Dal Makhani: No Onion No Garlic Instant Pot Recipe

Recipe Description

Dal Makhani is an exotic vegetarian dish made out of lentils and beans which needs no introduction. A north Indian lentil dish specifically from the region of Punjab has been known and popular for its creamy, silky and melt in mouth textures. It would be hard to resist a bowl of warm dal makhani when topped with cream and butter

Recipe Directions

1. Wash and rinse whole black gram/ urad beans, kidney beans/rajma and dehusked black gram lentils/ dhuli urad dal 3-4 times in fresh water. Then let them soak in water for at least 5-6 hours or overnight.
2. Once lentils and beans are thoroughly soaked, start preparing masala for dal makhana.
3. To make masala for dal makhana, add roughly chopped tomatoes, ginger, green chili and soaked whole dry red chili in Nutribullet blender jar and blend everything into puree.
4. Set the Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ mode and adjust the setting to ’Normal’ heat level. When the display reads ‘Hot’, add mustard oil or ghee to the inner pot.
5. Now add hing, cumin seeds to the oil, when the cumin seeds start to splutter, add the whole spices – bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, and cloves, fry them for 30 seconds.
6. Cook the tomato puree until all the water is evaporated and oil starts oozing out from the sides of puree. Tip: while cooking, tomato puree splatters a lot, to avoid the mess cover the pot with lid.
7. Once, tomato puree start separating oil add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili or cayenne pepper. Stir all the spices into tomato puree. Masala is ready to add soaked lentils and beans into it.
8. Now drain the water from the soaked beans and lentil and add to the tomato masala, along with 3.5 cups of water. Mix well.
9. Close the Instant Pot, move the vent to the sealing position.
10. Pressure cook or manual cook on high pressure for 16 minutes, NPR.
11. It will take around ‘18 minutes’ to build the pressure and after pressure cooking is over around same time ‘18 minute’ to release the pressure.
12. Once the pressure is released on its own, open the lid and stir.
13. Now set the Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ mode and adjust the setting to ’low’ heat level. Set the time for 15 minutes using ‘+ or – ‘ sign.
14. Add two tablespoon of butter and let the dal simmer on low heat uncovered for around 15 minutes.
15. After 15 minutes of simmering ,add kasoori methi and freshly grated nutmeg and heavy whipped cream, let the dal simmer on low heat for another 5 minutes.
16. Now add chopped cilantro, dry mango powder and mix well.
17. Delicious Dal makhani is ready to serve.
18. Garnish it with cilantro, some swirls of cream and a dollop of butter before serving.
19. Enjoy with naan, paratha or with some rice pulao.