Instant Pot Dal Makhani Recipe
Instant Pot Dal Makhani Recipe is a delicious vegan black lentil dal with black beluga lentils, red kidney beans, flavorful Indian spices, and cashew cream. Stovetop instructions included.
Servings: 6
Calories: 258kcal
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds or 1 teaspoon ground, see note 1
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds or 1 teaspoon ground
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds or 1 teaspoon ground
- 1 cup black lentils rinsed
- ½ cup dried red kidney beans rinsed, see note 2 & 3
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1-2 medium jalapenos diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced or grated
- 2 teaspoons chili powder see note 4
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 can tomatoes crushed or diced, 15-ounces/400-grams
- ½ cup raw cashews see note 5
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- To toast the cumin, coriander, and fenugreek seeds, heat the Instant Pot to saute or use a small skillet on the stovetop. Add the spices and stir constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from the heat, then transfer the seeds to a spice grinder or mortar. Grind the seeds until they are broken down. Note: if you substitute any whole spices with ground, add them with the other ground spices in step 3.
- Turn the Instant Pot to the High Sauté function and add the ground spices, onions, and jalapenos. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions soften.
- Add the garlic, ginger, chili powder, turmeric, and salt. Cook for 30 seconds and stir to coat the vegetables.
- Turn the Instant Pot off. Add the water or vegetable broth and tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon or another non-abrasive utensil to clear any stuck-on ingredients from the bottom of the pot.
- Mix in the lentils and kidney beans. Secure the Instant Pot lid. Set the pressure handle to Sealing, then set the timer for High Pressure for 40 minutes, turning off the warming function.
- Once the Instant Pot timer goes off, let the steam naturally release for 15 minutes before unsealing the steam handle and removing the lid.
- While the dal cooks, soak the cashews. Add them to a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Soak for 15 minutes.
- Drain the cashews and add them to a small blender or spice grinder with ½ cup of water. Blend until smooth. If the cashews are gritty after blending, add more water and continue blending.
- Stir in the cashew cream. If the dal is too thick, add more water. If it's too thin or the beans aren't done, allow it to sauté for another 5-10 minutes or more with the lid off.
Video
Notes
- The best substitute for fenugreek seeds is yellow mustard seeds.
- If your kidney beans are older or you suffer from stomach upset from cooked beans, you may want to soak them overnight before cooking them. You can also soak them in the Instant Pot by covering them with water and cooking them at high pressure for 5 minutes, then letting the steam naturally release until the silver float valve is completely depressed (15-20 minutes). If you use soaked beans, reduce the pressure-cooking time to 35 minutes.
- For canned beans, use 1 can, rinsed and drained (15 ounces/400 grams). Reduce the cooking time to 20 minutes in the Instant Pot.
- Use Indian-style chili powder, ground red chili, or cayenne pepper. Mexican chili powder has a different flavor profile that may not complement this recipe.
- Substitute 1 cup of coconut milk or 1 cup of plant milk with coconut extract for the cashew cream.
- Store leftover dal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze for 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 506mg | Potassium: 578mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 382IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 6mg