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    Home » Indian recipes » Curries and Lentils

    Instant pot black lentils dal recipe | Vegan Dal Makhani

    7th July 2023 by Gaurav Leave a Comment

    27 shares
    ↓ Jump to Recipe

    Indian comfort food has delicious dal and beans recipes.One such delicious Indian daal recipe is dal makhani. It is one of the best dishes northern India offers. You will find it served in the most Indian restaurants. It is full of protein and tastes just divine. Makhani dal has a butter laced gravy from Punjabi food menu made with sabut urad dal, that makes your heart sing. However, it is a creamy consistency and has dairy in it. As my 2022 resolution was going more plant based and vegan. I have decided to incorporate more vegan dishes in my diet this year onwards. Hence, here is the vegan dal makhani or maa ki dal recipe.

    Hope you will like this vegan punjabi kali dal recipe as much as my family did. It is much lighter as it is made with black gram dal minus the fresh cream and desi ghee. Other vegan dishes that I like include in my daily diet are pumpkin lentil curry, chickpea korma curry & potato curry recipe.

    maa ki daal (kali dhal)
    kaali daal
    Jump to:
    • Benefits of black lentil dal
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variation
    • Substitution
    • Storage
    • Related links
    • black lentil dahl | Vegan dal makhani recipe
    • FAQs

    Travel trivia

    I had the fortune to have it at Golden Temple Amritsar in langar. It satisfied hunger both of my body and soul. Another great place to have it is Kesar da dhaba at Amritsar where it is cooked all night using slow cooking process. It is one of the best food memories for me. This Indian dish is as comforting as the love of maa ke hath ka khana. Even the locals do not make it at home, they just get a takeaway from the best and one of the oldest restaurant.

    Although Punjabi cuisine is more famous for its butter chicken and tikka masala abroad. Vegetarian recipes are a league of their own. Amritsar is one place which perfects everything from kulchas, parathas, rajma, chole masala to paneer bhurji to rabri.

    Benefits of black lentil dal

    • Kaali dal is a rich source of calcium.
    • Full of protein.
    • Good source of iron.
    • Improves skin health.
    • Aids digestion.
    • Has good amount of Vitamin B, folic acid, magnesium and potassium.

    Ingredients

    • Black urad dal / black gram dal
    • Rajma / red kidney beans
    vegan dal makhani ingredients 1
    kali urad dal + rajma
    • Onions (not in picture below)
    • tomatoes
    • fresh ginger chopped / ginger paste
    • coconut milk
    • curry powder
    • garam masala
    • red paprika / red chili powder
    • salt as per taste
    • kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves
    • sugar optional
    • lemon juice optional
    • refer to recipe card for details.
    vegan dal makhani ingredients 2

    Instructions

    • Rinse and wash lentils and beans with cold water for 1-2 times in a bowl.
    • Soak them in enough water for 4 hours(or overnight). Once soaked, they double in size. Discard water before usage.
    vegan dal makhani step 1
    • In a pot, add oil, once heated add onions,ginger and chillies with little salt.Once cooked for 8-10 minutes,
    vegan dal makhani step 2
    • add tomato puree/chopped tomatoes. Add the spices once tomatoes are cooked.
    vegan dal makhani step 3
    • Add the lentils and beans along with 6 cups water and salt.
    dal makhani vegan step 4
    • Allow it to boil. Once it has come to boil cover it with a lid. Let it boil on a low flame for 60 mins. If it is not soft, then cook for more time.
    vegan dal makhani step 5
    • Add coconut milk, sugar(optional) and cook for 10 minutes. Mix well.
    vegan dal makhani step 4
    • Add kasuri methi (optional) and cook for 10 mins. Drizzle some lemon juice at the end of the cook.Turn off the heat, the lentils will thicken as they cool.Adjust salt as per your taste.
    vegan dal makhani step 5

    Serve hot with steamed basmati rice or vegan naan.

    Instant pot black lentils

    • In an instant pot, heat oil and add cumin seeds on sauté mode. Let it splutter. Add chopped chili, ginger and onions. Let it cook until onions are brown and add chopped tomatoes to it.
    • Add curry powder or turmeric powder, salt and red chili powder.
    black lentils instant pot step 1
    • Add a cup of black lentils followed by 4 cups of water. If you want to add coconut milk, add them now.Also add kasuri methi and any other spices.
    black lentils instant pot step 2
    • Pressure cook on high for 15 mins. Release pressure after 10 mins.
    black lentils instant pot step 3
    • You may garnish optionally with chopped coriander. Serve hot with rice or roti.
    black lentils instant pot step 4

    Variation

     If you like lentils extra hot, you may heat oil in a pan and temper red chilli or add chopped green chillies to the tempering. Add this to your bowl of vegan dal makhani to make it spicy. Garnish with cilantro leaves. You can make this recipe in an instant pot, slow cooker and even a pressure cooker.

    Substitution

    • Replace the tomatoes with 4 tablespoons of thick tomato paste or ¼ cup tomato puree to enhance the taste and color. You can also use ghee for tempering if vegetarian.
    • You can substitute black lentils with combination of lentils too such as brown/green lentils. The only thing that differs is the cooking time. Start with 4 cups of water in a bowl with 1 cup lentil and adjust water as you go along.
    • You can use turmeric powder if you do not have curry powder at home.
    • For a spicier version, add chopped green chilies.

    Storage

    • Store mah di dal in refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can also freeze it for later use.

    Related links

    • masoor dal
    • moong dal chilka
    • Chana dal
    • Dal tadka
    • green moong dal
    • thotakura pappu (amaranth dal)
    vegan dal makhani
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    black lentil dahl | Vegan dal makhani recipe

    Silky smooth vegan Dal makhani is as simple and delicious a lentil can get. Eat it with some tandoori roti or jeera rice to your heart's content.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    soaking time4 hours hrs
    Total Time5 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Keyword: vegan dal makhani, vegan dal makhni, vegan langar wali dal, vegan maa di dal
    Servings: 4
    Author: Gaurav

    Equipment

    • pot with lid
    • Blender or can opener if using ready made tomato paste
    • Mixing bowl

    Ingredients

    For boiling dal

    • 1 cup black gram lentils kali Whole urad dal- ( soaked for min 4 hours)
    • ¼ cup red kidney beans Rajma( soaked for min 4 hours)
    • 2-3 tablespoon oil
    • 2 teaspoon salt or as per taste
    • 6 cups Water
    • 2 medium onions
    • 1 tablespoon Ginger
    • 3-4 medium tomatoes pureed
    • ½ cup coconut milk optional

    Spices

    • 1 teaspoon curry powder
    • 1 tsp. garam masala or as per taste
    • 1 tsp. paprika / Red chilli powder adjust as per taste
    • 1 teaspoon sugar optional
    • 2 tablespoon Kasoori methi or Dried fenugreek leaves
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • Salt as per taste

    Instructions

    • Rinse and wash lentils and beans with cold water for 1-2 times in a bowl.
    • Soak them in enough water for at least 4 hours. If not in a rush, you can also leave them overnight. Once soaked, they double in size. Discard water before usage.
    • In a pot, add oil, once heated add onions,ginger and chillies with little salt.Once cooked for 8-10 minutes,
    • Add tomato puree/chopped tomatoes. Add the spices once tomatoes are cooked
    • Add the lentils and beans along with 6 cups water and salt.
    • Allow it to boil. Once it has come to boil cover it with a lid. Let it boil on a low flame for 60 minutes. If it is not soft, then add little more water and cook for few more.
    • Add fresh coconut milk,sugar and cook for 10 mins.
    • Add kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) and turn off the heat.
    • Drizzle some lemon juice at the end of the cook.Adjust salt as per your taste.
    • Optionally, if you like lentils extra hot, you may heat oil in a pan and temper red chillies. Add this to dal to make it spicy. Garnish with coriander.
    • Serve hot with rice or flatbread.

    instant pot black dal recipe

    • In an instant pot, heat oil and add cumin seeds on sauté mode. Let it splutter. Add chopped chili, ginger and onions. Let it cook until onions are brown and add chopped tomatoes to it.
    • Add curry powder or turmeric powder, salt and red chili powder.
    • Add a cup of black lentils followed by 4 cups of water. If you want to add coconut milk, add them now.Also add kasuri methi and any other spices.
    • Pressure cook on high for 15 mins. Release pressure after 10 mins.
    • You may garnish optionally with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with brown rice / basmati rice or vegan naan.

    Notes

    Note: 
    If you cannot add all the required water at start, then add half of the quantity and add the remaining half (boiled water) during the cook.
    This dish is not heavy on spices, hence the amount of curry powder is very less.The garam masala is used to balance the sweetness from the milk and sugar.
    You can also pressure cook black gram and beans if you are in a hurry. Just wait for natural pressure release and add the remaining ingredients as per the cooking instructions.
    Bring the coconut cream/ milk  to room temperature before using. Chilled or cold cream can split when put in hot dal.
    Adjust the quantity of water while cooking the dal. Please note that once the dal cools, it will become more thick. Add a teaspoon garam masala or increase the quantity of red chilli powder if you like it spicier.
     

    FAQs

    Is dal makhani healthy?

    Yes, it is made with urad dal and is good source of calcium. Urad dal is specifically given to new mothers to help them regain strength.

    Can I freeze dal makhani?

    Yes just freeze it in air tight plastic container or zip lock bags once it cools completely. Most Indian recipes can be frozen well.

    What is the difference between dal Bukhara and dal makhni?

    Dal Bukhara is only whole black lentils or whole black urad dal. On the other hand, dal makhani has whole black gram along with kidney beans or rajma in it.

    Conclusion: vegan sabut masoor ki daal is a delicious dish from Indian cuisine. Just as fantastic as the popular dal makhani!

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    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Hi,I am Bhavana & this is my wonderland of recipes.I have been in IT for 15+ years have always loved writing.My husband Gaurav & I,love to cook, click & host people

    More about me →

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