How to cook Dhal using the Instant Pot

Have you heard about the Instant Pot ? Ever since I have seen it online and how amazingly fast  it cooks everything I was hooked.I love cooking and technology so having a smart gadget like this in my kitchen is such a bonus for me.

So what makes this Instant Pot  gadget so amazing ?
Well …..
1.Time saving.
2.Save electricity.
3. 7 appliances in 1.
4.Cooks food 70% faster.
5.Healthy for you as the stainless steel inner pot is not coated with chemicals.
6.It is a smart product that remembers the way you cook.

The Instant Pot is 7 gadgets in One :

Wait you mean i pay for one and get 7 appliances?Now this sounds good already.These are the 7 functions of the Instant Pot.

1.Pressure Cooker – as a kid I watched my Gran use an old-fashioned Pressure cooker as much as I was fascinated I was afraid of it and never attempted to use one after all the horror stories.With the Instant Pot using this function is easy and safe and saves you time and electricity boiling legumes and pulses which are a staple in every Indian home.

2.Slow Cooker -This is perfect for stews ,curries and roasts.The process can be timed perfectly and your food left to cook and get in al those flavours.

3.Rice Cooker- I suck at cooking rice so normally let mum do this.The Instant Pot cooks rice perfectly every time and you can even choose how soft you want to your rice to be.

4.Saute Pan- often before we roast anything we tend to sear the meat all sides to seal in the flavour and for browning the outsides ,this often results in oil splutters everywhere and the stove and oven need to be used.But with the Instant Pot it does everything in one gadget saving time,energy and washing up.

5.Yoghurt Maker – homemade yoghurt whenever you want ! The Instant Pot heats the milk to kill all the bacteria and make fresh yoghurt at home.It is advisable to buy a different seal to use when making yoghurt.

6.Steamer – this is perfect for steamed desserts ,cakes and vegetables.

7.Warmer- A perfect serving dish for keep meals warms at a function without drying out the food.This option also allows for the aromatics and flavours to infuse into curries and stews.

NOW IF ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE NOT ENOUGH REASONS TO BUY AN INSTANT POT THEN CHECK OUT THIS RECIPE !

For ages I have been seeing Instant Pot videos on my feed.So finally I got my hands on one.At first I was a lil nervous but following the instructions were a total breeze.

I got home from work a few weeks ago and was craving Dhal.Mum moaned about why did I not tell her earlier so she could have have boiled the Dhal/lentils which takes ages to boil.Instead I knew this was the perfect time for me to test out the Instant Pot and show Mum the magic of this pot and make my version of Instant Pot Dhal.

What is Dhal?

Dhal is an Indian dish that forms part of the staple diet of many people in Asia.It is a dish of lentils or pulses boiled and then seasoned.Dhal is packed with nutrients and vitamins and is the perfect accompaniment to any Indian meal.Every state in India has their own version of this staple dish with some containing meat or vegetables.Some recipes are very simple while others contain long lists of ingredients.

Instant Pot Dhal Recipe :

Ingredients needed to cook Dhal in an Instant Pot : 

3 cups of water
1 cup of yellow lentils washed and left to stand for ten min while I prepped.
1/2 onion chopped
150g butter or ghee
Dhania chopped
1 small tomato chopped
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon jeera seeds
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
salt to taste
1 teaspoon masala

Method to prepare Dhal :
1.Prep ingredients.
2.Add water,salt and lentils in pot use the pressure cook function for 10 minutes.
3.In a small frying pan melt the butter /ghee add the seeds to fry then added onion ,masala and tomato cooked off for 3 min.
4.Chopped Dhania.
5.Once pot has off mode it is safe to open your pot.
6.Mix the dhal add the dhania,tomato and onion fry mix well.
7.Taste for seasoning and add extra chopped coriander.

Serving Suggestions :

Rice /Naan Bread / Pickles or Roti

To purchase the Instant Pot check it out here.

Have you used an Instant Pot ? Would you buy an Instant Pot? Let me know in the comments below.

Be Inspired !

Ciao

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