Dal Fry Recipe (Restaurant Style)

Method12 steps · about 35 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Rinse the chosen one cup dry lentil supply a few times until the water runs clear. Optionally soak 30 minutes in fresh water, then drain. Choose one route: stove pressure 2, ordinary pot 3, or full Instant Pot alternative 3.

   Uses 1 cup dry toor dal OR ¾ cup toor plus ¼ cup moong/masoor · ample fresh rinse and optional thirty-minute soak water; drain

2. 2

   Step 2: STOVE-PRESSURE route only: add 2½ cups measured cooking water to the rinsed lentils and pressure-cook over medium heat to 2–3 whistles, until soft. Let pressure release and open according to cooker instructions. Mash slightly, skip 3 and continue to traditional tempering 4.

   Uses 2.5 cup water · ONLY chosen stove-pressure route: same one cup dry lentils rinsed and optionally soaked

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Choose only your selected alternative. ORDINARY POT: add the rinsed lentils to a heavy pot with 3 cups total measured water (2½ cups base plus ½ cup route addition). Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered until soft and mushy, adding separate extra hot water only if needed. Mash and continue to 4. INSTANT POT: omit 2 and 4–11. Use Sauté to melt the two tablespoons ghee or chosen fat in the insert. Add cumin, optional mustard and red chili, then hing, optional curry leaves (1 sprig), green chilies and onion. Sauté 2 minutes; add ginger-garlic paste and fry 30 seconds. Add tomato and initial salt, cook until mushy, then stir in turmeric, red chili powder and garam masala. Add rinsed dal and 3 cups total measured water, press Cancel and scrape the base clean. Secure the lid, set valve sealing and pressure-cook HIGH 8 minutes. Let pressure release naturally at least 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure according to device instructions. Mash, add kasuri methi and coriander, taste and adjust with separate extra salt. Add the separate hot consistency water only as needed; continue to 12.

   Instant Pot HIGH pressure only · 8 minUses 2½ cups base water plus ½ cup route addition makes 3 cups; ONLY ordinary pot ORIP · 0.5 cup water · hot water (extra only if dal needs water to soften or consistency too thick) · Instant Pot ONLY: ghee; omit later traditional dose · Instant Pot ONLY: cumin seeds; omit later traditional dose · Instant Pot ONLY: mustard seeds; omit later traditional dose · Instant Pot ONLY: hing; omit later traditional dose · Instant Pot ONLY: dried red chili; omit later traditional dose

4. 4

   Step 4: Traditional routes only: heat the two tablespoons ghee or chosen fat. Add optional mustard, cumin and broken optional dried chili. When sizzling, add hing (0.125 tsp) and optional curry leaves (1 sprig). Follow 5–11 for this route only.

   Uses 2 tbsp ghee · ½–¾ tsp cumin seeds · 0.5 tsp mustard seeds · 0.125 tsp hing · 1 dried red chili · 1 sprig curry leaves

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Next add onions (1) and green chilies (1–2). Saute until the onions turn golden.

   Uses 1–2 green chilies · 1 onion · same fat with mustard/cumin/red chili/hing and optional curry leaves

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Add ginger garlic and saute until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes off. This takes about a minute.

   Uses 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste · onion and chilies sautéed in tempered fat

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Then add tomatoes (1) and salt (¾–1 tsp). Saute on a medium flame until tomatoes turn soft.

   Uses 1 tomato · ¾–1 tsp salt · ginger-garlic sautéed about 1 minute

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Add red chili powder (0.5 tsp), garam masala (0.5 tsp) and turmeric (0.25 tsp). Saute for 2 mins till the masala begins to smell good & leaves the pan.

   Uses 0.25 tsp turmeric · 0.5 tsp red chili powder · 0.5 tsp garam masala · tomato and initial salt cooked until mushy

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Traditional routes only: mix the cooked mashed dal from 2 OR the ordinary-pot branch of 3 into the cooked tomato masala. Add the separate ½ cup hot consistency water only as needed.

   Uses traditional finish ONLY: separate ½ cup hot consistency water as needed · spice powders sautéed 2 minutes with onion/tomato · ONLY traditional stove-pressure route: fully softened mashed lentils · ONLY ordinary-pot branch of 3, not finished Instant Pot dal

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Cook until the dal begins to bubble well. When dal fry reaches the desired consistency, crush kasuri methi (1 tsp) in your palms and add it.

    Uses 1 tsp kasuri methi · chosen cooked dal mixed with masala and consistency water

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Taste the cooked traditional-route dal and add separate extra salt only if needed. Garnish with coriander leaves (2 tbsp); do not add the initial salt again.

    Uses 2 tbsp coriander leaves · salt (extra only to taste at finish) · fully bubbling cooked dal with crushed kasuri methi

12. 12

    Step 12: Serve the finished dal from 11 OR the full Instant Pot branch of 3 with cooked rice, roti or naan. Once slightly cooler, squeeze in the optional measured lemon juice (1–2 tbsp).

    Uses 1–2 tbsp lemon juice · cooked dal tasted and garnished with coriander · ONLY Instant Pot branch: pressure-cooked dal mashed, consistency/seasoning adjusted, kasuri/coriander added