Instant Pot Mixed Lentils Tadka – An easy One-Pot Recipe For a Hearty, Comfort Meal. Mixed lentils are flavoured with mild spices and cooked in the Instant Pot. Learn how to make this delicious Dal Tadka in less than 30 minutes.
Instant Pot Mixed Lentils Tadka
Dal Tadka is one of the most popular, Indian comfort food. If you have been to any popular Indian restaurant, this dish always tops the menu. Not just restaurants. This is a staple in most Indian households. Dal is one of the most popular protein choices for Vegetarians. Hence, it is also a most sought-after dish for a quick weeknight dinner.
“Dal” refers to “Lentils” and “Tadka” refers to the “aromatic tempering on top”. There is no single way to make Dal Tadka. You can choose just one lentil or use a mix of lentils. Similarly, what you add to the tadka is completely your choice. Today, I have used a mix of lentils to make this dish more filling and nutritious. Also, I have used some aromatic ghee, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, red chilli and finely chopped garlic for the Tadka. I love topping Dal with some lightly browned garlic.
Even though I make a lot of varieties of food, my husband gets excited when I make this simple Dal tadka. Such simple meals often remind us of our childhood and home. The comfort these meals give is irreplaceable. I am sure many of you can relate to this.
Why I love Dal Tadka
A delicious Vegetarian dish in less than 30 minutes
Quick, filling meal for a busy day
Can easily be made Vegan & Gluten-Free
Protein-rich Comfort food
Filled with flavours from the aromatic Tadka
Pairs up so well with some simple Roti, Ghee Rice
Ingredients
Mixed lentils – I have used toor dal, chana dal, masoor dal and split yellow moong dal
Onion & Tomato for the dal base
Green Chilli for mild spice
Ginger & Garlic for the flavour
Salt, Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, and Coriander Powder for flavour and spice
Ghee, mustard, red chillies, cumin seeds, chopped garlic and asafoetida for Tempering
Coriander Leaves for Garnishing
How to make this Mixed Lentil Tadka in Instant Pot
First, wash and rinse the dal. Soak it in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Remove the water and keep it aside.
Press SAUTE mode in Instant Pot. Add ghee. Once hot, add sliced onion. Saute till it turns light brown.
Now, add ginger garlic paste and slit green chilli. Cook for a minute.
Next, add finely chopped tomato. Cook till the tomato turns slightly mushy.
Now, add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder & coriander powder. Saute for a minute.
Next, add the dal and give a mix. Add water and check for salt. Adjust if needed.
Close the lid on the pot, and turn the pressure valve to SEALING position. Cancel Saute mode. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 10 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid, and adjust consistency if needed. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Now in a pan, add ghee. Once hot, add mustard seeds, red chilli, cumin seeds, asafoetida and finely chopped garlic. Saute till the garlic turns light brown.
Do not burn the tadka. Once done, pour it into the prepared Dal. Squeeze some lemon on top if desired. Dal Tadka is ready. Serve hot.
Serving Suggestion
This Dal Tadka is highly versatile and can be served with anything from Plain rice, Ghee Rice, Jeera Rice, Roti, Parathas etc.
It also goes well with a mild pulao. Try this along with Coconut Milk Pulao. You won’t regret it.
Tips & Variations
If your dal is watery, you can turn on the saute mode and cook for a few more minutes. If your dal is thick, add some hot water and let it cook for a minute.
To make this vegan, skip ghee and use oil. To make this gluten-free, skip asafoetida.
I have used a total of 1 cup dal. You can make this recipe by using just one dal variety or you can include more dal varieties of your choice.
Onion, Garlic can be skipped as well.
You can skip either the red chilli powder or green chilli if you want absolutely no spice.
Dal thickens as it cools. Adjust consistency by adding hot water to it.
To make this a one-pot dish, you can do the tadka first in the pot and then add the rest of the ingredients. I prefer adding tadka in the end for more flavour.
You can add vegetables along with the dal to make it more nutritious and filling. Zucchini, Pumpkin, Cabbage, Spinach, Chayote and a lot more vegetables can be added to this recipe.
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Instant Pot Mixed Lentils Tadka | Dal Tadka
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Toor Dal
- 3 tbsp Chana Dal
- 3 tbsp Split Yellow Moong Dal
- 3 tbsp Masoor Dal
- 2 cups Water
- 1 medium Onion finely chopped
- 1 medium Tomato finely chopped
- 2 small Green Chilli slit
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- Salt as needed
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder adjust according to your spice level
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Ghee
For Tempering
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 Red Chilli
- Asafoetida a pinch
- 3 cloves Garlic finely chopped
For Garnishing
- 3 tbsp Coriander Leaves finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice optional
Instructions
- First, wash and rinse the dal. Soak the dal in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Remove the water and keep the dal aside.
- Press SAUTE mode in Instant Pot. Add ghee. Once hot, add sliced onion. Saute till it turns light brown. Now, add ginger garlic paste and slit green chilli.
- Cook till the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes away.
- Next, add finely chopped tomato. Cook till tomato turns slightly mushy. Now, add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder & coriander powder. Saute for a minute.
- Next, add the dal and give a mix. Add water and check for salt. Adjust if needed. Close the lid on the pot, and turn the pressure valve to SEALING position. Cancel Saute mode. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 10 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid, adjust consistency if needed. Garnish with coriander leaves.
- Now in a pan, add ghee. Once hot, add mustard seeds, red chilli, cumin seeds, asafoetida and finely chopped garlic. Saute till the garlic turns light brown. Do not burn the tadka.
- Once done, pour it into the prepared Dal. Add some lemon juice on top if desired. Serve hot.