Easy Vegan Red Lentil Dal Recipe without coconut milk - Masoor Dahl is sheer comfort food, Quick weekday meal that just needs a bowl of rice or quinoa. Filling, satisfying and absolutely delicious.
Red Lentil Dal or Split Red Lentils popularly known as Masoor Dal is an easy to cook Dal or lentil recipe with basic pantry staples. Made in an Instant Pot, this comes together in under 30 minutes. Serve this with Brown Rice, Jeera Rice or Quinoa for a filling and satisfying meal.
Ask any Indian about their choice of comfort food and pat comes the reply "Dal". It is our choice of "pick-me-up" food when we are unwell, tired to cook or simply want something warm and comforting.
Dal is delicious on its own and can be eaten with Rice or Roti, Naan bread etc. Dal is enriched with turmeric, garlic and ginger which makes it truly delicious, healthy and hearty.
Jump to:
Why you should try this recipe?
- Healthy, Filling and made quickly in Instant Pot
- Can serve a large crowd
- Serves as soup, thick curry with Indian breads or with rice or quinoa
- Gluten-Free, Vegan and Plant based Protein
Are Red Lentils and Masoor Dal the same?
Red Lentils are hulled brown Lentils or Brown Masoor Dal. Even though they are known as red lentils, they appear orange in colour.
The dal does not retain the orange colour after they are cooked. They are easy to digest and light on your stomach.
Ingredients
Red Lentils (Masoor Dal, Split Red Lentils) - I have used 1 cup of red lentils. Even though red lentils do not require soaking (cooks faster as compared to Toor or Chana), I prefer soaking all lentils, pulses and legumes. A habit I cannot give up.
Onion-Tomato-Ginger and Garlic - I have finely chopped all the ingredients. This adds flavor and taste to the dal.
Tomato Pulp or Puree can be used in place of chopped tomatoes (1/3 cup of puree).
For busy weekdays and to avoid chopping, you can add ginger garlic paste (1 tbsp).
Green Chillies - I cannot imagine dal without green chillies. It adds a bit of spice. Can be easily skipped if you don't prefer heat.
Please refer to the recipe card below for complete details.
Vegan Red Lentil Dal
Dal is traditionally tempered with Ghee or Clarified Butter. I have used olive oil.
I cook Dal using Coconut oil at times and it tastes amazing. Thanks to my South Indian roots, I don't find the aroma of coconut oil overpowering.
Consistency of the Dal
There is no right or wrong when it comes to consistency of dal. It is an individual choice. Personally, we have grown up eating dal which is thin in consistency and can be easily poured over a bowl / plate of rice.
Dal can be of a thicker consistency, more like a curry that makes a great choice for dipping or scooping Indian Breads like Naan or Roti. In restaurants, I typically find the dal consistency to be thicker than the home made version.
How to Cook Red Lentil Dal in Instant Pot - Step-wise Recipe
We begin by washing and soaking the red lentils. It is NOT MANDATORY to soak red lentils as they cook quickly. I have, however, soaked for 15 minutes. (Step 1)
Switch on the Instant Pot, press Saute Mode. When it displays Hot or On, add oil, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow the mustard to crackle or splutter and the cumin to brown or roast. Add a pinch of asafoetida or hing. (Step 2)
Now add the chopped ingredients - Onion, Tomatoes, Ginger, Garlic and Green Chillies (Step 3). Saute this for a couple of minutes. Splash some water if you feel they stick at the bottom.
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3
Add turmeric powder along with the soaked and drained red lentils. (Step 4 & 5)
Now add water for cooking along with salt to taste. (Step 6). Cancel Saute Mode.
For 1 cup of Red Lentils, we have used 3 cups of water.
STEP 4 STEP 5 STEP 6
Close the Instant Pot Lid, Set the pressure valve to sealing and pressure cook the red lentils on High Pressure for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, allow NPR 10 minutes and then release the pressure manually. (Step 7)
Dal is ready to serve (Step 8).
Serving suggestions - Squeeze lemon juice and add chopped coriander leaves, just before serving.
STEP 7 STEP 8
Pressure Cooker Instructions
If you don't have an Instant Pot and are wondering how to make this in a Pressure cooker, we have got you covered!
You can use a 2 litre pressure cooker for this recipe.
Follow Steps 1 to 6 from the Instant Pot process above and pressure cook on high for 2 to 3 whistles.
OR
Cook Dal with turmeric and salt. Add the tempering separately and serve. Either ways, it works!
Recipe Notes
- Soaking the dal is not mandatory. Ensure you wash the dal couple of times to get rid of dust and impurities.
- This dal recipe can be easily doubled. It can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for use later.
- You can easily make a No Onion No Garlic version of this recipe.
FAQ's
All lentils are a good source of protein, red lentils included. They are healthy and filling.
Dal is not spicy unless you add a lot of spice powders or masala. If you do not prefer heat, always slit the chillies and remove the seeds or you could skip it entirely. If you have accidently added more chillies to dal recipes, add some sugar to balance.
Yes they are one and the same.
Add vegetables (carrots, leafy greens like Kale or Spinach or even Collard Greens). If adding tender or baby spinach or kale, add them after the pressure cooking is done. They need a couple of minutes on saute mode to cook.
Dal can be made in bulk and stored in the refrigerator. It stays fresh for 3 to 4 days. Can be reheated in a microwave and is also freezer friendly. Tip - Always store small portions of dal in containers or freezer friendly bags which can be removed and thawed completely.
Favorite Dal Recipes to Try
Vegan Dal Makhani - Made in an Instant Pot, this is an absolutely rich dal from North Indian Cuisine. Always cook an extra batch, it tastes phenomenal the next day.
Dal Palak or Spinach Dal - A dal recipe with chopped spinach. Pair this with Cumin Rice, some papad and pickle for the ultimate comfort food experience.
Ambat Goad Dal with Methi or Fenugreek Leaves - This is an absolutely brilliant sweet and sour dal recipe from Western part of India - Maharashtra. Fresh Methi or Fenugreek leaves makes it wholesome.
Please take a moment to LEAVE A COMMENT and a STAR * rating on the blog. It would encourage others to try the recipe or you could TAG US on any of our social media handles –INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, FACEBOOK PAGE AND PINTEREST.
Instant Pot Red Lentil Dal (Masoor Dahl)
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
For Dal
- 1 cup Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) Split Red Lentils used here
- 3 cups Water for pressure cooking
- 1 Tomato medium size, finely chopped
- 1 Onion medium size, finely chopped or use 1/2 cup
- 1 tbsp Ginger finely chopped
- 6 Garlic Cloves finely chopped or use 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 1 Green Chilli chopped roughly, slit and remove seeds to adjust heat
- Salt to taste
For Tempering
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/8 tsp Hing or Asafoetida
Other Ingredients
- Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves as required
- Juice of ½ a lime to be added before serving
Instructions
- Wash and soak the red lentils for 15 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.
- Switch on the Instant Pot, press Saute Mode. When it displays Hot or On, add oil, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow the mustard to crackle or splutter and the cumin to roast. Add a pinch of asafoetida or hing.
- Now add the chopped ingredients - Onion, tomatoes, Ginger, Garlic and Green Chillies. Saute this for a couple of minutes. Splash some water to deglaze, if required.
- Add turmeric powder and then the soaked and drained red lentils.
- Now add water for cooking along with salt to taste. Cancel Saute Mode.
- Close the Instant Pot Lid, Set the pressure valve to sealing and pressure cook the red lentils on high Pressure for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, allow NPR 10 minutes and then release the pressure manually.
- Dal is ready to serve. You can squeeze lemon juice and add chopped coriander leaves immediately or just before serving.
Notes
- Soaking the dal is not mandatory. However, wash the dal couple of times and rinse well to get rid of dust and impurities.
- This dal recipe can be doubled and can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days and even frozen for later use.
- You can easily make a No Onion No Garlic version of this recipe.
You could alternatively just cook the dal with turmeric and salt in the pressure cooking and add the tempering later. Storage and Leftovers Dal can be made in bulk and stored in the refrigerator. It stays fresh for 3 to 4 days. Can be reheated in a microwave and is also freezer friendly. Tip - Always store small portions of dal in containers or freezer friendly bags which can be removed and thawed completely. Variations - Add vegetables (carrots, leafy greens like Kale or Spinach or even Collard Greens). If adding tender or baby spinach or kale, add them after the pressure cooking is done. They need a couple of minutes on saute mode to cook.
Please subscribe to our website to receive all the delicious recipes in your mail box.
We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
Can't wait to try this. What is the cooking time for yellow split peas in the Instant Pot please (soaked overnight)? We like our dhal very smooth and mushy. In my stove top pressure cooker, my split peas cook unevenly, some soft, some still hard, no matter how long I leave it to pressure cook. Thanks again for the great recipes!
Hi, please check out Instant Pot Chana Dal recipe for yellow split peas wherein I have covered the tips for mushy dal texture.
Excellent flavor profile and cooked super fast using my Instant Pot. I love eating Dal in restaurants, but only tried making it a handful of times with mixed success. I will definitely be using this as my "staple" recipe since Dal is so healthy and delicious.
Hi Jeff, I am really glad to hear the recipe worked for you. Please do try our other dal recipes on the blog, especially the ones made in IP. Cheers!