Creamy, coconutty, and ridiculously easy to make, this delicious Masoor Dal or Red Lentil Dal cooked quickly in an Instant Pot, is sure to become a hot family favorite. You can also make this dal with no added oil and serve with basmati rice or roti for a nutritious, satisfying dinner. Vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe

Making dal in an Instant Pot is a no-brainer because although a good Indian dal (also spelled "dahl"or "dhal") is by no means a difficult or time-consuming dish to make, an Instant Pot just makes the entire process so much easier. Even better, all of the cooking can happen in one pot, making cleanup a breeze.

In our Indian-food-loving home, dal is on the menu at least twice a week, and we especially love recipes like this simple but delicious Indian dal and this easy but flamboyant Dal Tadka. But making dal -- the proper way -- can be a bit of a mess-making affair. You need to boil the dal separately, preferably in a pressure cooker. Then you need to saute the onions, ginger, garlic, veggies, or whatever you're using in your recipe in another pot before you add your dal to it. And finally, you need a little saucepan for the tadka, which is the tempering of oil and spices that finishes off any Indian dish, giving it that defining flair it cannot do without.
By now your overstressed dishwasher's ready to break down.
I'll be honest -- I cheat. When in a rush, I'll do the tadka first in the big saucepan and then add in the rest of the ingredients and the dal. And that can be fine in most cases, so long as you have cooked dal on hand and your cooking time is going to be short.
But yes, you do have to cook that dal first. In a pressure cooker or in a separate pot on the stovetop.
There probably are cooks who will say, hey, wait, we just do everything in one pot: the tadka, the onions, the dal, etc., and it tastes just fine.
To which I would say, sorry, but in that case you probably don't know what a dal should really taste like.
Here's why. Most lentils take a while to cook to the mushy tenderness you need in a dal, which could range from 20 minutes at best to even an hour. And while those lentils are cooking, the rest of the tadka ingredients you so optimistically already added to the pot are overcooking and losing all of their flavor and texture. So in the end, the dish you will serve will likely look -- and taste -- like a bland, dull, gloppy mess rather than that dreamy dal you were going for.
Not quite what you had in mind?
The Instant Pot, however, is an exception. Perhaps because the dal cooks quite so quickly in it, or perhaps because its just a magical little appliance. Who knows? 😉
What is masoor dal?
Masoor dal are gorgeous, coral-red lentils that you can find at nearly any grocery store here in the United States (no trips to the ethnic market required).
But if you do wander into an Indian grocery store, you'll be delighted -- and probably a little confused -- to come across different versions of masoor, including:
- The whole masoor or sabut masoor, which is simply the unsplit version of the lentil with its brown skin still on. I really love whole masoor -- it cooks up with a completely different, far nuttier taste than the split version does, and it remains whole even when really soft, giving your dal a really lovely look (try this Whole Masoor Dal, one of my favorite weeknight dals).
- Masoor matki, which is a smaller version of the whole masoor and on the packet usually goes by the cute sobriquet of "whole baby masoor lentils".
- There's even a green masoor, which is the whole bean but with a green skin, and a yellow one.
- Masoor gota, which is the whole bean with the brown skin removed.
- Finally, you have the most predominantly used kind of masoor: masoor dal, or red lentils. These are the skinned, split lentils and these are what we'll be using today.

Incredibly, despite all this variety, masoor is not really a popular lentil in India. Sure, we Indians have invented a bazillion kinds of dal and we make one with masoor every now and then, so it's not like we ignore it altogether. But it is also true that Indian cooks have, for some mysterious reason, failed to treat masoor with the love and respect we reserve for tuvar dal (split pigeon peas), urad dal (black lentil dal), moong dal (mung dal) and chana dal (bengal gram dal).
The reason could be that masoor dal tends to be more neutral tasting -- and is therefore considered bland by some -- compared to other dals, which have stronger personalities. But in my book that makes it a winner because it absorbs all of those tadka and other flavors so much better.
That, and the fact that masoor cooks up much faster than almost any other lentil around.
Yep. Weeknight dinner alert.
And because it breaks down so easily, it is a really great dal to use when you want a super creamy dal. Like this Instant Pot Masoor Dal I have for you today.
How to make the best Masoor Dal
This is an incredibly flavorful dal, with a base of onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes. The coconut milk makes it creamy and marries all of the spices and herbs so beautifully, your tastebuds will do a tango.
Better still, because it's made in the Instant Pot, you can do it all in one pot with under 10 minutes of hands-on time, and you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes. You don't have to presoak the dal, and all you need to do is quickly pick over it for anything that doesn't belong in there.
It's also a good idea to rinse the dal quickly in a strainer, just to get rid of any dust or other impurities that may have clung to it during its journey from a farm to you, but you don't have to do it.

Tips for making dal in an Instant Pot
- Start out by sauteing the ingredients in the Instant Pot set to the saute function, so it's best to have all of your ingredients chopped and ready. That way you can get everything into the IP in quick succession.
- Chop your onions and dice your tomatoes fine. You want the dal to be creamy, and when the veggies are finely diced and thoroughly cooked, they will simply melt away into your dal.
- The curry leaves are optional because I know everyone can't easily find them. I love using curry leaves with most recipes that include coconut -- it's a south Indian thing, and these two flavors are marvelous together. You can also sub the curry leaves with 2 tablespoon cilantro for great flavor.
- I prefer to use the canned coconut milk over the kind that comes in a carton because I find the flavor more true to fresh coconut milk. If you can use freshly extracted coconut milk, good for you!
- Finally, for those of you who have my basic tomato onion masala sauce on hand, I have good news: you can make this recipe even faster using the sauce. I'll include directions in the recipe notes.

Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil
- Black mustard seeds
- Onions
- Curry leaves (optional)
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Coriander powder
- Turmeric
- Red pepper flakes (or red chili peppers)
- Masoor dal or red lentil dal (the split kind)
- Coconut milk
- Cilantro for garnish (optional)
- Lemon juice (optional)
Recipe FAQs
Most dals are best served with rice and roti, or either one of those. If you're feeling a little indulgent, you could serve this dal with my Jeera Rice. That's a 15-minute recipe, so you could easily make it while the dal is cooking in the Instant Pot. Also serve a vegetable side, like this Aloo Gobi.
About four days in the refrigerator and you can freeze it for up to three months. Always use an airtight container and thaw and reheat before using.
More tasty vegan dal recipes
- Spicy Urad Dal (Black Lentil Dal)
- Black Eyed Peas Dal with Cilantro and Mint
- Instant Pot Vegan Dal Makhani
- One Pot Garlicky Spinach Dal
- Creamy Moong Dal
More Instant Pot recipes


Instant Pot Masoor Dal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or any vegetable oil. To make the dal oil-free, use ¼ cup of water to saute)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 1 sprig curry leaves (optional, can be replaced with 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro)
- 4 medium tomatoes (finely diced)
- 1-inch piece ginger (grated or crushed into a paste)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced or crushed into a paste)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or if using dry red chili peppers use one or two based on how much heat you can tolerate)
- 1 cup red lentils (masoor dal)
- ½ cup coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- Lemon juice for squeezing on top
Instructions
- Heat the oil in an Instant Pot set to the "saute" function set to "normal". Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to sputter, add the onions, curry leaves, ginger and garlic. (If making this oil-free, add the mustard seeds to the dry IP liner after it heats up, then, when they sputter, add the onions, ginger and garlic and then add in ¼ cup water)
- Saute, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and just start to brown. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, coriander powder and red pepper flakes and mix well. You can use an Instant Pot glass lid or any glass lid that fits to cover the pot at this time and let the tomatoes cook 3-4 minutes until they are broken down and very pulpy. Stir a couple of times during cooking.
- Add the dal to the pot and stir to mix, then add in 4 cups water. Give everything a good stir then click in the Instant Pot lid. Set the IP at manual pressure for 10 minutes.
- After cooking, wait either until pressure releases automatically, or, if you're in a rush, wait 10 minutes after the end of cooking, then carefully quick-release according to instructions.
- Using a ladle, stir in the coconut milk and salt to taste. At this point you can garnish with more cilantro, if you like, or serve as is. Always top the dal with a final squeeze of lemon juice for the perfect finish!
Recipe notes
- To make this dal with my basic tomato onion masala sauce, add the mustard seeds to the oil, and after they sputter, add 2 cups of the masala sauce. Mix well, then proceed with step 3 of the recipe and continue. This will cut down almost all of your hands-on sauteing time.
Nutrition

MELISSA FREDERICK
Made this last night for a side dish with curried coconut pumpkin soup. It came out of the instant pot too juicy (like another soup) So I added a cup of rice and cooked it some more, using the auto/rice button. It was perfect. I didn't add coconut milk. The spices were just right.
Vaishali
Hi Melisa, so happy to hear you loved the dal. I like my dal to be a bit soupy, that's how it usually is served in Indian homes, but I like the smart fix you implemented to get it to your liking. 🙂
Blair Brown
Holy cow is right! I made this with a few changes (can of tomato soup, 3 cups of water, added about 1/4 c of Ethiopian spice blend aka berbere, didn’t add any coconut milk) and it was AMAZING, the flavor profile was absolutely not from this planet. I highly suggest making a small batch of berbere, it’s just the right amount of spice for vegan dishes! Of course, I’m a spice addict so I topped it with jalapeno (as well as non fat fage, mango, and and cilantro)
Vaishali
Hi Blair, I love berbere, so that's a great addition. Thanks for the feedback and happy you loved the dal!
Donnie
I just made this and am almost finished eating thwe first big bowlful, with rice and quinoa. I am going to try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting. This is the bomb. Sooo good!
Vaishali
Hi Donnie, that's so great to hear! Happy you tried it. 🙂
Lakshmy
Made this yesterday. So tasty and easy to make.
Vaishali
Hi Lakshmy, so happy to hear! Thanks for letting me know.
Dalip
This is such an easy recipe and has become our new family favourite dhal. We make this every week, at least! I use coconut cream instead and stir it in at the end.
Vaishali
Dalip, so happy to hear!
Todd
I made the tomato onion chutney base yesterday and made the dal today. This was absolutely delicious. For my 2 cents worth, I think that the chutney base is the way to go. Super easy.
Great recipe!
Vaishali
So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Anonymous
This was so delicious and easy to make. I love that it has coconut milk in it. Its my favorite dal recipe so far :).
Vaishali
So happy to hear. Thanks for letting me know!
Archana
It came out great!! Thank you Vaishali!
Couple of quick tips- I used only about half the water because the cans of tomatoes have more water in them. And I may use a little less canned tomato next time, because the tomato flavor is stronger than when using regular tomato.
My little 8 yr old taste tested as well and was very happy!
Vaishali
So happy you loved it, Archana!
Archana
I am excited to try this and will repost when I do this weekend. But I want to use canned tomato chunks or canned tomato sauce. Can I use one can instead of 4 tomatos?
Vaishali
Yes, that will be fine!
Vaishali
Yes, a 14 oz can would be fine!
Mara
this is my new favorite IP dal recipe. it has such a fantastic flavor. thank you!
Krithika
The ingredient list is still quite confusing. It says 1 cup pink dal and 1 cup masoor right under that, but I think it's a total of 1 cup?
Vaishali
Yes, one cup of masoor altogether. I've corrected.
Sharon
HI Vaishali, love all your recipes! But on this one, I don't see how much dahl to use? Also, what if you don't have an instant pot?
thanks, Sharon
Vaishali
Hi Sharon, one cup. On the Instant Pot, if you don't have it, proceed in a saucepan and let the dal boil, covered in water, until it is very tender. Check frequently to see if water has evaporated and add more if needed.
Camille
Hi, Vaishali,
Looks delicious! At what point do the curry leaves go in?
Thanks for another great recipe.
Vaishali
Hi Camille, in step 1 with the onions!
Camille
Thanks. Can't have too many dal recipes!
Vaishali
Can't agree more. 🙂