HOW TO COOK KALI MASOOR DAL IN INSTANT POT?
Wholesome, nutritious and creamy whole brown Masoor dal cooked in the Instant Pot. This makes for a satisfying meal when served with steamed rice or Rotis.
Why we love Instant Pot Whole Masoor Dal?
✓ Whole Masoor Dal is just what we love on a day when comfort food is on the mind.
✓ This is a naturally vegan and gluten-free Dhal curry.
What is Masoor Dal?
Known as brown lentils, whole Masoor Dal is not only protein-rich but has a creamy buttery texture. We also refer to this as Black Masoor Dal, Kali Masoor Dal or Sabut Masoor Dal in Hindi. In Tamil, we call this Mysore Paruppu. This makes it the perfect partner for flatbreads like Mint Paratha.
Jump to:
- What is Masoor Dal?
- Pot in Pot Cooking in Instant Pot
- Ingredients
- Meal Planning, Freezing and Prep
- Freezing Whole Masoor Dal
- Serving Suggestions
- Paratha Recipes
- Mealthy Whole Masoor Dal
- Pressure cooker whole Masoor Dal
- Whole black Masoor Dal water ratio
- How to cook Masoor Dal in Instant Pot? – Method
- Instant Pot Masoor Dal- Recipe Card
- Instant Pot Whole Masoor Dal
- More Dal Recipes
Pot in Pot Cooking in Instant Pot
The best thing about owning a 6 qt IP is that you can use the pot in pot method to cook two or sometimes even three dishes in one go.
In this post, I have shown how to cook the brown lentils curry and some basmati rice in the IP together using the pot in pot method.
So what exactly is Pot in Pot Cooking?
This is a cooking method in which we will be using another pot inside the inner pot of the IP to cook another dish. To do this, we will place a tall trivet inside the IP. And then, we will use another IP-compatible pot to cook our second dish. I highly recommend using food-grade stainless steel pots for all your pot in pot cooking. In India, we get something called cooker separators. These are used in traditional pressure cookers. You can use the same to cook in your Instant Pot too.
Pot in Pot method to cook Masoor Dal and Basmati Rice
As i mentioned, we will be cooking the Masoor dal curry and some Basmati rice in one go. Here are some key things to note before we begin pot in pot cooking.
Masoor dal and basmati rice vary in cooking time. So we need to balance that out. To do this, we need to soak the whole Masoor dal for an hour. Soaking the lentils reduces cooking time drastically.
At the same time, Basmati rice tends to cook to a mush very quickly. So in this recipe, we are not going to be soaking the rice like we did for our Instant Pot Spinach Pulao. Instead, we will simply wash the rice, add water and salt and cook it like any short-grained rice. If you soak Basmati, then it will be cooked to a mush. Following this method means you will have beautifully cooked separate fluffy grains of rice.
Ingredients
For the pressure cooker whole Masoor Dal
Whole Masoor Dal- Known as brown lentils, these are creamy and buttery just like our Moong Beans. These lentils are our primary ingredient in this recipe.
Onions, Tomatoes, Ginger and Garlic- All these four form the base of any Indian curry. While tomatoes are not added in a traditional Masoor dal recipe, we love the tanginess. So I went ahead anyway. Lentils, on the whole, are gassy foods. They cause flatulence and bloating in some people. To keep these at bay, we are using ginger and garlic.
Aromatics- Our Instant pot whole Masoor Dal curry uses the most basic Indian spices – Ground coriander, ground paprika, ground turmeric, and Garam Masala. In case you do not have Garam Masala, substitute it with curry powder. Try the Madras Curry powder!
For the rice
Basmati rice- We love eating this fragrant rice variety with any Dal. Other varieties of rice that pairs well with this Masoor dal- Regular raw rice, Rosematta rice and Gobindobhog rice. Surti Kolam works well too.
Water and Salt- Both are essential. I like adding salt to my Basmati rice. It is just a personal preference. You can skip the salt too, if you like.
Meal Planning, Freezing and Prep
Meal Planning
If you plan on making this over the week, I suggest that you soak the Masoor dal for an hour, drain the water and store the soaked dal in a fridge-safe glass container. This keeps well for upto 2 days. In case you want to store it longer, then I recommend freezing the soaked lentils.
Freezing Whole Masoor Dal
Alternatively, you can cook this dal entirely and freeze the cooked dal too. You can easily double this recipe. To freeze the Instant pot whole masoor dal, cook the recipe according to the instructions. Let it cool down. Once cool, divide into portions and transfer to freezer-friendly containers or silicon bags. Freeze.
Frozen whole masoor dal keeps well in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Before you are ready to enjoy this frozen Masoor dal, let it thaw for at least 2 hours at room temperature or for 4 hours in the fridge. You can also use the microwave to defrost the Masoor dal. When thawed, add the portion of dal to a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Serve hot with rice or Rotis.
Prep Work
Assuming you are making this curry right away, begin your prep by soaking the lentils first. Towards the end of the soaking time, chop the onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Then you will be all set.
Serving Suggestions
There are two ways to go about enjoying some whole Masoor dal. One is to serve it with any carbs of your choice. Think steamed rice or regular Rotis or even some Parathas.
And then, you can serve this without any carbs for an ideal low-carb meal. Add finely chopped cucumbers, grated beets and carrots as toppings. Finish with a big scoop of greek yogurt or vegan cashew yogurt. And there, your fancy Masoor dal is ready!
Paratha Recipes
Mealthy Whole Masoor Dal
You can make this recipe in a regular pressure cooker too or in your Mealthy Mulitpot.
To make this in the Mealthy, use the same timings and settings like Instant Pot.
Pressure cooker whole Masoor Dal
If you do not have an electric pressure cooker, you can still make it in a regular stovetop PC too. Heat a heavy bottomed pressure pan with the oil. Crackle the cumin seeds, add the ginger and garlic along with the green chili. Saute till garlic begins to brown. Now add the onions and salt. Saute and cook till onions become soft. When they are soft, add the spice powders, mix well and cook on low flame for 20 secs. Next, add the finely chopped tomatoes and stir well. Cook till tomatoes turn mushy. Tip in the soaked lentils along with water. Mix well. Pressure cook for 6 whistles on medium flame. Allow pressure to release naturally. When the pressure releases, open and mash the lentils lightly. Simmer for 2 mins on medium flame. Garnish with coriander leaves, ginger juliennes and finely chopped green chili.
Whole black Masoor Dal water ratio
In this recipe, I have used 1:3 ratio for cooking the brown lentils. This was just perfect for our liking. We love our Dal to be creamy and thick. So this proportion worked very well for us. You can also add 3.5 c water if you like a thinner Dal.
I will not recommend using less water than mentioned here for two reasons. The first is that the dal will not cook. The second is that you will likely get a burn signal on your IP.
How to cook Masoor Dal in Instant Pot? – Method
Soaking the Masoor Dal
Wash the whole masoor dal thoroughly under running water. Drain all the water used for washing. Add 2 c water to this and let it soak for 1 hour.
Making Instant Pot Whole Masoor Dal
Place the inner pot in the IP. Turn on saute mode on normal in the IP for 9 mins. Now add the oil. When the display reads hot, add cumin seeds and green chili. Once the cumin seeds crackle, add the ginger and garlic. Mix well and saute for 1 min. Now, add the finely chopped onions and salt. Mix well and saute till onions become soft. Add all the spice powders and mix well. At this stage, add the finely chopped tomatoes and mix well.
Continue to cook till tomatoes turn mushy. This takes 3 mins. Drain the water from the soaked lentils. Add the soaked lentils to the pot along with 3 c water. Mix well.
Turn off the saute mode.
Pot In Pot Cooking along with Basmati rice
Place a trivet inside the pot. To another stainless steel pot, add and wash the basmati rice under running water 2 times. Drain all the water used for washing. Add salt and 2 c of water to the washed rice. Place the rice pot on the trivet and close the rice pot. Close the lid of the IP and turn the valve to sealing. Turn on Pressure cook mode on high for 10 mins. Allow the cooking cycle to complete. Wait for the pressure to release naturally.
Once done, switch off the IP.
Simmering
Open the lid, remove the cooked rice and the trivet. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork.
Using a ladle, mash the lentils gently. Turn on saute mode on high for 2 mins and allow the curry to simmer. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves, ginger juliennes and finely chopped green chili. Mix well and serve hot with the cooked rice.
Follow me on Instagram or Facebook for regular cooking updates and short videos. Find us on Pinterest for delicious content. Tried our Instant Pot Whole Masoor Dal? We value your thoughts and comments! Leave a comment and tell us how it worked for you. Email us your questions to anusapraj@gmail.com if you need any guidance in making this curry.
Instant Pot Masoor Dal- Recipe Card
Instant Pot Whole Masoor Dal
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
Ingredients
For soaking the lentils
- 1 c Whole Masoor Dal Brown lentils
- 2 c Water
For the Instant Pot Whole Masoor Dal
- 1.5 tbsp Rice bran oil
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 slit Green chili
- 1 tbsp Finely chopped garlic
- 1.5 tsp Grated ginger
- 1 c Finely chopped onions
- 2 tsp Salt or to taste
- 1.5 tsp Ground coriander
- 1.5 tsp Ground paprika
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 c Finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 recipe Soaked masoor dal
- 3 c Water
For garnishing
- 1 tsp Ginger juliennes
- 1 tsp finely chopped green chili
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
To serve
- 1 c Basmati rice
- 2 c Water
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
Soaking the Masoor Dal
- Wash the whole masoor dal thoroughly under running water.
- Drain all the water used for washing.
- Add 2 c water to this and let it soak for 1 hour.
Making Instant Pot Whole Masoor Dal
- Place the inner pot in the IP.
- Turn on saute mode on normal in the IP for 9 mins.
- Now add the oil.
- When the display reads hot, add cumin seeds and green chili.
- Once the cumin seeds crackle, add the ginger and garlic.
- Mix well and saute for 1 min.
- Now, add the finely chopped onions and salt.
- Mix well and saute till onions become soft.
- Add all the spice powders and mix well.
- At this stage, add the finely chopped tomatoes and mix well.
- Continue to cook till tomatoes turn mushy. This takes 3 mins.
- Drain the water from the soaked lentils.
- Add the soaked lentils to the pot along with 3 c water.
- Mix well.
- Turn off the saute mode.
Pot In Pot Cooking along with Basmati rice
- Place a trivet inside the pot.
- To another stainless steel pot, add and wash the basmati rice under running water for 2 times.
- Drain all the water used for washing.
- Add salt and 2 c water to the washed rice.
- Place the rice pot on the trivet and close the rice pot.
- Close the lid of the IP and turn valve to sealing.
- Turn on Pressure cook mode on high for 10 mins.
- Allow the cooking cycle to complete.
- Wait for the pressure to release naturally.
- Once done, switch off the IP.
- Open the lid, remove the cooked rice and the trivet.
- Fluff the cooked rice with a fork.
- Using a ladle, mash the lentils gently.
- Turn on saute mode on high for 2 mins and allow the curry to simmer.
- Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves, ginger juliennes and finely chopped green chili.
- Mix well and serve hot with the cooked rice.
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
One of my favorite dal recipes, thank you!