Make this delicious Restaurant-Style Yellow Dal Tadka at home in under 30 minutes using simple ingredients. This popular Indian recipe can be made in an instant pot or a traditional pressure cooker.

Full Recipe – https://www.whiskaffair.com/punjabi-dal-tadka-recipe/

Ingredients x
▢½ cup yellow pigeon peas (arhar dal, toor dal) (or pink masoor)
▢¼ cup skinless petite yellow lentils (yellow moong dal)
▢2 tablespoons oil
▢½ cup chopped red onions
▢1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
▢1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
▢1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
▢½ cup chopped tomatoes
▢1 teaspoon coriander powder
▢½ teaspoon turmeric powder
▢1 teaspon Kashmiri red chili powder
▢1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
▢1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
For Tempering
▢2 tablespoons ghee (replace with oil for vegan dal)
▢1 teaspoon cumin seeds
▢¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) (skip for gluten-free dal)
▢2-3 whole dry red chilies
▢2 tablespoons minced garlic
▢1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
▢2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)

Instructions
Cook The Lentils In An Instant Pot
Wash arhar dal and moong dal with water 2 to 3 times until the water runs clear.
Soak the lentils in 2-3 cups of water and keep aside.
Press SAUTE button of the instant pot.
Once it says hot, add oil to the inner pot.
Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add onions and cook until they turn light brown (8-10 minutes), stirring frequently.
Add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add green chilies and tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently while cooking.
Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, and Kashmiri red chili powder, and cook for a minute.
Drain the water from the lentils and add them to the pot along with 3 cups of water, and salt, and stir well.
Close the lid of the pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 10 minutes on high pressure. The instant pot will take some time to build the pressure and to start the timer.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then release the remaining pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Use a cloth or a spoon to move the valve to avoid steam burn. Open the lid of the pot.
Add lime juice to the pot and mix the cooked dal well using a wire whisk or a madani until it is smooth and creamy.
Add some more water if the dal is thick for your liking and bring it to a boil by pressing the SAUTE button.
Check for salt and add more if needed. Set the cooked dal aside.
Cook The Lentils In A Traditional Pressure Cooker
Follow the steps until water and salt are added to a pressure cooker over medium-high heat.
Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for one whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes.
Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
Open the lid of the cooker.
Add lime juice to the pot and mix the cooked dal well using a wire whisk or a madani until it is smooth and creamy.
Add some more water if the dal is thick for your liking and bring it to a boil.
Check for salt and add more if needed. Set the cooked dal aside.
Temper The Dal
Once the lentils are cooked, let’s give them a tempering. Heat ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat.
Once the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds and asafetida and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
Add dry red chilies and garlic and fry until it turns golden brown in color. Stir frequently.
Switch off the heat and add Kashmiri red chili powder to the pan.
Pour the tempering immediately over the dal and mix well.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUDLSRBYcnw

Notes
Smoky Flavor – The dal tadka that we taste at the dhabas, or restaurants has a very distinct smoky flavor. That is because they are made on a wood fire.
To get a similar smoky flavor at home, you can dhungar your dal once it’s made. To do it, heat a piece of coal (or a whole cinnamon stick) over a direct flame until it is red hot. Keep a steel bowl in the center of the dal.
Keep the hot coal piece in the bowl. Drizzle 1 teaspoon ghee over the coal and immediately close the pan lid. Let the dal absorb the smoke for 10-15 minutes. Open the lid and discard the coal. Pour the leftover ghee into the dal and mix well. Your smoky dal is ready.
You can also cook the lentils in a pot over the stovetop. This method takes a lot of time and is not recommended. But if you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook them this way. You will have to add more water and cook for a longer time.
This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. I made it in my 3-quart instant pot (or a 3-liter stovetop cooker). If you want to scale it, use a 6-quart instant pot (or a 5-liter pressure cooker). The time of cooking the dal will remain the same.