We are making yellow dal tadka!
The secret to making a bowl of yellow lentils feel extra special?
Top it up with a heavy drizzle of fragrant, spice-infused ghee!
Stirring warm, aromatic, buttery ghee into a bowl of lentils just before serving transforms a humble soup into a rich and decadent dish.
What is dal tadka?
The word “dal” means lentil soup, and “tadka” is the act of frying aromatics in hot oil or ghee. Therefore dal tadka is a lentil soup that’s topped with fragrant ghee/oil.
There is no one right way to make dal tadka. Different regions and different households spice their dal differently. What you put in a tadka, or tempering, is completely up to you.
This particular recipe is for Punjabi dal tadka and is made with yellow lentils, onion masala, and then topped with a spicy tempering made up of crisp cumin seeds, caramelized onions, and chilies.
What kind of dal do you use when making dal tadka?
Yellow dal tadka or dal fry is what you usually find in restaurants. It’s what most people are referring to when they talk about dal tadka. This popular dal tadka is made using yellow lentils, like moong dal or toor dal, or sometimes a combination of the two.
The pictures in this post are photographed using moong dal, but feel free to use toor dal or masoor dal (red lentils), or again, a combination. Moong dal adds a nice creaminess to dal tadka and so sometimes when I use toor or masoor, I’ll add a bit of moong too.
If you’ve seen my recipe for everyday dal, it is a simpler dal tadka recipe calling for both masoor and moong; overall, it is less flavorful than this restaurant-style yellow dal tadka but it’s a good recipe to make if you don’t have much time and need to make dal using minimal ingredients.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about when I refer to different dals, you’re not alone. I’ve been there – it can be confusing. Read this post I wrote about different types of lentils used in Indian cooking – there are lots of pictures in the post. 🙂
Making dal tadka in an Instant Pot
Typically, when I make dal in the instant pot, I’ll make the tadka first, right in the pot, then add the dal and water overtop and cook.
But with this dal tadka, I’m doing things a bit differently. I’m cooking the lentils with frozen onion masala, spices, and water together first.
Then, I’m making tadka on the stovetop and pouring it overtop the lentils just before serving.
When the dal is done, pour it into a bowl, top it with tadka and then garnish with cilantro. Swirl it all together before you eat 🙂
Serve dal tadka with plain basmati rice or jeera rice or pea pulao. You can also add raita (yogurt) and pickle (achar) on the side, to make this a more complete meal. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow dal moong, toor, or a combination, rinsed
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup frozen onion masala 2 cubes of this silicone mold
Spices
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon amchur
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder
Tadka
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ onion thinly sliced
- 1 green chili minced
- 2 dried red chilies
- ⅛ teaspoon hing
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
- Add the rinsed dal, water, onion masala, and spices to the instant pot.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure.
Make the tadka on the stovetop:
- Add ghee to a pan over medium heat and once it melts, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When the cumin seeds brown, add the onion and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until golden brown, then add the green chili, dried red chilies, hing, stir, then add the Kashmiri red chili and immediately remove from heat.
- Pour the (red) tadka on top of the dal.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Video
Stef says
Good recipe. I felt the garlic flavour was missing from the tadka and a squeeze of lemon to finish at the end. Other than that, I liked it.
Sharon says
Could I use red lentils for this it is all I have
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Yes 🙂 I also have this recipe that’s really good: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-red-lentil-dal/
Sharon says
Hi I made it with the red lentils. I loved it and the topping is amazing!!!which would you recommend I try next?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂 I love all of my recipes haha, but are you looking for another lentil dish? My masala dal is always a hit and for something seasonal, my sweet potato dal is great!
Komal says
Hi ! I loved the recipe! Do you think I can make triple the recipe in the 6 quart IP?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Komal, I haven’t tried so I’m not sure – my only concern for this recipe would be making sure nothing goes past the max line on the Instant Pot. Doubling it should work, not sure about tripling it.
Komal says
Thanks !! Just bought an 8 qt IP. Do you think I should alter anything else to make triple the amount in the 8 qt IP?
Maneesha says
So delicious, Ashley! I love making dishes from different parts of India, and this dal from Punjab was great! I made it with yellow mung daal and I’ll try it again with different daals!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Maneesha, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked this 🙂
Rachel Singh says
This came out soooooo good. Definitely the best lentil recipe I have ever tasted. We made the Everyday Dal recipe before and I thought it was delicious, but this one is somehow even better. My Punjabi husband said, “this is the way it’s supposed to taste”.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Rachel, that’s awesome! I’m so glad to hear that you and your hubby liked this! Let me know what you think of any other lentil recipes you try – hopefully they’re all better than the last 😉
Breeanna says
Yum this was a really good use of the frozen onion masala. The timing on the cook was perfect, the dal came out with a nice texture, still a little bit of shape. I did simplify my tadka somewhat just some mustard, cumin seeds and green chilli in ghee but it does the job.
Big fan of the onion masala recipes, makes things so easy!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Breeanna, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how this turned out for you 🙂 I’m glad you like the onion masala recipes – I’ll keep ’em coming!
Beth says
Super easy and super delicious! Everyone in my family loved this dish!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Beth, happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much your family enjoyed this!
Gargi says
This was so good, Ashley! I am typing this while enjoying a bowl of dal fry. Love the smoky flavor from the tadka. I can’t believe I haven’t been cooking dal like this all these years. Reminds me of the time growing up in India, when my dad used to bring home dal fry from nearby Dhaba. 🙂
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Gargi! I’m so happy to hear that this brought back happy memories! Glad you liked this so much 🙂
Curious says
How many servings is this?
sharon says
I have made a LOT of recipes on this site. This one is really easy and delicious. I will make again!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Sharon, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this 🙂
Krina says
If I want to make double the portion, do I need to double the water as well?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Krina, to double the recipe, double all of the ingredients – including water- but keep the cook time the same. Let me know what you think if you try!
Anvita says
Tried to post comments earlier too but for some reason they are not added. I love all your recipes Ashley as they come out really great! I have trouble with daal as it somehow remains uncooked in instant pot for me. Have you run into this situation anytime? I have followed the recipe and tried cooking daal with different pressure cook time all the way up to 20 mins but it does not cook well. I have tried various combinations like with or without adding salt, tomatoes and other things but the daal is never well done. What am I doing wrong?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thank you, Anvita! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes! As for your question – if you are having trouble with cooking dal – it could either be that perhaps your pot isn’t properly sealing and coming to pressure? Or it could also be that the dal is old – old dal takes much longer to cook and sometimes won’t soften no matter how long it’s cooked. It may not be anything you are doing – it could be the dal itself. Please let me know if you’re able to figure this out!
Binita Shah says
Loved this simple recipe. It turned out to be awesome. Thank you for sharing, Ashley.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how the recipe turned out for you 🙂
Anoop says
Very tasty!! Loved it. Simple ingredients but tastes awesome.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Anoop! That’s great to hear 🙂
Zaira Chowdhury says
This recipe looks delicious Ashley! Can’t wait to try it out 🙂 I had a quick question about your Onion Masala. Is there an alternative to the masala if I am in a hurry, and don’t have it pre-made?
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Zaira! You’d need to saute an onion until brown, then saute ginger and garlic, and then cook down a couple of tomatoes. Definitely suggest making the masala if you’re going to do all of that anyway!
Lisa says
Hi Ashley,
Can you please share the details of the pans and skillets you use? I am in search of a good pan and skillet (without any toxic coating).
Thanks,
Lisa
My Heart Beets says
Hi Lisa, I’ll work on putting together a comprehensive list, great idea! For now, I really love my 11-inch Staub enameled cast iron deep skillet. I also recently bought an “always pan” but have yet to see if it lives up to the hype 🙂
kel says
Can’t say enough great things about all your recipes! Regarding dal tadka in particular, I have tried so many recipes, attempting to recreate some of the flavor from my local Indian restaurant. Their yellow dal tadka has a truly zingy, almost tart flavor that is amazing with the other spices. I haven’t really been able to capture that flavor even with upping the amchur a bit. Any idea what it could be? I’m not sure if anardana or tamarind would normally be included in a dal tadka. Maybe my amchur is a bit old.
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Kel! Glad you like my recipes 🙂 As for the dal tadka, I’d definitely suggest getting fresh spices – they make such a difference. It does sound like they add something extra though – souring agents are very common in Indian cooking. It could be any number of ingredients but my guess is that they’re using whole pieces of dried green/raw mango which adds a different flavor than amchur – it’s really nice. You can find that at your local Indian grocery store. If you try that, cook it with the dal (not the tadka).
Brandy says
I made this tonight when my chicken biryani plans fell through, and I served it with jeera rice (and naan at my son’s request). SO good. My husband and young son loved it. The tadka made the house smell amazing. As always when I make your recipes, I crack open a few windows to make my neighbors jealous.
I am going to make it again tomorrow.
You and your onion masala are the greatest things to happen to me since the invention of the instant pot. Thank you.
My Heart Beets says
Brandy, I’m so glad your husband and son enjoyed the dal! And love that you’re sharing the aroma with your neighbors lol – hopefully it’ll encourage them to give Indian food a try! Thanks for the kind words 🙂
Jayesh Lalwani says
Are you sure you cooked it for 6 minutes? Did you soak it before? My other recipe says to cook it for 30 minutes
My Heart Beets says
Hi Jayesh, yes, I set the cook time for 6 minutes – please keep in mind that it takes time to build up pressure before the cook time begins, and then it will also take time to naturally release pressure. 🙂 Hope that helps explain!
Barbara says
I have made this so many times now and I love it! Iam so glad to have found your recipes. They have opened up a whole new world for me and my instant pot!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Barbara, that’s so great to hear! I’m glad you found my recipes too – I hope you’ll continue to let me know what you think of them as you try them 🙂
Maneesha says
Wow this looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it! I love your daal recipes – keep ’em coming! I just made your pumpkin daal again earlier this week and loved it!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Maneesha! Happy to hear that 🙂
Allie Nguyen says
Can I use Chana dal for this recipe?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Allie, chana dal requires a longer cook time than moong, toor, and masoor, so the answer is yes, but with some adjustments. To use chana dal, you can reduce the amount of water to 2.5 cups. Then I’d suggest soaking it for an hour first, then cook the dal for 12 minutes with NPR. It’ll look more like this photo: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-chana-dal/ Hope that helps 🙂