Instant Pot Dal Makhani with pot-in-pot brown rice, an easy and delicious one-pot meal. This dal is also popularly known as Madras Lentils. This restaurant style Dal Makhani made in the pressure cooker is rich, creamy and flavorful. Dal Makhani goes really well with basmati rice and naan.

Dal Makhani made in the instant pot, served in a earthen pot with some brown rice and spices in the back
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This is one of the most popular Punjabi dal – Dal Makhani.  Interestingly this is very similar to Madras Lentils you might have tasted at Costco. Most people order this dal when in an Indian restaurant. This was my favorite dal when growing up and it still is.

Usually this dal is slow cooked, which can take hours, however here I have used the pressure cooker to prepare it in 50 minutes, most of which is passive time. I will also share the recipe to make this dal in a stovetop pressure cooker.

Want to find other easy Instant Pot Indian Recipes? Here are 29 Best Instant Pot Indian Vegetarian Recipes for you to try!

What is Dal Makhani?

Dal makhani, also called dal makhni is a dish originating from the Punjab region in the Indian subcontinent. Dal Makhani translates to “buttery lentils”. Dal Makhani is traditionally made with whole black urad dal (black lentils) and rajma (kidney beans), butter and cream.

You will also find many people referring to this dal as Black Dal or Kaali Dal.

As the name suggests, this dal is prepared with butter…makhani. Black gram lentils and red kidney beans cooked with onions, tomatoes, lots of ginger, garlic and butter…yum!  So let loose and add on the butter (or ghee) when preparing this dal. However skip the butter and add oil to make this dish vegan.

Curious about pulses used in Indian cooking? Check out my detailed guide about Indian Pulses.

How to make Dal Makhani in Instant Pot?

  • Start with soaking the lentils and beans in ample water for 4 hours or overnight. The soaking is mainly required for the kidney beans, but I find it easier to just soak them together. We will use the basic pantry ingredients in this Dal Makhani. The only 4 fresh things required are – onion, tomato, ginger and garlic.
  • When you are ready to cook, start with sautéing butter, cumin seeds in the Instant Pot.
  • Then add onions and sauté for a few minutes until they start turning golden.
  • Then add the tomatoes and spices. That is all the active work required for this recipe.
  • Now just stir in the lentils and water, and set to pressure cook. 
steps to make dal makhani in instant pot
  • After the pressure cooking is done, Dal Makhani should be ready. If needed, add water to get the desired consistency. I like to stir in some lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.
instant pot Dal Makhani steps

You can top with more butter to enhance the taste (and calories) 🙂

Instant Pot Dal Makhni . Pressure Cooker Madras Lentils

My mom likes to get the perfect reddish color similar to restaurant style dal makhani.  Here is the trick I learnt from her to get that perfect reddish color – Soak 2-3 Kashmiri red chilis for half hour. Then grind them to a paste with some water and add when you add the tomatoes. You will love the color and the added taste from the kashmiri chili. I do this in my Pav Bhaji recipe too. Kashmiri chili’s are very mild, so they will not make the dal too spicy. Do skip the chili powder in the recipe if you go this route.

How to make Madras Lentils in Instant Pot?

I could not find much history for the name Madras Lentils. However Tasty Bite brand, available at Costco and other major grocery chains, has certainly made this a popular dish. Let’s see the differences between Dal Makhani and Madras lentils.

  • The ingredients listed on the Tasty Bite Madras Lentils pack are – Water, Tomato, Lentils, Red Beans, Onions, Cream, Butter, Salt, Oil, Chillies, Cumin.
  • My understanding is that they use adzuki beans (chori in hindi) in place of black gram lentils.
  • The spices used are much lesser, only cumin and chili. So it is milder than Dal Makhani.
  • Typically I don’t add any cream when making Dal Makhani at home. Cream is added in Madras Lentils.

Other than that, I really don’t see any differences. So you can follow the same recipe below with adzuki beans and just adjust the spices to make the popular Madras Lentils.

Dal Makhani made in the instant pot, served in a earthen pot with some brown rice and spices in the back

How to make Dal Makhani in a Stovetop Pressure Cooker?

Follow the same steps as above. Pressure cook for at least 45 minutes on medium heat or 8-10 whistles. Let pressure release naturally.

Dal Makhani with Pot-in-Pot Brown Rice

One of the big advantages of the Instant Pot is – the option to do Pot-in-Pot Cooking or PIP. This means being able to cook multiple things at a time, by also cooking in a small pot inside the main pot. To do pot-in-pot cooking, you need a tall trivet and stainless steel containers that you can use within the main pot.

Another important thing with pot-in-pot cooking is to consider the cooking time for the dishes you want to cook together. As an example, Dal Makhani takes about 30 mins to cook at high pressure and brown rice takes about 22-25 mins at high pressure.  Hence if I add brown rice pot-in-pot with beans, they would get cooked well.

I would not cook white rice along with Dal Makhani, however they would work well with split yellow lentils that cook in 5-6 mins at high pressure.

Learn more about the instant pot pot-in-pot method with this comprehensive guide!

Once you add all ingredients for Dal in the instant pot, place the trivet and then the bowl of brown rice with water. This way they will both cook together. Enjoy the meal!

Dal makhani with pot-in-pot rice

This Dal Makhani is so creamy and flavorful. This restaurant style Dal Makhani is a great addition to your next party or potluck.

The best part is you can prepare it the day before and it gets more flavorful the next day.

Just before serving, heat it well, top with some butter and cream. And you are good to go!

Dal Makhani made in the instant pot, served in a earthen pot with some brown rice and spices in the back

Vegan Dal Makhani

Most of the ingredients in this Dal Makhani is already vegan, except the butter and cream (if you are adding). To make this dal vegan, just replace butter with your favorite plant based oil and use coconut milk or coconut cream at the end.

Can I use canned kidney beans when making Dal Makhani?

Technically you can use canned kidney beans, however as they are pre-cooked, you will have to add them at the end and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

I feel there is no advantage of using canned kidney beans in this recipe, as it does not help to cut down the cooking time. You will still want to cook the dal for the same amount of time to get the perfect creamy texture. So why not save some money and use dry kidney beans!

Pro-tips to make perfect Dal Makhani

√ Soak the Dal and Beans to get the best texture.

√ Don’t skimp on adding butter or ghee (oil for vegan)

√ To make this recipe vegan, just skip the butter and replace with oil of your liking.

√ This dal is super creamy, even when cream is not added. Top with cream or coconut cream at the end when serving!

√ Mom’s tips to get the perfect reddish color similar to restaurant style dal makhani – Soak 2-3 Kashmiri red chilis for half hour. Then grind them to a paste with some water and add when you add the tomatoes. Kashmiri chili’s are very mild, so they will not make the dal too spicy. Do skip the chili powder in the recipe if you go this route.

√ This Dal Makhani is even more delicious the next day, so it is perfect meal prep and enjoy for the week.

Try other favorite Indian recipes

4.83 from 90 votes

Instant Pot Dal Makhani (Madras Lentils with Brown Rice)

Authentic Punjabi Dal Makhani (Madras Lentils) made in Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot. This restaurant style Dal Makhani made in the pressure cooker is rich, creamy and flavorful. 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

Spices

For Brown Rice

Instructions 

  • Rinse and soak lentils and beans in water for 4 hours or overnight. 
  • Start the pressure cooker in saute mode and let it heat. Add oil and cumin seeds.
  • When the cumin seeds change color, add onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes and spices. Stir and saute for another 2 minutes. 
  • Drain the water from the soaked lentils and beans. Add them to the instant pot. Add water and mix the ingredients. 
  • (optional) In a steel bowl, add the ingredients for brown rice. Please a tall trivet and the bowl of rice on top of the trivet. 
  • Press cancel and close the lid with vent in sealing position. Change the instant pot setting to bean/chili, which will set the timer to 30 minutes of high pressure cooking. 
  • When the instant pot beeps, do a natural pressure release. Open the lid. 
  • (optional) Using tongs, carefully take out the bowl of brown rice. Then take out the trivet.
  • Stir the dal well. If needed, add water to get the desired consistency. If you like, add more garam masala to taste. 
  • Stir in the lemon juice and garnish with cilantro. Dal Makhani is ready to be served. 

For Stovetop Pressure Cooker:

  • Follow the same steps as above. Pressure cook for at least 45 minutes on medium heat or 8-10 whistles. Let pressure release naturally.

Video

Notes

  • To make this recipe vegan, just skip the butter and replace with oil of your liking.
  • You can also add cream or coconut cream to make this dal richer.  I did not add any and it was finger licking tasty even without any cream 🙂
  • Mom’s tips to get the perfect reddish color similar to restaurant style dal makhani – Soak 2-3 Kashmiri red chilis for half hour. Then grind them to a paste with some water and add when you add the tomatoes. Kashmiri chili’s are very mild, so they will not make the dal too spicy. Do skip the chili powder in the recipe if you go this route.
  • This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker and has been updated to make it easier.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 15gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 638mgPotassium: 364mgFiber: 13gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 800IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 5.5mg

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: North Indian
Diet: Gluten-free, Nut-free, Vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Mention @pipingpotcurry or tag #pipingpotcurry!

About Meeta

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. My passion is to share easy, healthy, and wholesome recipes made using Instant Pot & Air Fryer, that are well tested, so you can cook with confidence.

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156 Comments

  1. Too much of AD in your video. Every second its coming. So dont have the patience to watch your videos. Its irritating. Do u have your videos anywhere else .

      1. Thank you for checking Ruchi. I confirmed with the ad company that they would never show ads more than 30 seconds long. It is possible there could be 2 small 5 second ads before the video. I am always trying to have a balance between keeping readers happy and showing ads, so they are not excessive.

  2. I made dal makhani, came out well. Recipe was easy to follow. I did not have Kashmir chili, will get some for the next time I try this dish !

  3. Hello – I plan on making this recipe this week. Just a quick question, will it still work in the instant pot if I double the ingredients? Thank you.

  4. This was pretty good, but I think I was looking for a more tomato-y dish (dal makhani served at restaurants seems kind of more like a butter chicken/paneer in terms of buttery tomato gravy). I actually think the flavor was pretty creamy/buttery on its own, so the main issue for me was the lack of tomato. Do you have any suggestions for adding tomato gravy? Would simply cooking it with additional chopped raw tomatoes be the way to go? Perhaps adding a can of tomato sauce? Would definitely appreciate your thoughts! I’ll try to incorporate your suggestion and return to rate the revised dish! Thanks again! Love your recipes.

    1. Hey Ian – I would suggest to replace the tomatoes with a 14oz can of diced tomatoes (that is equal to 4-6 tomatoes). Thank you for checking in for suggestions, and trying the recipes. Would love to hear if this worked to your taste. Thank you!

  5. We made this tonight and it was OUTSTANDING! So good that I caught my husband eating leftovers out of the bowl later! We’ll definitely be making this again.

    1. Oh and we added the dried peppers I read about in the comments and really liked the flavor and color they added 🙂

      1. Hey Jessica – So happy to hear that you all enjoyed the Dal Makhani. It is the favorite one for Punjabi’s in North India. Glad you liked the tips from my mom to add the color and flavor from the dry red chili’s 🙂

    1. Thank you for always taking the time to share back your review, Radha. It is so helpful and great to hear back from readers 🙂

  6. Hello — I made this recipe months ago, and when I went back to make it, saw that it was re-organized. In the original did you include asafoeteda? I swear I bought it just for this, but now I don’t see it listed.

    1. Hey Susan – I am glad to see you back to make the recipe. You are right that I updated the recipe. When I created a video and added cooking brown rice pot-in-pot with the lentils, I simplified the recipe and skipped asafoetida as many readers don’t have it in their pantry. As you do have it, add 1/4 tsp after adding the oil and cumin seeds in step 2. I hope you enjoy the lentils 🙂

      1. Thanks! This will be the third time I’m making it. The second time I didn’t notice the changes at first, and I accidentally left out the dried peppers, because I think they were previously mentioned within the recipe itself. Maybe it’s just me, but I noticed a difference in taste without them. So I went back and checked to make sure I didn’t leave anything out, and that’s when I saw that I left out the peppers and that the asafoetida was gone. I remember asking the man at the Indian grocery where I may find the asafoetida, and he asked me if I was making dal makhani. 🙂

      2. Oh…you are intriguing me to add it back now 🙂 I do agree that the dried peppers add a wonderful color and taste to the Dal Makhani. That is my mom’s trick to add the reddish color to the Dal. I hope you continue to enjoy the recipes. Thank you for the honest feedback. I love to hear it!

  7. Hey Meeta, I’m a big fan of your recipes. The Pav bhaji, your mom’s chicken curry are amongst our family favorites! Quick question on the dal makhani, would you use the same amount of cooking time if it wasn’t a PIP? I’m not planning on cooking the rice as I don’t have a PIP so wondering if you’d still recommend 30 minutes of high pressure cooking. Thanks!

    1. Hey Sarah – Thank you! I am glad you have enjoyed many of my recipes. I suggest the same cooking time (30 minutes at high pressure) for Dal Makahni, even if you don’t cook rice with it. Hope you enjoy it!

  8. I have a couple questions. Not sure if you’ll see this in time so I might not make it (for company tomorrow) if you aren’t able to reply in time! I was wondering if I use split black lentils (which is what I have at home) if I still need to soak overnight? I used them in an IP soup the other day that cooked for 5 minutes and they were perfect! Also, can I cheat and use drained, canned, kidney beans?

    Thanks so much! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes! I love your IP Briyani!

    1. Hey Tara – You can use split black lentils and if they cooked perfectly in 5 minutes last time, then do 5 minutes. Also, if you use canned kidney beans, they would cook perfectly along with the split black lentils in 5 mins as well. So the combination will work. The soaking was mainly for the kidney beans, so no soaking will work as you are using canned kidney beans. You will not be able to do PIP brown rice with this, but could do PIP white rice if you like. Hope you enjoy it!

  9. How did you do the rice, how much water to how much rice? I’ve never tried pot in pot cooking and I am curious! Thanks!

    1. Hey Stacy – Great question. I have updated the ingredient list to mention the details. I use 1 cup Brown rice to 1.25 cup water. Pot-in-pot is a wonderful convenience, you will definitely love it.