Moong Dal Tadka or Split Yellow Lentil Soup made in Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. This is another popular dal similar to Toor Dal Fry that is used for everyday cooking in India. It is a quick, easy and low-calorie nutritious lentil soup.
Moong dal used to be my mom’s go to dal for a quick meal. It can be prepared very quickly in just 15 minutes. It is also a great source of proteins for vegetarians. For all the fitness pals, this lentil is very low in calories. It is also extremely light and healthy. That is the reason this is a preferred lentil when someone is sick and recovering, as it is very easy to digest. This dal is also considered a great starter food for babies.
Moong dal is also used to make Khichdi, which is a great comfort food for Indians, and moong dal chilla, which is a wonderful protein-rich breakfast option.
Check out other popular lentil recipes – Panchmel Dal, Red Masoor Dal, Green Moong Dal and Dal Makhani.
Curious about pulses used in Indian cooking? Check out my detailed guide about Indian Pulses.
How to cook Moong Dal in Instant Pot?
One thing important to note is that these split yellow lentils cook very quickly, so you want to be careful that it does not get too mushy. I prefer the grainy consistency where you can really taste the dal.
There are 2 ways to make any lentils. Traditionally lentils were first boiled separately in water and the tadka (tempering) prepared separately and mixed into the boiled lentils. The second way is to make the tadka and then add the lentils and pressure cook along with the tadka.
I prefer the latter as it is a simpler one-pot recipe. Hence I will show the method latter method in this recipe. The ingredients needed for this recipe are the very basic onions, tomatoes and garlic. Some people even skip the onions and tomatoes in this lentils, and temper just with cumin and garlic.
Start with heating ghee/oil in the instant pot. Then add cumin seeds, asafoetida, onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the onions are lightly cooked. Then add chopped tomatoes and spices. Add rinsed lentils and water. No need to soak the lentils for this recipe. Pressure Cook for 4 minutes and then release the pressure 5 minutes after the beep. Garnish with cilantro and additional garam masala if you like a spice kick.
You can enjoy this as a soup or with basmati rice or roti. In the picture below, I added a little ghee tempered with cumin and red chili powder, which is completely optional. It just helps to make the dal look gorgeous, and ghee always enhances the taste.
Looking for more easy Instant Pot Recipes? Here are 29 Best Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes for you to try!
Moong Dal Fry / Split Yellow Lentils Soup – Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing), optional, skip for gluten-free
- 1/2 Onion, medium, diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, diced
- 1/2 Tomato, medium, diced
- 1 cup Split Yellow Lentils (Moong Dal), rinsed
- 3 cups Water
- Cilantro, to garnish, optional
Spices
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne or Red Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat oil in it. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida.
- Once the cumin seeds start to change color, add the onions, garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Stir and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the washed dal and water. Stir it all up while making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Press Cancel and close the lid with vent in sealing position.
- Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 4 mins. After the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then release the pressure manually (5 minute NPR).
- Garnish with cilantro and stir. Optionally, sprinkle the juice of half a lemon and some garam masala. Moong Dal is ready to be served.
Stovetop Method:
- Follow the same steps as above, and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally.
Delish! I did increase diced tomato to 2 cups. Did 8 minutes and quick release, was perfect consistency for my taste. I like it with a mix of brown and wild rice.
I have some split green moong dal. Can I use that in this recipe instead of the yellow? Thank you!
Hi Emily – Sure, you can use split green moong in this recipe. Increase pressure cooking time to 6 minutes. Hope you enjoy it!
I did as you recommended and it turned out perfectly! The dish was delicious! Thank you so much!
Hi Emily – Happy to hear the dal turned out well. Thanks for sharing back!