- The finishing tadka (tempering) is optional but highly recommended. It elevates this recipe to a whole new level.
- Store any leftover dal in any airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply microwave for 1-2 minutes or heat in a sauce pan until warmed.
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated with new photos, helpful information, tips, and step-by-step photos.
Elyssa McGregor says
Going to give this a try tonight. Just got my Instant Pot and have been searching for Dal Tadka recipes all over the internet.
Aneesha says
I hope you enjoyed it Elyssa!
Ellen Brown says
Love it, as always! Easy, comforting, and delicious.
Aneesha says
Thank you so much, Ellen ????????
Steven H says
I really like this recipe! It's so fast in the Instant Pot and the perfect cooking time of 6min allows for PIP Rice! I made this for lunch the other day in a little less than an hour. My only adjustment is to add a sprinkle of MSG after pressure cooking to give it that extra umami kick and still keep it vegetarian.
Aneesha says
Sounds great, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe 🙂
Tommy says
This Dhal came out delicious! I added my own Tadka!
I heated up olive oil on medium high, then added mustard seeds and cumin. Then when they started popping and sizzling i added dried red chillies. After they turned black I added curry leaves. After the curry leaves got crisp i added some fresh chopped habanero then crushed garlic. When the garlic browned I then added tumeric and hing then when the raw smell went away I put the tadka in the Dhal. Absolutely delicious!
Aneesha says
That sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe!
Nadia Rahman says
Really good recipe that delivers a comforting dal dish. Thanks!
Aneesha says
Thank you Nadia, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Dal and rice is comfort food for me too!
Lauren says
This was very good! At the last minute I realized I didn't have toor dal on hand, so I used a mix of orphaned lentils and moong dal. So that my toddler could eat it (he LOVED it!), I used green bell pepper for the hot peppers and omitted the cayenne. I also cut back a little on the ginger and garlic. After it was finished cooking, I took out a couple cups for my son, then added cayenne and some more ginger, and simmered for 5 minutes. We've been enjoying this as leftovers. Thank you!
Aneesha says
Hi Lauren, thats awesome! I am so glad your family enjoyed this recipe, it's one of my go-to comfort foods 🙂 Thanks for sharing your experience!
Lisa Morgan says
Thanks for this recipe, Aneesha. I made it this morning in my IP, and it's really good. I used coconut oil so it's vegan, and I did use the curry leaves (had some in my freezer!). I know this is blasphemy, but I didn't even rinse or soak my toor dal before cooking. 🙂 Again, thanks for a tasty, easy recipe for the IP that actually works! Best, Lisa M.
Aneesha says
Hi Lisa, that's awesome. I am so glad you enjoyed it, it's one of my favorite comfort foods 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe ????.
Lori says
This looks really great. Was going to make it tonight but I read the recipe up, down and sideways and can't find the amount of rice and water to use for the pot in pot. Did I miss it somehow? Thanks!
aneeshasg says
Hi Lori, sorry about that! I have updated the recipe card with the PIP rice details. Hope you enjoy it!
Ian says
This was delicious! Super simple to make.
aneeshasg says
Hi Ian, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! If you enjoy lentils, do try Misir Wot (Ethiopian red lentils) and Dal Makhani (Madras Lentils) too. Thanks again, for sharing your feedback!