Instant Pot Dal Makhani is a delicious side for Indian dinner. Dal is slow cooked in tomato puree and butter to get restaurant style perfection. Dal Makhani is a rich, creamy bowl of lentil goodness.
What is Dal Makhani? Rich, creamy lentils dish traditionally cooked on a slow simmer for hours in tomato puree and butter. You will surely find Dal Makhani on the menu card of every Indian restaurant.
Growing up Ma used to make this dal on special occasions – birthdays, anniversary, family gatherings. We would eagerly wait for her to cook Dal Makhani. The aroma of dal simmering slowly in butter, would slowly fill the kitchen and linger on for hours. This was a great dinner treat, we would relish and eat with garlic naan and side of paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese).
When I initially started cooking, I knew I had to perfect this dal recipe. My initial trials were using my mother’s recipe. From there on I have tried different Chef recipes. Almost all chef recipes, require you to simmer the dal for few hours and go easy on adding ghee and butter. This is a rich dish, so adding fattening agents is always a good excuse.
Now about this Dal recipe- I have cooked the Dal Makhani using Instant Pot. And have made changes in my original recipe, to make this dal healthy and easy to cook. You will notice that in this recipe, I use nominal butter.
Trust me Instant Pot Dal Makhani turns out as flavorful, as Dal Makhani served in any Indian restaurant. I have now started cooking more often with the electric pressure cooker, as it is one pot cooking solution with multiple features. I am always in for simple, healthy and fast cooking solutions.
When you cook Dal Makhani in the traditional way, that is over the stove top. You will have to simmer, the dal on low heat for few hours. Slow cooking for hours makes the dal rich in flavor with cream like consistency. With that said, slow cooking process on the stove top would require you to stir the dal, from time to time to ensure that the dal does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Instant Pot Dal Makhani recipe is simple and easy. When you cook the dal in this pot, it is easy one pot preparation. The dal is pressure cooked in the pot, then later on the dal simmers unsupervised for hours on the slow cooker mode in the same pot. You don’t have to stir or supervise the dal during the entire cooking process.
The dal slowly cooks into a creamy bowl of perfection! This dal is great to eat event the next day, so you can make this one day in advance or overnight before you plan to serve it. Serve the dal hot, with a side of rice or Indian flat bread like roti/naan and salad.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you give this recipe a try, do let me know. Leave a comment, Pin it, or take a picture and tag it #cookingyoulove on Instagram. I would love to know how it turned up for you.
- For pressure cooking
- 1 cup whole black gram (urad whole)
- ½ cup red kidney beans
- ½ inch ginger, finely chopped
- 2 whole black cardamoms, crushed
- 6 cloves
- 4 cups water
- For cooking dal
- 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 3 green cardamoms
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 4 Roma tomatoes, pureed
- 1tsp salt
- ½ tsp red chili
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves, crushed (kasoori methi)
- Seasoning
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 garlic flake, finely chopped
- Rinse and pre-soak the black gram and red kidney beans in water overnight for 6 to 8 hours.
- Drain the liquid and add the mix in Instant Pot, add ginger, crushed black cardamoms, ginger, cloves, and water.
- Close the lid and select Multigrain Mode. Reduce the timer and set for 12 minutes.
- Let it cool, when the steam is released shift the dal in a clean bowl.
- Wash the pot clean. Dry the pot and insert it back.
- Switch Instant Pot and select saute mode.
- Add ghee, when hot add cumin seeds, green cardamoms, and bay leaf.
- When the seeds start to splutter, add onions and stir. When the onions become translucent add garlic.
- When onions become brown in color, add tomato puree and cook.
- Note when this mix starts to become dry, add spices- salt, red chili, coriander powder, and garam masala.
- Now add the cooked dal in the pot and give it a good stir.
- Add one cup od water and close the lid.
- Cancel the saute mode and select slow cooker mode. Dal will be cooked in slow cooker mode in 4 hours.
- When the dal is cooked, open the lid. Keep the dal in warm mode, add butter, kasoor methi.
- Mix the dal well and transfer it in the serving dish. Add the seasoning (steps below) prepared in the skillet over the stove top.
- Warm skillet on the stovetop on medium heat. Add ghee, when hot cumin seeds.
- When seeds start to splutter add chopped garlic. When garlic cooks and turns brown in color add it to prepared dal.
beautiful dish here. Again, I’m not familiar with it so it’s wonderful for me to be learning about these flavors!
Thanks Christine. Dal Makhani is one of the very popular Indian lentil dish.
My husband would truly love this dish! It looks amazing and he is a lover of red kidney beans and lentils.
Great, I am sure he will love this lentil dish.
I love my Instant Pot! Great recipe, I’ll be sure to try it!
Thanks!
Oooh, I love lentils and this dish in particular, but have never prepared it at home, it looks amazing!
YUMMMM I love a well-seasoned lentil soup.
Thanks Mickelle.
We always order this dal makhani at Indian Restaurant. I should start making it at home because you make it look so easy to make.
I love slow cooked dal makhani. I think it gives it a very distinct flavor of all the dals coming together when you cook it that way!
This looks amazing. I have had versions of this at restaurants. Thanks for posting this so I can try it at home!
Thank you! Do try it and let me know how it turns out.
looks delicious.. I do several dishes with kidney beans, but never tried this dish. Now its time to do 🙂
Thanks Uma.
Oh I absolutely love homemade Dal Makhani and an Instant one is so much more loved – great recipe 🙂
Thanks Molly.
All of your recipes just make my mouth water! YUM!
Thanks Melissa.
This is absolutely tempting. Saving and trying it soon. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks..
Can’t wait to try this, thank you! Can you please tell me which brand garam masala you recommend. I can’t remember the brand I like but I do not like it (or do you make your own)? Also no hing required for this? I’m used to adding hing in all bean recipes.
Thanks.
Hi, try MDH garam masala. No I have not added hing to this recipe. We dont add hing to all beans. Let me know if you have more questions. And enjoy dal makhani is perfect comfort food for winters.
Hi.. Did you add water to the soaked dal when u added it in put on Multigrain cooking? I thought to ask you since water is not written.
Hi Rashmi, yes I did add water to boil the dal along with other ingredients. Please let me know if you have any more questions.
hi! i’m just cooking this now and wondering what is the white sauce I see on top in the photo? Is that dahi or ghee??
Hi, I think you are referring to the swirl, I made it with heavy whipping cream. Let me know if you have any more questions and how the recipe turns out:)
Well, I was a bit rushed so I only slow cooked it for 2 hours…. The taste was delicious and my whole family ate it but it didn’t thicken up as dal makhani typically does. Was there supposed to be whipping cream in the recipe besides just the swirl at the end? Wasn’t sure if I just missed that in the directions. Also I added dahi at the end but mostly cuz my kids eat it better that way.
Hi, to make the dal thick we slow cook it for 4 hours or even 8 hours. Another option, if you are in a rush instead of slow cooking mode use manual mode 30 minutes (high pressure). I will also include this note in the recipe post. I used the whipping cream only to create the swirl before serving, but you can add and mix it in the dal it helps in making it thick. Same pinch on dahi as my daughter also eats the same way. Thanks for sharing the feedback!
Many years ago, I traveled to Vaishno Devi in India and on the top of the mountain, we were served Dal Makhani and White rice. It was one of the most flavorful dish I had ever eaten. It got etched in my memory … “Oh, this is what Dal Makhani tastes like,” I thought!
I just made your recipe, and it reminded me of that day in Vaishno Devi. This might even be better, because it’s healthier. Can’t wait to try other things you write about here. Thanks Himani, keep up the good work!
Suveer, Thank you for being so kind to me. Its a blessing to know that this recipe reminded you of Vaisho Devi.
I have a quick question about slow cooker setting, while cooking Dal Makhani the slow cooker setting is sealing for four hours?
Yes its on sealing mode. Let me know if you have more questions.
Great recipe. Step2 says Drain the liquid and add the mix in Instant Pot, add ginger, crushed black cardamoms, ginger, cloves, and water. So, do you remove these spices once the dal is cooked?
Thanks,
Megha
Hi Megha,
I don’t remove the spices from the dal. It’s how you like it.
Thanks,
Himani
Do you use slow cook normal or more for the 4 hours?
Hi Tej,
I use slow cook mode for 4 hours, I have received feedback in social media groups that people have used 8 hours also in slow cook mode for this recipe and has turned out great. Let me know if you have questions.
Thanks,
Himani