Instant Pot Dal Makhani Recipe

This Instant Pot Dal Makhani recipe is a delicious vegan black lentil dal featuring black beluga lentils, red kidney beans, flavorful Indian spices, and quick cashew cream for a rich and satisfying main dish. No Instant Pot? No worries: stovetop instructions are included. 

I often refer to this rich, creamy black lentil dal (dahl) as 'company dal.' It always gets rave reviews, doesn't take hours of prep or cooking, and can be made a day or two ahead of time.

Along with mung bean curry, black bean curry, and red lentil sweet potato dal, it is one of my favorite Indian curry recipes! 

Ingredients and Substitutions

Black Lentils. Whole black lentils, also known as black gram or whole urad dal, are tiny, like whole red lentils. Now, I know I recommend French (Puy) lentils as a substitute for making black lentil salad, but when it comes to dal makhani, mung beans or whole red lentils are a better option. 

Kidney Beans. ½ cup of rinsed, dried red kidney beans will cook to 1 ½ cups. For soaked kidney beans, reduce the cooking time to 35 minutes. If you substitute with a can of kidney beans, pressure cook the dal for 20 minutes. 

Cashews. Homemade cashew cream, blended raw cashews and water, adds a final creamy touch. As an alternative, add 1 cup of coconut milk or my favorite coconut milk substitution: plant milk with coconut extract.  

Fenugreek seeds. Fenugreek is a favorite curry spice, which can be found as soft 'seeds' or ground (use 1 teaspoon). Substitute fenugreek with 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard seeds. 

Coriander and Cumin Seeds. Substitute with 1 teaspoon of ground coriander or ground cumin. 

Chili Powder. Use Indian-style red chili powder or ½ - 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or ground chilies. As much as I love Mexican chili powder, it adds flavors that don't complement this recipe. 

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.

Recipe Variations

Spinach isn't included in the traditional recipe, but you can add it at the end of cooking. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Toast the whole spices in the Instant Pot or small skillet for 1-2 minutes. Grind using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. 

Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add the onions, jalapenos, and crushed spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft. Add the garlic, ginger, and ground spices. Stir for 30 seconds.

Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the tomatoes and water or vegetable broth. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, clear the bottom of the Instant Pot. 

Stir in the black lentils and kidney beans. Cook on High Pressure for 40 minutes with 15 minutes of natural pressure release (NPR). 

Soak the cashews in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and blend with ½ a cup of water. 

After the dal is done, stir in the cashew mixture. 

Pro Tips

• The sauteeing process goes quickly: Before cooking, prep and measure all the ingredients, except for the cashew cream you can make while the dal is cooking. 
• If the kidney beans need more cooking time, set the Instant Pot to saute and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add more water or veggie broth if necessary. 

Stovetop Instructions

• A Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot works best for this recipe. 
• Follow the same sequence for pressure cooking. 
• Canned kidney beans work best for stovetop because cooking takes about 35 minutes. If you use dried, unsoaked beans, it will take about 60 minutes or longer. 
• ​Stir a few times during cooking and add more water if needed. 

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve dal makhani with sweet potato flatbread, naan, or potato tortillas. You can also serve it as a black lentil curry over rice. Garnish with lemon wedges and a little chopped cilantro.

If you're looking for side salads, I recommend crispy Fattoush salad, a simple Indonesian cucumber salad, tomato bell pepper salad, or cucumber bell pepper salad.