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    Home » Instant Pot

    Whole Masoor Dal Recipe

    Published on August 17, 2022 · Updated on August 17, 2022 - This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See disclosure policy.

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    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This one pot Whole Masoor Dal recipe (also known as brown lentils / sabut masoor dal) makes a delicious Masoor Dal Tadka that pairs really well with rotis as well as rice.

    I’ve shared how to make this Masoor Dal recipe in the Instant Pot, but you can just as easily make it in a regular pressure cooker. Or even in a kadhai on a stovetop. See recipe notes.

    close up shot of whole masoor dal tadka in a big bowl, with a bowl of jeera rice on the side.

    Like most Indian households, dal is an every day thing at our place.

    And while yellow dal is usually our go-to, we love to have a variety of lentils on rotation, which is great in terms of nutrition, but also helps to avoid boredom with the same kind of dal every day.

    And this Whole Masoor Dal recipe is on regular rotation at our place.

    Because well, we love a good dal tadka, be it a regular Yellow Dal Tadka or this Masoor Dal Tadka. Plus I make this Masoor Dal recipe in the Instant Pot, from start to finish, which makes it a one pot dish, and I love those!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients for this Whole Masoor Dal Recipe
    • How to Make this Whole Masoor Dal Recipe
    • Step by Step Instructions
    • Masoor Dal Tadka in Instant Pot
    • Masoor Dal Tadka on Stovetop
    • Serving Suggestion
    • You may also like..
    • 📖 RECIPE

    Ingredients for this Whole Masoor Dal Recipe

    top shot of all the ingredients required to make whole masoor dal tadka, shared along with ingredient labels.

    How to Make this Whole Masoor Dal Recipe

    Like I mentioned earlier, Instant Pot is my go-to to make this Whole Masoor Dal recipe. But you can just as easily follow the same steps using a regular Indian pressure cooker.

    Or make it in a regular kadhai on stovetop. I’ve shared my notes on the stovetop method right after the recipe.

    Step by Step Instructions

    • Take 1 cup of whole masoor dal.
    • Properly wash it & strain all the excess water, and set aside.

    Note: I’ve never found a need to soak Masoor Dal, especially when I’ll be cooking it in the Instant Pot, but if you want to, you can soak for 5-10 minutes.

    If you want to make more or less quantity than what I have shared, simply use the slider in the recipe card below to adjust the quantities based on your preference.

    step by step photos of washing uncooked masoor dal and straining off the excess water.

    Masoor Dal Tadka in Instant Pot

    • Start Instant Pot on saute mode – normal.
    • In the main pot of the Instant Pot, add 3-4 tablespoons of oil, and lightly heat it up.
    • When the oil is heated, add 1 bay leaf & a 1 inch long cinnamon stick, and lightly roast it for a few seconds.
    • To it, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, and lightly roast for a few more seconds.
    • Then add 2 tablespoons of chopped ginger & 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic, and lightly roast for a couple of minutes, till they start to change color.
    • After which add 1 chopped green chilli, and lightly roast for a few seconds.
    • Then add 2 cups of chopped onions, and about 1 teaspoon of salt, and saute till the onions soften & turn translucent. This might take about 7-8 minutes. There is no need to brown the onions for this recipe.
    step by step photos of roasting whole spices, ginger, garlic, and onions in the instant pot.
    • When done, add 1 tablespoon of garam masala, 1 tablespoon of coriander powder, ½ tablespoon of cumin powder & ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, mix it in, and lightly roast for a few seconds.
    • At this point, it’s best to also add a splash of water, to avoid the spice powders from burning.
    • Then add the tomato puree (made from 2 small tomatoes), mix it in, and lightly cook it for 1-2 minutes. You can also use chopped tomatoes here, I just prefer the puree because it does a good job of binding the curry together.
    • And when done, turn off the Instant Pot saute mode.
    step by step photos of making the onion tomato base for masoor dal tadka.
    • Then add in the masoor dal, along with 3 cups of fresh water, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
    • Mix everything together.
    step by step photos of adding whole masoor dal, water & salt to the onion tomato base.
    • Then close the Instant Pot lid, and ensure it’s on sealing.
    • Pressure cook for 20 minutes on high, and then let all the pressure release naturally from the pot.

    Note: I don’t pre-soak masoor dal, so 20 minutes is the perfect time for me. For ensuring that the dal is properly cooked, and it still holds form, but can be easily smushed between 2 fingers. If you pre-soak the dal, you might want to reduce the pressure cook time by a few minutes.

    step by step photos of pressure cooking whole masoor dal in the instant pot.
    • When done, open the Instant Pot lid, and check on the consistency of the dal as well as taste for salt, and adjust based on your preference.
    • For instance, if you prefer a thicker dal to serve with rotis, then you might not need to adjust the consistency, as the dal will be on the thicker side after pressure cooking, as masoor absorbs a lot of water.
    • But if you prefer a slightly more flowing dal, that can be paired with rotis or rice too, then you might need to add some water, and then taste for salt & adjust accordingly. If you are adding water, it’s best to add hot water, to maintain the temperature of the dal when hot.
    • I usually add ½ cup of hot water & also another ½ teaspoon of salt to get the consistency I prefer. You can go with whatever you prefer.
    • Finally add ½-¾ cup of fresh chopped coriander leaves, mix it in, and serve hot.
    step by step photos of making masoor dal tadka in the instant pot.

    Masoor Dal Tadka on Stovetop

    • For making this Masoor Dal Tadka in a regular kadhai on stovetop, I pressure cook masoor dal separately, and then follow the same steps in the kadhai, that I do in the Instant Pot.
    • Just instead of adding uncooked masoor dal in the Instant Pot, I add the pressure cooked masoor dal, and keep everything else about the same.

    Serving Suggestion

    This Masoor Dal Tadka is super versatile and pairs extremely well with rotis as well as rice.

    close up shot of whole masoor dal tadka in a big bowl, with a bowl of jeera rice on the side.

    You may also like..

    ⭐️ Easy Yellow Dal Tadka Recipe

    ⭐️ One Pot Palak Paneer

    ⭐️ One Pot Chicken Biryani

    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

    close up shot of whole masoor dal tadka in a big bowl.

    Whole Masoor Dal Recipe (Masoor Dal Tadka)

    This one pot Whole Masoor Dal recipe (also known as brown lentils / sabut masoor dal) makes a delicious Masoor Dal Tadka that pairs really well with rotis as well as rice. I’ve shared how to make this Masoor Dal recipe in the Instant Pot, but you can just as easily make it in a regular pressure cooker. Or even in a kadhai on a stovetop. See recipe notes.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Indian Curries, Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 702kcal
    Author: Shantala Shenoy Nayak

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Duo Nova

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup whole masoor dal
    • 3-4 tablespoon oil
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 inch cinnamon stick
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
    • 2 tablespoon chopped ginger
    • 2 tablespoon chopped garlic
    • 1 small green chilli chopped
    • 2 cup chopped onions
    • 2½ teaspoon salt divided
    • 1 tablespoon garam masala
    • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
    • ½ tablespoon cumin powder
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
    • 2 small tomatoes pureed
    • 3½ cups water or as needed
    • ½-¾ cup chopped coriander leaves
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Take 1 cup of whole masoor dal, properly wash it & strain all the excess water, and set aside.

    For making this Whole Masoor Dal recipe in the Instant Pot

    • Start Instant Pot on saute mode – normal.
    • In the main pot of the Instant Pot, add 3-4 tablespoons of oil, and lightly heat it up.
    • When the oil is heated, add 1 bay leaf & a 1 inch long cinnamon stick, and lightly roast it for a few seconds.
    • To it, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, and lightly roast for a few more seconds.
    • Then add 2 tablespoons of chopped ginger & 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic, and lightly roast for a couple of minutes, till they start to change color.
    • After which add 1 chopped green chilli, and lightly roast for a few seconds.
    • Then add 2 cups of chopped onions, and about 1 teaspoon of salt, and saute till the onions soften & turn translucent. This might take about 7-8 minutes. There is no need to brown the onions for this recipe.
    • When done, add 1 tablespoon of garam masala, 1 tablespoon of coriander powder, ½ tablespoon of cumin powder & ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, mix it in, and lightly roast for a few seconds. At this point, it's best to also add a splash of water, to avoid the spice powders from burning.
    • Then add the tomato puree (made from 2 small tomatoes), mix it in, and lightly cook it for 1-2 minutes. You can also use chopped tomatoes here, I just prefer the puree because it does a good job of binding the curry together.
    • And when done, turn off the Instant Pot saute mode, and add in the masoor dal, along with 3 cups of fresh water, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
    • Mix everything together, then close the Instant Pot lid, and ensure it's on sealing.
    • Pressure cook for 20 minutes on high, and then let all the pressure release naturally from the pot.
    • When done, open the Instant Pot lid, and check on the consistency of the dal as well as taste for salt, and adjust based on your preference.
    • For instance, if you prefer a thicker dal to serve with rotis, then you might not need to adjust the consistency, as the dal will be on the thicker side after pressure cooking, as masoor absorbs a lot of water.
    • But if you prefer a slightly more flowing dal, that can be paired with rotis or rice too, then you might need to add some water, and then taste for salt & adjust accordingly. If you are adding water, it's best to add hot water, to maintain the temperature of the dal when hot.
    • I usually add ½ cup of hot water & also another ½ teaspoon of salt to get the consistency I prefer. You can go with whatever you prefer.
    • Finally add ½-¾ cup of fresh chopped coriander leaves, mix it in, and serve hot.
    • This Whole Masoor Dal recipe pairs extremely well with rotis as well as rice.

    Notes

    1. I prefer making this whole masoor dal recipe in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker, as it becomes a one pot recipe, and I love those! But you can of-course make it on stovetop in a regular kadhai.
    2. When making it in a kadhai, I pressure cook masoor dal separately, and then follow the same steps in the kadhai, that I do in the Instant Pot. Just instead of adding uncooked masoor dal in the Instant Pot, I add the pressure cooked masoor dal, and keep everything else about the same.

    Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 702kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Sodium: 6053mg | Potassium: 1447mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 2138IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 244mg | Iron: 9mg

    Video Recipe

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    Hi there, I am Shantala, an Indian foodie in an American kitchen. Welcome to The Love of Spice - my food blog, virtual home & passion project, all rolled into one. On here I share Easy-to-Follow Family Recipes, along with tips on Indian Meal Planning & Lunch Box Ideas for Kids & Adults. I hope you enjoy the site, and find it useful. :) read more

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