• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • Food Photography
  • Subscribe

MySpicyKitchen

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Food Photography
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Dals

    Published: May 24, 2018 · Modified: Aug 10, 2020 by Usha Rao

    Instant Pot Dal Tadka ~ Pigeon Peas Dal

    Jump to Recipe

    Instant Pot Dal tadka is a flavorful dal with split yellow pigeons peas.

    Delicious Instant pot dal tadka is a spicy flavorful Indian dal.  It pairs well with rice and Indian flatbreads

    Dazzling Dals

    Theme for this week is dazzling Dals and am going to post 3 yummy dals. The first dal recipe is a simple and mouthwatering Instant Pot dal tadka. Serve it with either rice or Indian flatbread.

    Indian Cuisine

    Dals are a staple in Indian cuisine and more so in Indian vegetarian diet. These are one of the main sources of protein in Indian vegetarian cuisine. There are slight variations in how dals are prepared from region to region. South Indian Dals vary from simple dal tadka to dals with leafy and regular vegetables.

    A bowl of rice with delicious instant pot dal tadka.

    What is Dal Tadka

    Dal tadka is a North Indian dal where the dal is first cooked with onion tomatoes and chopped ginger, simmered to required consistency and finally topped with tempering. Chopped ginger gives a unique flavor to dal, which is different from the South Indian dal I make at home. In fact, I do not use ginger in dals.

    There are many versions of dal tadka. In today’s version, onion tomato ginger garlic and uncooked toor dal are roasted in oil and then cooked. In some versions, veggies and dal are cooked without roasting in oil.

    How to cook Toor Dal for Dal Tadka

    There are many ways to cook toor dal; in Instant Pot, in a saucepan and in a pressure cooker on stove top.

    Cooking Toor Dal in Instant Pot

    • Cook dal in manual mode for 8 minutes and do a natural pressure release.
    • If dal is soaked for at least 10 minutes, cook for 5 minutes in manual mode. I follow this setting when cooking rice and/or eggs along with dal.

    Cooking Toor Dal in a Pressure Cooker

    Cook dal for 7 whistles/hisses and 3 minutes on low flame. Release pressure naturally.

    Cooking Toor Dal in a Saucepan on Stovetop

    I never cook toor dal in a saucepan and cooking time is at least 45 minutes long.

    Note
    Since I like very soft dal, I follow above mentioned cooking times. Cooking time is longer with some batches of toor dal but normally these settings work. For a perfectly cooked dal, add ¼ - ½ teaspoon of oil to dal water mixture.

    How to Cook a Simple Meal in Instant Pot

    Just like in pressure cooker, cook a full meal in instant pot using pot in pot method (PIP). Prepare dal tadka, cook rice and boil an egg using pip method. Use one vessel for rice and another for egg.

    • Use main inner vessel for dal.
    • Place trivet in dal.
    • On the trivet place a container of rice with 1: 1 ½ rice to water ratio.
    • Stack another vessel or a plate on rice vessel and place an egg in it.
    • When cooking eggs, I do 5 minutes manual mode, quick release after 5 minutes.
    • Remove egg, put in cold water and peel the egg.
    A bowl of rice with delicious instant pot dal tadka.

    Instant Pot Dal Tadka Recipe

    📖 Recipe

    Delicious Instant pot dal tadka is a spicy flavorful Indian dal. It pairs well with rice and Indian flatbreads

    Instant Pot Dal Tadka

    Dal tadka is a flavorful dal with split yellow pigeons peas.
    4.91 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish, Soup
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories:
    Author: Usha Rao

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup Toor/Tuvar/Arhar Dal/Dry Pigeon Peas
    • 2-3 teaspoon Oil
    • 2 - 3 small Green Chilies
    • 1 teaspoon chopped Ginger
    • 1 teaspoon chopped Garlic or 2 fat Garlic Cloves
    • ½ medium sized or ⅓ cup sliced Onion
    • ½ large or ⅓ - ½ cup chopped Tomato
    • Turmeric Powder
    • ¾ teaspoon Salt

    Tempering

    • 2 teaspoon Ghee or Oil or combination of both
    • ¼ teaspoon Cumin
    • 2 fat Garlic Cloves or 1 teaspoon of chopped Garlic Cloves
    • ½ - ¾ Kasoori Methi
    • Pinch of Hing ~ Asafoetida
    • Pinch of Chili Powder, optional
    • Cilantro for garnish

    Instructions

    • Wash dal and soak for 10 minutes or until ready to use.
    • Plug Instant Pot and set it to saute mode.
    • When the inner vessel is hot, add oil and saute green chilies, ginger and garlic for few seconds.
    • Throw in onions and continue to saute for a minute or two until onions are soft.
    • Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric and continue sauteing until tomatoes are soft and mushy. 
    • Cover the inner pot to speed up cooking of tomatoes.  This step is optional
    • Discard water from the dal, add to Instant Pot  and continue to saute for a minute or two until dal is roasted.
    • Hit cancel button, add ¾ cup of water and give a good stir.
    • At this point, if one wants to cook other items along with dal, insert the containers for pot in pot cooking. 
    • Close Instant Pot and press Manual/Pressure Cook. Adjust the time to 5 minutes, make sure the pressure is set to high and vent sealed.
    • Basically it is 5 minutes in manual setting and quick release after 5 minutes. 
    • I cooked eggs along with dal hence quick release.  Else do natural pressure release.
    • Open instant pot, remove vessels if you did pip.
    • Press saute mode, stir dal, add about ¾ cup of water, salt and bring to a boil.
    • When desired consistency is reached, hit cancel button.  Mind you,  dal thickens as it cools.
    • Meantime, on stove top, do a tempering by heating oil/ghee mentioned in tadka ingredient list.  
    • When oil is hot, add cumin and let the seeds change color.
    • Add chopped garlic, hing and let garlic roast.
    • Turn off the flame, add kasuri methi, turmeric and chili powder if using.
    • Pour the tadka over dal, add cilantro, cover and let sit for at least 5 minutes until flavors infuse into dal.  
    • Serve dal with roti, paratha or rice.

    Notes

    • I use vine ripe tomatoes but any variety will work
    • 5 minutes manual setting - Contents in the Instant pot will cook for 5 minutes on high pressure once the pressure is built.
    • It will take about 8 minutes for the pressure to build up.
    Tried this recipe?Share a photo! Mention @usha_myspicykitchen or tag #Usha_MySpicyKitchen!

    Like the recipe, Pin It.

    This day in:
    2014 - Mango Shrikand
    2016 - Spaghetti ai Gamberi

    More Dals

    • Bowl of mung beans curry in a bowl placed on a plate. In the background is a bowl of rice and mung curry.
      Moong Bean Dal, Gujarati Mag
    • A bowl of dal.
      Kale Dal, Video Recipe
    • A bowl of zucchini dal with a spoon
      Zucchini Moong Dal - Zucchini Pappu
    • Bowl of cranberry dal.
      Cranberry Dal ~ Cranberry Pappu

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.91 from 11 votes

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. sapana says

      June 08, 2018 at 5:10 pm

      5 stars
      Instant pot sounds like a total bliss and the IP dal tadka looks just perfectly cooked. Nothing beats the perfect combo of dal and rice.

      Reply
    2. Chef Mireille says

      June 06, 2018 at 2:00 pm

      5 stars
      loving this bringhtly colored dal - looks so good

      Reply
    3. themadscientiststskitchen says

      June 06, 2018 at 11:37 am

      5 stars
      Stunning pictures. I love this dal tadka it is delicious.

      Reply
    4. farah says

      June 01, 2018 at 11:17 am

      my favourite comfort food..........lovely pic and presentation.........

      Reply
    5. Pavani says

      May 31, 2018 at 1:09 pm

      5 stars
      I love this North Indian style toor dal Usha. I make it some times to break south Indian food monotony. Also it is great to serve with rice or roti. Never made dal in insta opt, will have to try it out some time.

      Reply
      • MySpicyKitchen says

        June 03, 2018 at 12:13 am

        I bought a mini insta pot past Thanksgiving and since then using it a lot to cook dal. But yes, there are times when I find it lot easy to just grab a pressure cooker to cook dal.

        Reply
    6. Sowmya says

      May 29, 2018 at 11:17 pm

      5 stars
      This is a classic comfort food and yours has turned out delicious and tempting.

      Reply
    7. harini says

      May 29, 2018 at 9:42 pm

      5 stars
      Simple dal and extra-ordinary clicks. You make simple everyday food look exotic. Hats off.

      Reply
    8. Sandhiya says

      May 29, 2018 at 10:14 am

      5 stars
      Such a comforting dal recipe. The pics are very catchy and inviting as usual, Usha. Atleast twice i make this kind of dals, love it with some hot rice & dollop of ghee. Guess IP makes the whole process lot more easier.

      Reply
    9. Srivalli says

      May 29, 2018 at 5:45 am

      Usha, I enjoyed reading your post. The pictures are out of the world and those Pinterest cards are so nicely done! Even if this is a simple dal, nothing can beat the taste right..awesome post overall!

      Reply
      • MySpicyKitchen says

        May 29, 2018 at 6:26 am

        Yes, Valli. Though it is simple, tastes amazing. Thanks.

        Reply
    10. Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says

      May 28, 2018 at 2:51 am

      5 stars
      So many tips to use the Instant pot! Here it is just slowly catching up and was wondering if it is worth investing in one, since I use my pressure cookers a lot - in fact the most used and battered pots in my kitchen... hehe... Dal Tadka sounds simple and delicious, like Vaishali mentioned, I love them with some kasuri methi, takes it to another level....

      Reply
      • MySpicyKitchen says

        May 29, 2018 at 6:36 am

        Rafeeda, to be honest, I am not as head over heals as most of them are. I use it becuase I have it. It is basically a pressure cooker. The only advantage is, it is an electric pressure cooker hence you don't have to baby sit. Also it has a delay timer, so especially for working women, it comes really handy. Put everything in the pot, set delay timer and by the time you com home in the evening from work, food is ready.

        Reply
    11. Mayuri Patel says

      May 27, 2018 at 2:36 pm

      4 stars
      Beautiful clicks and love the colour of the tadka dal. Such a comforting bowl of dal. I love it with rice.

      Reply
    12. Priya Suresh says

      May 27, 2018 at 11:46 am

      Wow, what a stunning clicks, havent seen dal clicks this much clear and crisp. Pigeon peas dals is definitely my kind of comforting food. Lipsmacking here already Usha.

      Reply
      • MySpicyKitchen says

        May 29, 2018 at 6:49 am

        Thanks Priya

        Reply
    13. Varada says

      May 26, 2018 at 6:08 pm

      I love the Instant Pot to cook dal rice too. Set it all up and forget it until it is done. Perfect for busy mornings or evenings. Everything looks perfectly done.

      Reply
    14. Renu says

      May 26, 2018 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      Dal tadka looks so tempting... anytime for that comforting bowl of Dal rice.. beautiful clicks

      Reply
    15. Gayathri Kumar says

      May 25, 2018 at 10:51 pm

      5 stars
      Whatever the method, I love a comforting bowl of dal. This dal tadka is so flavourful with ginger and garlic. Love your instant pot version.

      Reply
      • MySpicyKitchen says

        May 25, 2018 at 11:18 pm

        Thanks Gayathri. I am slowly trying to use Instant Pot more often and more efficiently.

        Reply
    16. Vaishali Sabnani says

      May 24, 2018 at 5:29 am

      Daal Tadka is a much ordered daal in any restaurant , even though it is a simple daal it has a lovely flavor and that bowl is surely very inviting. Add just 1/4 tsp of kasoori methi and it will be a perfect restaurant daal!

      Reply
      • MySpicyKitchen says

        May 24, 2018 at 10:11 am

        Oh, next time will try it just 1/4 tsp kasuri methi. Thanks for the tip, Vaishali.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I am Usha! Welcome to my space. I am the content creator and photographer here. I love cooking and all the recipes on the site are tried and tested in my kitchen.

    More about me →


    Holiday Recipes

    • Fresh cranberry Christmas cake is a tangy & sweet cake
      Fresh Cranberry Christmas Cake
    • Loaf of non alcoholic low calorie classic fruit cake
      Low Calorie, Non Alcoholic Fruit Cake
    • plate of masi samoa.
      Masi Samoa, Coconut Shortbread Cookies
    • Norwegian Rice Porridge, Norwegian Food, Norwegian Cuisine, Rice Porridge, Rice Pudding, Norwegian Rice Pudding, Food of the World,
      Norwegian Rice Porridge for Food of the World
    • Collard Greens, Pepperoni, Food & Wine, Cooking from Cookbook Challenge, CCChallenge, Side Dish, Thanksgiving Recipes,
      Sauteed Collard Greens with Pepperoni
    • Thanksgiving Side Dishes, Side Dish, Swiss Chard, Piccata, Piccata Swiss Chard, Cooking form cookbook Challenge, CCChallenge, Food & Wine,
      Piccata Swiss Chard

    Popular

    • Sq image of a platter of veg canapes.
      Bread Canapes Recipe
    • Shrimp noodle soup in a bowl
      Easy Shrimp Noodle Soup Chinese Style
    • Top down view of chicken clear soup.
      Chicken Clear Soup Recipe, Indian Style
    • Omani Food, Omani Cuisine, Roasted Meat, Blogging Marathon, Around the world in 30 days with ABC cooking,
      Omani Shuwa ~ Slow Cooked Lamb

    Finger Food

    • Broiled shrimp.
      Party Shrimp Recipe
    • Tortilla cheese chips, Tortilla cheese crisps, Tucson Cheese Crisps, Blogging Marathon, Tortilla dish,
      Arizona Cheese Crisps
    • Plate of bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers
      3 Ingredient Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
    • A platter of Fiesta pinwheels and a bowl of salsa
      Fiesta Pinwheels, Yummy Party Food

    Curry Recipes

    • A bowl of lima beans curry.
      Lima Beans Curry, Video Recipe
    • Bowl of ulligadda ukkera.
      Onion Egg Curry ~ Ulligadda Ukkera
    • A bowl of chikkudukaya kura or Indian broad beans in a platter along with a bowl of rice.
      Chikkudukaya Kura - Indian Broad Beans Fry
    • Gutti vankaya masala is a flavorful eggplant curry stuffed with peanut sesame spice mix.
      Gutti Vankaya Masala - Stuffed Baby Eggplant Curry

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Subscribe

    Contact

    • Know Me

    Copyright © 2025 MySpicyKitchen

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.