This Dhaba Style Dal Fry – Instant Pot Version makes the perfect lazy weeknight dinner. This recipe is naturally vegetarian, and gluten-free. Easy to make in the Instant Pot and packed with taste, this recipe is sure to warm you up.
Type of dal: The base for this lovely, lentil soup is toor dal / arhar dal (pigeon pea lentil). It is easily available on amazon or in Indian grocery stores.
How do I make this Dhaba Style Dal Fry – Instant Pot Version?
Traditionally the dal is pressure cooked with water, salt and ground turmeric. The tempering ingredients are sautéed separately in a pan in ghee or oil and then added to the pressure-cooked dal.
However, I am trying to simplify my recipes and make them fast, quick and easy. In this recipe in order to simplify the cooking process. I sautéed the tempering ingredients in the instant pot, then threw the dal and water in the pot and pressure cooked it altogether. Further I created the tadka separately in a pan and threw it in the dal. This methodology makes the cooking process fast, easy, and convenient. This quick recipe tastes great! You must give it a try.
Prep: Rinse and dice the onion finely, rinse and chop the tomatoes, cilantro, and slit the green chili vertically but keep it still intact.
Rinse the dal with water a couple of times and set aside.
When you are ready to cook, select sauté on the Instant Pot. First, add ghee to the pot. Second, add in cumin seeds. Third, after the cumin seeds splutter add in onions and ginger garlic paste. Stir well. Next after the onions turn golden brown, add in tomatoes, salt, Kashmiri chili powder, ground coriander, garam masala, serrano pepper, and ground turmeric. Additionally, sauté the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes until mushy. Keep stirring intermittently. Further add the rinsed dal and water. Stir it all up. Press cancel. Furthermore, Close the lid and select manual for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then quick release the pressure. Finally open the lid and garnish with lemon juice.
Tadka:
Meanwhile, in a pan on medium-heat, add in 2 tablespoons ghee. Next, once the ghee is warm add in cumin seeds, asafoetida, minced garlic finely, and whole dried chili pepper. Let is sauté for a minute until the cumin seeds splutter and garlic becomes fragrant. Watch it or else the garlic can burn. Further add in Kashmiri chili powder and stir for a few seconds. Transfer to the dal right away or else the garlic and chili can burn. Mix the dal well. Finally, top the dal with cilantro.
Tried this recipe yet? Give us a rating, comment below in the reply section and let us know what you think.
Try some of our other recipes:
Kala Chana Salad – Instant Pot Chickpea Chaat
Masala Corn – Instant Pot Spicy Corn Chaat
Rajma Avocado Chaat – Instant Pot Kidney Beans Salad
Boiled Peanut Salad – Instant Pot Protein Chaat
Dhaba Style Dal Fry – Instant Pot Version
Ingredients
For Dal
- 1 cup toor dal
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 medium onion (1 cup chopped)
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste (freshly minced or packaged)
- 2 tomatoes, medium (1 and 1/2 cups chopped)
- 1 and 1/4 tsp salt (you can add 1/4 tsp more if you'd like)
- 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander (dhaniya powder)
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 serrano pepper, silt but still intact (hari mirch)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (haldi)
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cilantro (dhaniya ke patte)
Tempering/Tadka
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida (heeng)
- 1 tsp garlic (freshy minced)
- 1 whole dried red chili peppers
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
Instructions
Prep
- Finely rinse and dice the onion.
- Rinse and chop the tomato and slit the green chili verticallybut keep it still intact. Rinse and chop the cilantro finely and set it aside.
- Rinse the dal with water a couple of times and set aside.
Cook
- After the onions turn golden brown, add in tomatoes, salt, Kashmiri chili powder, ground coriander, garam masala, serrano pepper, and ground turmeric.
- Sauté the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes until mushy. Keep stirring intermittently. Further add the rinsed dal and water. Stir it all up.
- Press cancel. Close the lid and select manual for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then quick release the pressure. Finally open the lid and garnish with lemon juice.
Tempering/Tadka
- Once the dal has been cooked and the lemon juice has been added, in a pan on medium-heat, add in 2 tablespoons ghee.
- Once the ghee is warm add in cumin seeds, asafoetida, minced garlic finely, and whole dried chili pepper.
- Let is sauté for a minute until the cumin seeds splutter and garlic becomes fragrant. Watch it or else the garlic can burn. Further add in Kashmiri chili powder and stir for a few seconds. Transfer to the dal right away or else the garlic and chili can burn. Mix the dal well. Finally, top the dal with cilantro.
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