Instant Pot Dal Makhani with pot-in-pot brown rice is an easy and delicious one-pot meal. This dal is also popularly known as Madras Lentils. This restaurant-style Dal Makhani made in the instant pot is rich, creamy, and flavorful. It goes really well with basmati rice and naan.
Dal Makhani is one of the most popular Punjabi dals. Interestingly, it is very similar to the 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.
Authentic Dal Makhani is usually slow-cooked, which can take hours. However, I have used the Instant Pot to prepare it as a one-pot meal in 50 minutes, most of which is passive time.
Want to find other easy Instant Pot Indian Recipes? Here are 29 Instant Pot Indian Vegetarian Recipes for you to try!
Table of Contents
- Watch How to Make Instant Pot Dal Makhani
- What is Dal Makhani?
- How to make Dal Makhani in Instant Pot?
- How to get the reddish color for Dal Makhani?
- Instant Pot Madras Lentils
- Dal Makhani with Pot-in-Pot Brown Rice
- Vegan Dal Makhani
- Can I use canned kidney beans when making Dal Makhani?
- Pro-Tips
- What to Serve with Dal Makhani?
- More Instant Pot Indian Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot Dal Makhani (Madras Lentils) Recipe
Watch How to Make Instant Pot Dal Makhani
What is Dal Makhani?
Dal makhani is a dish from the Punjab region in the Indian subcontinent. 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, known as “makhan” in Hindi. So Dal Makhani translates to “buttery lentils.”
Dal Makhani is traditionally made with whole black urad dal and rajma (kidney beans) cooked in aromatics, tomatoes, and spices. This dal is made luscious with the generous addition of butter and cream.
Curious about pulses used in Indian cooking? Check out my detailed guide about Indian Pulses.
How to make Dal Makhani in Instant Pot?
Here, I’m sharing the steps for making one-pot Dal Makhani in the Instant Pot. Usually, it’s hard to make this dal on a weeknight, as it takes a long time to cook on the stovetop. However, with the Instant Pot and this almost hands-off method, you can enjoy this dal on a weeknight.
- Start by soaking the lentils and beans in ample water for 8 hours or overnight. Soaking is mainly required for the kidney beans, but I find it easier to soak them all together.
- When ready to cook, heat the Instant Pot in saute mode. Add butter and let it melt. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Then, add the onions and sauté for a few minutes until they turn golden.
- Add the tomatoes and spices and saute for 3 minutes.
- Now, drain the soaking water and transfer the lentils or beans to the Instant Pot. Add the water for cooking and give it all a good stir. That is all the active work required for this recipe.
- Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high pressure. I usually use the bean/chili mode. The pressure cook mode works the same way, just set the cooking time as mentioned in the recipe card.
- After the pressure cooking is done, open the lid and give a good stir. Dal Makhani is ready. If needed, add hot water to get the desired consistency.
- Stir in the cream if using and garnish the dal with chopped cilantro leaves.
You can also top with more butter to enhance the taste (and calories) 🙂
How to get the reddish color for Dal Makhani?
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 chilies for 30 minutes. Then, grind them to a paste with some water and add them when you add the tomatoes. You’ll love the color and the added flavor of the Kashmiri chili. I do this in my Pav Bhaji recipe, too.
Kashmiri chilies 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.
Instant Pot Madras Lentils
I could not find much history for the name Madras Lentils. However, the Tasty Bite brand, available at Costco and other major grocery chains, has undoubtedly 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, Chilies, and Cumin.
- My understanding is that they use adzuki beans (also known as chori in Hindi) in place of black gram lentils.
- The spices used are much fewer, only cumin and chili. So it is milder than Dal Makhani.
Other than that, I don’t see any differences. You can follow the same recipe below with adzuki beans and adjust the spices to make the popular Madras Lentils. I have also shared the adzuki bean curry, called red chori dal, if you want to give that a try.
Dal Makhani with Pot-in-Pot Brown Rice
One of the significant advantages of the Instant Pot is the option for 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. For pot-in-pot cooking, you need a tall trivet and stainless steel containers that you can use within the main pot.
Another critical thing to consider with pot-in-pot cooking is the cooking time for the dishes you want to cook together. For example, Dal Makhani takes about 30 minutes to cook at high pressure, and brown rice takes around 22-25 minutes at high pressure. Hence, if I add brown rice pot-in-pot with beans, they will cook well.
I wouldn’t cook white rice with Dal Makhani; however, it would work well with dal tadka, which cooks in 6-8 minutes at high pressure.
Learn more about the instant pot pot-in-pot method with this comprehensive guide!
Once you’ve added all the ingredients for Dal Makhani to 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!
This restaurant-style Dal Makhani is creamy and full of flavor. It would be a great addition to your next party or potluck.
The best part is that you can prepare it the day before, and it tastes even better the next day. Just before serving, heat it well, and top with some butter and cream. And you are good to go!
Fun Fact: Below is the original picture I clicked for this recipe when I created it in 2017. Since then, I have updated this recipe and added new photos.
Vegan Dal Makhani
Most of the ingredients in this Dal Makhani are already vegan, except for the butter and cream (if you choose to add them). To make this dal vegan, simply replace the butter with your favorite plant-based oil or vegan butter and use coconut milk or cashew cream instead of dairy cream at the end.
Can I use canned kidney beans when making Dal Makhani?
Technically, you can use canned kidney beans; however, since they are pre-cooked, you need to add them at the end and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
I feel there is no advantage to using canned kidney beans in this recipe, as it does not help cut 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
Soaking: Soak the Dal and Beans to get the best texture.
Add that butter: Don’t skimp on adding butter or ghee.
Vegan: To make this recipe vegan, skip the butter and use your preferred oil instead.
Make it creamy: This dal is super creamy, even without added cream. Top with cream or cashew cream when serving!
Whole Spices: I kept this recipe simple and did not add any whole spices. You can add a bay leaf and 3-4 cardamom pods if you like, along with the cumin seeds.
Leftovers: This Dal Makhani is even more delicious the next day, making it perfect for meal prep. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you’d like to keep it longer, freeze it in small portions in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat it in the microwave or a pan on the stovetop. You might need to add a splash of water to adjust the consistency. This dal thickens as it cools.
Kasoori Methi: I don’t add kasoori methi as my mom doesn’t. If you like, crush 1 tablespoon of dried fenugreek leaves between your palms and add them to the dal after it has finished pressure cooking.
Mom’s tip: This dal is a bit harder to digest, so she recommends adding a pinch of hing (asafoetida) and some carom seeds when cooking it.
What to Serve with Dal Makhani?
Dal Makhani tastes excellent with a variety of Indian sides. It pairs well with basmati rice or jeera rice. For bread lovers, garlic naan, roti, or paratha make excellent choices. You can find naan at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods in the frozen section.
More Instant Pot Indian Recipes You’ll Love
Punjabi Rajma – Instant Pot & Stovetop (Red Kidney Bean Curry)
Saag Aloo in Instant Pot (Spinach Potato Curry)
Paneer Tikka Masala – Instant Pot
Dahi Aloo (Potato Yogurt Curry)
Instant Pot Dal Makhani (Madras Lentils)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup Black gram lentils (Sabut Urad Dal), rinsed and soaked for 4 hours or overnight
- 1/4 cup Red Kidney Beans (Rajma)
- 2 tablespoon Butter or Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1/2 tablespoon Ginger, freshly grated
- 1/2 tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 2 Tomato, medium, finely diced or pureed, or use 1/2 cup store-bought tomato puree
- 3 cup Water, for cooking
- 3 tablespoon Cream , optional
- Cilantro, to garnish
Spices
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, adjust quantity if using other chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
- 1 teaspoon Salt, adjust to taste
For Brown Rice
- 1 cup Brown Rice, rinsed
- 1 1/4 cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil, optional
- 1 teaspoon Salt, optional
Instructions
- Wash and rinse urad dal and rajma in a large bowl. Soak overnight in 3 cups of water.
- 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 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and spices. Stir and saute for another 3 minutes.
- Drain the water from the soaked lentils and beans. Add them to the instant pot. Add 3 cups of water for cooking and give it a stir.
- (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 the vent in the sealing position. Change the instant pot setting to bean/chili mode, which will set the timer to 30 minutes on 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, and if using, add the cream. If needed, add hot water to get the desired consistency. If you like, add more salt or garam masala to taste.
- Garnish with cilantro. Dal Makhani is ready to be served.
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 .
You can watch the videos on Youtube if you like. Here is the link – https://www.youtube.com/c/pipingpotcurry. I have the ads setup to only show a single one at the start of the video. I am surprised you are seeing more than one.
I did not see more than one ad. I was able to watch the video just fine.
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.
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 !
Hey Niru – Glad to hear you enjoyed the Dal Makhani. Thank you for sharing back your review!
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.
Hey Amanda – Yes, you can easily double this recipe in a 6qt or 8qt instant pot. Hope you enjoy it!
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.
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!
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.
Oh and we added the dried peppers I read about in the comments and really liked the flavor and color they added 🙂
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 🙂
Just made this.. family loved it .. thank you
Thank you for always taking the time to share back your review, Radha. It is so helpful and great to hear back from readers 🙂
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.
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 🙂
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. 🙂
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Awesome! Thank you so much! Such a quick reply!
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!
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.