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.
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.