How to Cook Dal in Instant Pot ( Boiling Dal + Water to Dal Ratio + Cook Time)

If you are looking to cook dal in Instant Pot, especially plain yellow dal, whether as a part of weekly meal prep, or to use for a dal recipe, then this is the post for you – a step by step guide on how to boil dal in Instant Pot (using the pot in pot method), shared along with the water to dal ratio for instant pot dal, cook time, and other things to consider.

Up until a few years back, toor dal used to be my default yellow dal, and that’s what I used as a base for most of my yellow dal recipes. But these days, I use a mix of toor dal and moong dal as my default base, because incorporating some yellow moong dal makes it lighter on the stomach.

And I personally use toor dal and moong dal in a 50:50 ratio.

But of-course you can choose to go with only toor dal or only moong dal or incorporate both in a ratio of your choice.

That being said, here’s my step by step method of boiling dal in Instant Pot pressure cooker (using the pot in pot method)..

Jump to:

• How to Boil Dal in Instant Pot
• Notes
• Easy Dal Recipes to try..
• 📖 RECIPE

How to Boil Dal in Instant Pot

• Properly wash and rinse the dal, and strain away any excess water. And here I usually take the dal directly in the utensil I will pressure cook. And I use the same steel utensil in the Instant Pot that I use in my regular Indian pressure cooker.
  
• Add fresh water to dal in 3:1 ratio, i.e. 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of dal. You can also go with 2.5:1 or even 2:1 water to dal ratio, especially if you are okay with a chunkier dal. But I’ve found that, a 3:1 water to dal ratio works well, especially in the Instant Pot, whether you want a chunkier dal (which is okay for things like dal tadka), or even a smooth dal (for making things like sambar).

• In the main pot of the Instant Pot, add 2 cups of water. Some just add a cup of water, but I prefer to add 2 cups, because when there is more water, the Instant Pot will take a little more time to come to pressure etc, which in turn will ensure that the dal is properly boiled, till it’s smooth.
  
• Place a trivet in it. You can use the regular trivet that comes with the Instant Pot, as the regular trivet is shorter, and so the dal is as close to the base as possible, which helps in cooking it faster.
  
• On the trivet, place the utensil with the dal & water, and cover it with a lid. I prefer to cover with a lid, but it’s not mandatory. I just like to keep things contained, especially since I usually do this on weekends, when I first boil a few things like dal, potatoes, boiled eggs etc, as a part of meal prep, and then use the main pot for other things like making bhuna masala or palak paneer etc.
  
• Close the Instant Pot lid. And ensure it is sealed.
  

• Pressure cook for 10 minutes on high. If you need a smoother dal, then you can add 1-2 minutes to the pressure cooking time. Or soak the dal for 30 minutes before pressure cooking.
  
  If you are using a a mix of toor dal & moong dal, pressure cooking for 10-12 minutes will be enough to get a relatively smooth dal. But if you are using only toor dal, you will need to pressure cook for 14 minutes to get a smooth dal. Because moong dal cooks faster than toor dal.
  
• When the cooking cycle is done, let the pressure release naturally. This usually takes about 15 minutes.
  
• I usually quickly whisk the boiled dal, while it’s still hot, to get a smoother dal base for my recipes. But of-course that’s just personal preference.

Notes

1. You can always boil / cook dal in the main pot of the Instant Pot. But I usually prefer to do that only when I am making an entire dal recipe in the Instant Pot. Especially because I mostly boil smaller quantities of dal, and it can be easily done using the pot in pot method, and the main pot of the Instant Pot stays clean, to be used for other things.
   
   
2. I usually boil ½ cup of dal at a time, but this recipe works well for anywhere from ½ -1½ cup of dal. The only difference is that when the quantity of dal is increased, the pot takes a few additional minutes to come to pressure as well as de-pressurize.
   
   And as such, the pot in pot method usually works well for only up to 1½ cup of dal, at-least in my 6 quart Instant Pot. If you need to boil more dal than that, then it’s best to do it in the main pot of the Instant Pot.

Easy Dal Recipes to try..

⭐️ Delicious Dalitoy (an easy konkani style dal)
⭐️ Daali Varan (another quick konkani style dal)
⭐️ Goda Varan (simple, easy & basic ghee dal)
⭐️ Dal Tadka (stovetop + instant pot recipe)
⭐️ Easy Sambar Recipe (perfect for beginners)

As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️ 

📖 RECIPE

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