Transform your red lentils into something amazing with my creamy Instant Pot Lentil Dal. It makes a really easy, super tasty, healthy & budget friendly dinner and is perfect for meal prepping as it reheats and freezes perfectly!
Grab a few handfuls of lentils, some spices, and an Instant Pot and transform them into a pot of creamy, delicious Instant Pot Lentil Dal that’s economical, nutritious and will make your tastebuds dance!
This recipe might seem familiar, and that’s because it’s an adapted version of my Red Lentil Dahl. It didn’t need much changed to make it work really well in an Instant Pot. And as luck would have it, lots of you had Instant Pots for Christmas and have been asking for more Instant Pot recipes so how’s this for timing.
But, if you don’t have an Instant Pot or other other electric pressure cooker, and you really want to make this recipe, hop on over to my original Red Lentil Dahl recipe and you will find detailed stove-top instructions.
WHAT IS AN INSTANT POT?
Instant Pots are smart, programmable electric pressure cookers which were invented and designed in Canada and they are amazing. Mine is by far my favourite appliance and this is not sponsored by Instant Pot at all. I recommend them because I truly love mine.
They speed up cooking 2 to 6 times while using up to 70% less energy than other cooking methods. They are also able to function as slow cookers, rice cookers, yogurt makers and you can sauté in them. They are incredibly versatile and useful.
I use mine literally every single day for everything from cooking my Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats, cooking grains, dried beans like my Pressure Cooker Black Beans and for making soup, stews and curry. I wouldn’t be without it.
This is the Instant Pot Duo 6 Quart 9-in-1 model:
It’s the newer version of mine and I think just perfect for a medium sized family. There are 3 of us and it easily makes enough for 2 dinners plus some leftovers.
I already have a stash of vegan Instant Pot recipes, and there will be lots more to come, so if you do decide to splash out on one you will have a plentiful supply of yummy things to cook going into the future.
HOW DO I MAKE INSTANT POT LENTIL DAL?
SEE MY VIDEO FOR A VISUAL GUIDE. FOR INGREDIENTS & FULL INSTRUCTIONS PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST
It really is so simple to make Instant Pot Lentil Dal and the results are absolutely fantastic. It’s one of our favourite family meals.
Here is what you need:
And here is how it’s done:
STEP 1
Sauté the onions in the Instant Pot then add the ginger, garlic and spices
STEP 2
Pour in some water and scrape the bottom of the pan well. Add lentils and tomatoes.
STEP 3
Add coconut milk and stir really well, then put the lid on, seal it and cook as directed in the full recipe below.
HOW TO SERVE INSTANT POT LENTIL DAL
Pair this creamy and delicious Instant Pot Lentil Dal with:
- Fluffy rice
- Quinoa
- Cauliflower rice
- Naan bread
- Poppadoms
- The Lime Slaw from my Enchilada Lentil Tacos recipe
A sprinkle of cilantro, some fresh chopped tomato and a few chopped peanuts or cashews over the top (like in my pics), really compliment it too and help to turn it from midweek dinner, into a posh treat yo’self (or someone else) kind of meal.
THIS INSTANT POT LENTIL DAL IS:
- Super quick & easy
- Almost completely hands-off – Set the Instant Pot and forget.
- Incredibly budget friendly
- Super healthy
- Protein packed and filling
- Gluten-free
- Oil-free and really low in calories
- Perfect for batch cooking and meal prep
- Reheat friendly
- Freezer friendly
For more Vegan Instant Pot recipes, check out these great options:
- Vegan Instant Pot Portobello Pot Roast
- Seasoned Pressure Cooker Black Beans
- Teriyaki Instant Pot Rice
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Healthy Chocolate Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Vegan Instant Pot Potato Curry
And if you love this recipe, please do check out my cookbook, and subscribe to my email list for a fabulous FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. Being on the list means you will be first to see my new recipes and you’ll be kept in the loop on all things new and exciting too!
Instant Pot Lentil Dal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , or use water for sautéing to make the recipe oil-free
- 1 large onion , chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger , finely chopped or grated
- 2 heaping teaspoons garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes , add up to a teaspoon extra if you like it a spicy. You can use 1 fresh small red chili if you prefer
- 2 slightly heaping teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons salt , plus more to taste at the end
- 1 teaspoons ground black pepper , plus more to taste at the end
- 740 mls / 3 cups + 1 tablespoon water
- 400g / 2 heaping cups dried red lentils , (no need to soak)
- 3 large fresh tomatoes cut into chunks
- 1 400 ml / 13.5oz can / a little under 1¾ cup canned coconut milk , full fat or light
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the oil or a few tablespoons of water. Sauté the onions for 3 to 4 minutes until they are just starting to turn golden, then add the ginger and garlic. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Turn off the Instant Pot then add all of the spices and seasonings. Allow them to cook in the residual heat of the pot for about 1 minutes, stirring them constantly.
- Add the water to the pot, and using a metal spoon, have a really good scrape into the bottom of the pot all over, to mostly remove the brown bits from the bottom. This step is important because otherwise you could get the "burn" message popping up on your display later.
- Next add the lentils, tomatoes and coconut milk and give it all a really good stir. The lentils will likely have clumped up a bit so break them up as you stir.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot, seal the vent and set it to MANUAL (PRESSURE COOK) on newer models, high pressure, for 8 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the lid and give it a really good stir then serve.
Long time vegan, creator of A Virtual Vegan & author of the book 
Courtney says
I made this dish tonight for the second time. This time around, wanting to watch my fat intake, I subbed the coconut milk with a can of plum tomatoes and added a half teaspoon of coconut extract. It was incredible.
Melanie McDonald says
That’s good to know! I’m really pleased you are enjoying the recipe!
Nan says
Absoutely *loved* this recipe. We didn’t have canned coconut milk on hand but we did have coconut flakes, so we made our own. (Nice, because I like super light cocnut milk.) I loved that the dal wasn’t very thick. I used to have Indian housemates and they always made theirs like this (or even thinner!)
Melanie McDonald says
I’m really pleased you enjoyed it and thanks so much for stopping by to leave feedback. It’s much appreciated!
Steph says
It came out tasting pretty good but is it supposed to be so soupy? I thought it would be a bit thicker, next time I try it I’ll definitely reduce the amount of water used. I would prefer it have a little density at least. Also, what does it mean to “allow the pressure to release naturally.” I took it to mean not venting the instant pot when it was done, but it never lost pressure that way. After a half an hour I just vented it anyway.
Melanie McDonald says
It isn’t as thick as a traditional stove top cooked dal, because that wouldn’t work in the Instant Pot. Anything that is too thick, especially lentil-y things that get really thick with less liquid would make the “burn” error come up on the Instant Pot display and it would not come to pressure properly. Recipes like this have to be a little thinner. I tested this recipe thoroughly and any less liquid and you risk that happening. Once it’s finished, if you wanted to thicken it up, you could remove the lid, set it to sauté, and let the excess liquid evaporate off, stirring occasionally to stop it sticking. With regard the “allow the pressure to release naturally”, that means you don’t release the pressure yourself. You allow it to release on its own. During that time it is still cooking gently and would also be thickening up a little. The pressure will release on its own if you leave it. The time it takes varies depending on what you are cooking and how full the Instant Pot is. Sometimes the little silver thingy, gets stuck and if you touch it gently with your finger it pops right down. That might have happened with yours, but usually for me with this recipe it does take around 30 minutes.
Diana says
We were vacationing with the family. We make most of our food because it is easier being vegans. Our kitchen was, however, very primitive and our ingredients scarce. As I was trying to figure out how to feed the hungry crowd a nice dinner this recipe came up in my e-mail. As I read over the ingredients I saw the we had JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING on the list or could easily find it in the country we were in. I made it for dinner that night, with just a few subtractions, and EVERYONE LOVED IT!!!! Thank you so much for such a fun and delicious surprise for our family. I earned some GREAT points!
Madison Johnson says
My first attempt at using my new instant pot and oh my was this delicious! It makes A LOT, I would say more like 8-10 servings if serving with rice or anything else but leftovers are nice to have. I got the burn warning even though I followed advice to avoid, but I just reset the cook time and it fixed itself. I used light coconut milk to be careful with extra calories but it was still amazing! :)
Colleen says
Soooo deliious! Mel’s done it again. This dish is so quick and easy to make and tastes fantastic. We had it over brown rice and both loved it. My husband went back for thirds! This will go into our regular rotation.
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay!! I’m so pleased you both enjoyed it. It’s one of my husband’s favourites so I end up making it a lot, and yes, so easy, especially with the Instant Pot. Thanks Colleen!