Gujarati Dal (Instant Pot & Stovetop Recipe)

Gujarati Dal is a sweet, spicy and tangy lentil soup, made with pigeon peas (tuvar dal), lots of warming spices and the sweetness of jaggery. This staple dal from the Gujarat region of India can be enjoyed with rice, roti or as a soup! 

Dal and Rice are the most comforting staple food of India, also called Dal Bhat. Dal is basically a lentil stew typically made with split pigeon peas (also called Daal, Dahl or Dhal). And bhat is rice.

Every region (or even every home) has their own perfect recipe for dal. Dal is the main protein dish for many vegetarians, and hence a dish prepared almost everyday in an Indian home.

You will also enjoy the North Indian Dal Fry and the South Indian Sambar recipe before.

What is special about this Gujarati Dal?

This Gujarati dal is the khatti-meethi (sour-sweet) dal from the state of Gujarat in western India. It has thin consistency, but has lots of warming spices and the sweetness of jaggery. We completely love the addition of peanuts in this dal.

Oh and this dal typically has no onion and garlic which many people in the region prefer to avoid from their diet.

I will share the easy one-pot recipe made in the instant pot. It can also be made on the stovetop.

Traditionally, most people add the tempering separately after cooking the dal in the pressure cooker. However I like to make it as a one-pot recipe. I have tried both ways and feel that there is no difference in taste or texture of the dal. So the one-pot recipe wins in my opinion!

How to make Instant Pot Gujarati Dal?

The ingredient list for this dal might be long, but they are all easy ingredients you might already have in your pantry.

This dal is made with Tuvar dal is also called as toor dal, arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils. Tuvar dal contains protein and dietary fiber. It also contains complex carbohydrates, which are digested slowly by the body and are much better than simple carbohydrates.

I love that in the instant pot we can make both dal and rice at the same time with the pot-in-pot method. Making pot-in-pot rice while cooking this dal is completely optional.

Let's see the steps to make this dal in the instant pot:

• Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat the ghee/oil in it. Then add all the tempering ingredients and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Then add the ginger, tomato and spices. Sauté for a minute.
• Add the dal, water and peanuts. Stir well.
• Close the lid with vent in sealing position. Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for for 5 mins. After the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally.

• Add the jaggery. Using a whisk mash the dal. (Hand blender is not required)
• Sprinkle the lime juice. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or with roti.

Gujarati Dal with Pot-in-Pot 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.

After adding all the dal ingredients, place a trivet and then the bowl with the rice ingredients on it. The cooking time does not change for this dal whether rice is added or not.

Why you will love this Gujarati Dal?

√ It is easy to make one-pot recipe in the instant pot with very less active time needed

√ Healthy, nutritious & protein rich

√ It is sweet, spicy and tangy with a wonderful flavor profile

√ This dal be made ahead and freezes well

√ Vegan & Gluten free

√ You can make rice right along with the dal for a complete meal

We love Gujarati food. Some of the other instant pot Gujarati recipes are -

• Khaman Dhokla
• Green Moong Dal
• Rava Dhokla
• Khandvi