Gujarati dal recipe is a popular one in Indian cuisine. It is a simple yet flavorful dish that can be enjoyed as a main course or as a side dish with rice and vegetables.
Traditionally, it's slow-cooked on stovetop but this instant pot gujarati dal is a one-pot recipe that you will want to prepare on busy weekdays.
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Using an instant pot to make Gujarati dal has several advantages.
Firstly, it saves a lot of time and effort as the lentils can be cooked in just under 20 minutes.
Additionally, cooking in an instant pot also helps retain the nutrients and flavors of the dal, making it healthier and more delicious.
Just like the Instant Pot chana dal recipe, palak dal, and dal tadka recipe, this ultimate comfort food pairs well with rice and vegetables.
The combination of sweet and tangy flavors from the spices in this dal makes it a perfect accompaniment to any meal.
Try this simple dal recipe today and share your experience!
Why I love this
- Quick and easy: With just a few simple ingredients, you can have this delicious dal ready in no time.
- It's along the lines of gujarati food that's packed with flavors: The spices used in this recipe add a burst of flavor to the dish, making it a treat for your taste buds.
- It's easily customizable to suit different types of lentils.
- Versatile: This tangy dal can be enjoyed as a main course or as a side dish, making it a perfect meal idea.
Ingredients
- Toor dal: This is also known as split pigeon pea lentils, or tuvar dal
- Tomato and onion
- Jaggery
- Peanuts
- Bay leaf
- Whole spices: Cinnamon stick, cloves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds.
- Spice powder: Red chili powder, turmeric powder
- Ginger and green chili
See the recipe card for a list of ingredients and quantities, plus recipe instructions. You can find the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
Rinse toor dal in water until the water runs clear.
In the sauté mode on the instant pot, add one tablespoon oil and whole spices to the inner pot.
Add chopped onions, ginger, green chili, and curry leaves.
Sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
Add tomatoes, salt, red chili powder, and turmeric powder.
Give it a good stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the rinsed Toor dal, jaggery, and peanuts. Pour in 4 cups of water.
Close the lid of the instant pot and ensure that the pressure valve is set to sealing position.
Select manual or pressure cook mode and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before using the quick pressure release option.
Stir and serve hot, garnished with cilantro leaves.
Top Tips
- Soaking the dal for an hour or two can reduce the cooking time in the instant pot.
- Adjust the spice levels according to your preference. You can add more or less chili powder and green chilies based on your taste.
- Add a teaspoon of lemon juice, if the dish turns out too spicy.
- For a creamier texture, you can blend half of the cooked dal with a hand blender before adding it back to the pot.
- Add tempering at the end for an extra layer of flavor. Heat oil in a small pan, add black mustard seeds, and let them splutter. Then, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, and red chili powder. Pour this over the cooked dal and mix well.
- Serving suggestion: Pair it up with jeera rice, vegetable pulao, or with brown rice.
Stovetop pressure cooker method
Follow the instructions above, but instead of using an instant pot, cook in a stovetop pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles.
Storage and reheating
Store leftover dal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop, adding a little water if necessary.
Variations
- Use moong dal, masoor dal or chevti dal instead of toor dal for a different flavor and texture.
- Add vegetables like potatoes, carrots, or bell peppers to make it more nutritious.
- You can also add garam masala along with other spices.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Gujarati Dal Instant Pot
Equipment
Process Shot
Check above for step-by-step pictures (most of my recipes include pictures)
Ingredients
- 1 cup toor dal - yellow lentils
- 1 tomato - diced
- 1 onion - diced
- 7 curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon jaggery
- 3 tablespoon peanuts
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves - spice
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅓ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon ginger - grated
- 1 green chili - sliced
- 4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 teaspoon cilantro - chopped
Instructions
- Rinse toor dal in water until the water runs clear.
- In the sauté mode on the instant pot, add oil and whole spices to the inner pot.1 bay leaf, ½ inch cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- Add chopped onions, ginger, green chili, and curry leaves.1 onion, 2 teaspoon ginger, 1 green chili, 7 curry leaves
- Sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add tomatoes, salt, red chili powder, and turmeric powder.1 tomato, ⅓ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- Give it a good stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the rinsed Toor dal, jaggery, and peanuts. Pour in 4 cups of water.1 cup toor dal, 1 tablespoon jaggery, 3 tablespoon peanuts
- Close the lid of the instant pot and ensure that the pressure valve is set to sealing position.
- Select manual or pressure cook mode and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before using the quick pressure release option.
- Stir and serve hot, garnished with cilantro leaves.3 teaspoon cilantro
Notes
- Soaking the dal for an hour or two can reduce the cooking time in the instant pot.
- Adjust the spice levels according to your preference. You can add more or less chili powder and green chilies based on your taste.
- Add a teaspoon of lemon juice, if the dish turns out too spicy.
- For a creamier texture, you can blend half of the cooked dal with a hand blender before adding it back to the pot.
- Add tempering at the end for an extra layer of flavor. Heat oil in a small pan, add black mustard seeds, and let them splutter. Then, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, and red chili powder. Pour this over the cooked dal and mix well.
- Serving suggestion: Pair it up with jeera rice, vegetable pulao, or with brown rice
YOUR OWN NOTES
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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