Description
Hearty, satisfying, and bold, this Instant Pot Easy Dal Makhani is brimming with aromatic Indian spices, protein-packed whole urad dal (whole black lentils), and creamy red kidney beans.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients:
- 1 medium red onion, fine dice
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste *
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes, pureed *
- 1 cup dry whole black lentils (whole urad dal) *
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda *
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin (+/-)
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala (+/-) *
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric (+/-)
- ½ teaspoon red chile powder (+/-) *
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ to 1 ¼ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Other Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups light coconut milk (from can) *
- 1 – [ 15.5 oz. can ] dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Other Optional Ingredients:
- Steamed rice
- Chopped cilantro
- Flatbread
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaf and sea salt) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- Place all the Base Ingredients (except the lentils and baking soda) into the Instant Pot. Stir well to incorporate the tomato paste into the mixture, then add the Herb/Spice Mix, black lentils, and baking soda. Stir well. Tuck in the bay leaf.
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure High for 35 minutes. When finished, press Cancel and allow to sit for 15 minutes, then do a Quick Release. Unplug the Instant Pot.
- Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid, add in the sea salt, canned kidney beans and lite coconut milk. Stir well to combine.
- Allow to rest for 15 minutes to let the flavors marry.
- Discard the bay leaf. Taste test for flavor and add any additional seasonings at this time. Serve with your favorite rice, chopped cilantro, and/or flatbread.
Stove Top Instructions
- Rinse and soak the black lentils in 3 to 4 cups of water overnight. Drain the next morning and place the black lentils in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a rolling boil, immediately reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are soft, approximately 60 to 70 minutes. Drain the water, set aside.
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaf and sea salt) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- Place all the red onions in a deep stock pot, sauté until tender, approx. 7 to 9 minutes. Add a splash of water if needed to prevent burning, then add the garlic, ginger, and tomato paste, sauté for 1 minute.
- Then add all the remaining Base Ingredients (reduce the water to ½ cup +/-), Spice/Herb Mix, and bay leaf, stir well to combine, heat to boiling, then immediately lower to a simmer. Add the sea salt, cooked black lentils and kidney beans. Simmer for 30 minutes, monitoring to see if more water is needed.
- Add in the lite coconut milk, stir well to combine.
- Allow to rest for 15 minutes to let the flavors to marry
- Discard the bay leaf. Taste test for flavor and add any additional seasonings at this time. Serve with your favorite rice, chopped cilantro, and/or flatbread.
Notes
*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Servings: 4 to 5