Varan bhaat is a comforting and satisfying Maharashtrian dish and makes a perfect lunch or dinner. This instant pot varan recipe is incredibly easy, it only requires seven ingredients, and the flavor is simply delicious!
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❤️About This Recipe
What is Varan Bhaat?
Varan means boiled or cooked dal (lentils) and bhaat means cooked or steamed rice. In short, it is dal chawal (or lentil rice) in simple language.
Here toor dal (pigeon peas) is boiled along with salt, turmeric and jaggery in instant pot. Rice is also cooked in instant pot using the PIP (pot-in-pot) method.
A simple tempering (tadka) is made from ghee, cumin seeds and hing that is added to boiled, mashed lentils.
- The varan recipe without the addition of tempering is called ‘Sadha varan’.
- The varan recipe made with a tempering (that is today’s recipe) is called ‘Phodniche varan’.
You’ll Love This Varan Bhaat
- Simple & Easy: Varan recipe calls for basic ingredients and it is a staple in most Maharashtrian homes as an everyday meal.
- Quick to make: Varab bhaat made in instant pot gets ready in just 30 minutes (with 10 minutes of active time only).
- No onion no garlic: As being Satvic dish, varan bhaat is offered to god as bhog (naivedyam) on occasions like Ganesh Chaturthi, Gudi padwa or any other auspicious day.
- Filling & Comforting meal: A bowl of piping hot varan bhaat is served with a drizzle of ghee (tup), a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and a side of pickle or chutney. This bowl makes a healthy, satisfying lunch or dinner.
- Perfect for babies, toddlers: As there are no spices added here this mild flavored varan is perfect for babies and toddlers or kids who don’t tolerate spicy food.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Here is the pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make varan bhaat in instant pot.
- Toor dal: It is also known as arhar dal, tuver dal, toovar dal in other regional languages and split pigeon peas in English.
- Jaggery: Instead you can use brown sugar.
- Ghee: It adds a nice flavor and aroma to the varan recipe. For a vegan version, use oil instead.
- Hing & Cumin seeds: Both are added in tempering (tadka or chaunk) and both help in easy digestion.
- Rice: I have used basmati rice but you can use any local rice verity.
🎥Watch The Recipe Video
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
- Wash toor dal under running cold water until water runs clear or rinse 2-3 times in a bowl until water is not cloudy anymore.
- Similarly, wash or rinse the rice. Take that into instant pot steamer insert, and add water and salt. Keep it ready.
1) Add rinsed toor dal in instant pot liner along with salt, turmeric powder, jaggery and water.
2) Place a tall rack in the center.
3) Place the rice container on the rack.
4) Cover the rice container with a lid.
5) Cover the instant pot with a lid, and keep the valve to sealing position.
6) Pressure cook on manual (high pressure) for 10 minutes.
7) Let it NPR (Natural pressure release). Once the pin drops open the lid. Carefully remove the rice container lid. NOTE: The water may be collected on the lid. Make sure not to spill the collected water on the rice.
8) Take the rice container and rack out. Dal should be cooked and super soft, mushy texture.
9) Using a whisk, start beating, it will mash the soft dal.
10) You’ll have mashed dal yet slightly grainy (not super smooth).
11) For tempering, heat the small tadka pan on medium heat. Once hot add ghee. Once the ghee is hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit. Add hing, swirl it around to mix.
12) Immediately add this tadka to the mashed dal, mix and varan is ready to serve with rice.
💭Expert Tips
- Soaking dal and rice is not required. But if you prefer to soak for 30 minutes then reduce the cooking time to 7 minutes only.
- Varan will thicken as it cools down. If serving right away then the given water amount is enough. If serving later (after an hour or the next day) then add ½ to 1 cup of more water. Or add water later while reheating the dal and adjust the consistency.
- Cooking varan bhaat on a stovetop pressure cooker: Cook dal for 4-5 whistles and cook the rice separately.
- Storage:
- In the refrigerator, it stays good for 2-3 days in an air-tight container.
- In the freezer, it stays good for up to 3 months. Store in small portions in freeze-safe containers.
🍽 Serving Ideas
- Enjoy a bowl of varan bhaat: Take rice in a bowl, pour hot varan on top of the rice, drizzle a teaspoon or two of ghee, and squeeze the fresh lemon or lime juice. Mix everything and enjoy.
- Sides for the everyday menu: Varan bhaat is served with a side of pickle or chutney or papad for a simple meal. Batata bhaji or sukhi bhaji also makes a perfect side.
- A festive meal: Varan bhaat, shrikhand, puri, batata bhaji, kachumber, kothimbir vadi, pickle and papad makes a complete festive meal.
Did you try this varan bhaat recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
📋 Recipe Card
Varan Bhaat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Arhar dal (toor dal or split pigeon peas)
- 3 cups Water for cooking dal
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Jaggery (Gur)
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 1 ½ - 2 cups Water for cooking rice (1.5 cups for firm texture rice grains, 2 cups for soft and slightly mushy texture)
For Tempering:
- 1 ½ tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
Instructions
- Wash toor dal under running cold water until water runs clear or rinse 2-3 times in a bowl until water is not cloudy anymore.
- Similarly, wash or rinse the rice. Take that into instant pot steamer insert, and add water and salt. Keep it ready.
- Add rinsed toor dal in instant pot liner along with salt, turmeric powder, jaggery and water.
- Place a tall rack in the center.
- Place rice container on the rack and cover it with a lid.
- Cover the instant pot with a lid, and keep the valve to sealing position. Pressure cook on manual (high pressure) for 10 minutes. Let it NPR (Natural pressure release). Once the pin drops open the lid.
- Carefully remove the rice container lid. NOTE: The water may be collected on the lid. Make sure not to spill the collected water on the rice. Take the rice container and rack out.
- Dal should be cooked and super soft, mushy texture. Using a whisk, start beating, it will mash the soft dal. You’ll have mashed dal yet slightly grainy (not super smooth).
- For tempering, heat the small tadka pan on medium heat. Once hot add ghee. Once the ghee is hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit. Add hing, swirl it around to mix.
- Immediately add this tadka to the mashed dal, mix.
Notes
- Soaking dal and rice is not required. But if you prefer to soak for 30 minutes then reduce the cooking time to 7 minutes only.
- Varan will thicken as it cools down. If serving right away then the given water amount is enough. If serving later (after an hour or the next day) then add ½ to 1 cup of more water. Or add water later while reheating the dal and adjust the consistency.
- Cooking on a stovetop pressure cooker: Cook dal for 4-5 whistles and cook the rice separately.
K.Mohana Chakravarti
I am Telugu Brahmin born and brought up in Marathi locality and likes the flavour and taste of traditional Varan which I had in my Childhood. Believe it or not I asked many Marathi Brahmins about Varan and I made it home but I didn't get the flavour of traditional Varan which I had in my Childhood. Kindly mail me if it is possible.
Thank You
K.Mohana Chakravarti
Kanan
traditional varan is same as the recipe I shared minus the tempering
Chris
Hi Kanan, there is the instruction missing what to do with the hing. Thanks in advance.
Kanan
add hing in tadka with chili powder. Thanks for pointing out, updated the instructions.