Punjabi toor dal recipe - bursting with flavor and always sure to satisfy! It’s healthy, it’s comforting and makes a cozy meal when served with piping hot steamed rice or pulao.
1tablespoonUnsalted butteror white butter or makhan
2tablespoonsCilantro or coriander leavesfinely chopped
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.
If you have some time and if you want to then soak in the water for 15-20 minutes and then discard the soaking water. You can skip the soaking step like me, it’s perfectly fine.
Turn on the instant pot with saute mode. Once it is hot, add ghee and let it melt.
Now add bay leaf and cloves, saute for 30-40 seconds. Then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
Then add sliced onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they get soft and light pink in color.
Now add ginger garlic and saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
Add chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft.
Then add red chili powder, turmeric powder and slit green chili. Mix well.
Add rinsed toor dal, salt and water, stir well.
Cover the instant pot with a lid. Cancel the saute mode. Pressure cook on manual (high pressure) for 5 minutes.
Let it NPR (natural pressure release) and when the pin drops open the lid. NOTE: as you open the lid, you feel that the dal is too watery. But it will thicken up within 5-10 minutes of resting time.
Add garam masala, amchur powder and butter. Mix really well. If needed you can turn on the saute mode to make it piping hot.
Lastly, garnish with chopped cilantro.
Video
Notes
If making this toor dal recipe on a day-to-day basis then I would skip the butter (not ghee).
If making it vegan, then use oil instead of ghee and skip the butter.