Instant Pot Dal Tadka / Dal Fry (With Basmati Rice)

4.75 from 16 votes

Homestyle Dal Tadka (Dal Fry), a comforting Indian dal curry made in the Instant Pot, with pot-in-pot basmati rice. Ready in 30 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

NPR5

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: people

Calories: 130kcal

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

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 chili, and crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for a few minutes.
Add the chopped tomato and spices, then sauté to help the spices bloom.
Add rinsed lentils and water. Deglaze the pot, scraping off any brown bits at the bottom. This step is very important to avoid the burn message.
In an oven-safe bowl, add rinsed rice, water, and seasoning. Stir everything. Now, place a trivet in the Instant Pot and place the bowl on top of the trivet. Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 minutes.
Note: If you're not making rice, skip this step and pressure cook for 6 minutes. If you like a mushier dal, increase the cooking time to 8 minutes.
When the cooking time is up, wait 5-10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually. Stir the dal gently, adjust seasoning to taste (if needed), and garnish with cilantro.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ghee (or oil for vegans) 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 the heat and add this tempering on top of the cooked dal just before serving.

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.

To make this lentil 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 of space around it.
This recipe can easily be doubled in a 6qt or an 8-qt 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 saucepan until warmed.

Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you follow any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.