Yellow Split Pea Instant Pot Dal comes together with minimal effort. These delicious bowls of dal are topped with pickled red onions and tangy yogurt for an unforgettable, vegetarian meal that’s perfect for Meatless Monday or any day of the week.
Growing up, my dad was a vegetarian, and I fondly remember eating Indian food with him.
One of the first dishes he introduced me to, and my favorite still to this day is dal (or dahl). The versions of dal that I’ve eaten in the past have always been made with lentils – green, red, or yellow. But I recently came across a recipe on Bon Appetit that used split peas.
And, since I had some split peas on hand from this Persian Beef Stew recipe, I decided that I had to try it right away. However, I adapted the recipe so that it could be made in my Instant Pot.
I just love how easy, and hands off the Instant Pot makes the process, so you’ll pretty much find me using it whenever I can.
As with other Instant Pot recipes I’ve tested, I find that when cooked in the Instant Pot, the spices become a bit less noticeable, so I amped up the spices in this Instant Pot Dal a bit.
Adding in a good dash of my favorite spice, cumin, and a pinch of cayenne for some heat. Of course, if you’re sensitive to heat, you can always cut back on the cayenne, but I did not find it to be very spicy at all.
If you are a fan of heat, definitely feel free to add in a bit more. You can even adjust the heat at the end of the cooking process.
Table of Contents
Ingredients needed
- Dried Yellow Split Peas
- Tomatoes
- Fresh Garlic + Ginger
- Onion
- Vegetable Oil – Or canola oil.
- Fresh Garlic + Ginger
- Dried Spices – Coriander, turmeric (or try one of these turmeric substitutes), cumin and cayenne (can omit for less heat).
How to make it
- Saute Onions: Set Instant Pot to SAUTE, add heat the oil. Add onions and a pinch of salt and sauté until softened, 5-7 minutes.
- Add Fragrant Spices: Stir in garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Cook: Hit the CANCEL button and add split peas, water, tomatoes, salt and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot. Cover and seal the lid – turn the vent to sealing. Press the MANUAL (high pressure) button and set the timer to 10 minutes.
- Release Pressure: Once the 10 minutes are up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
- Season: Open the lid, stir in the cilantro and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve: Serve dal over rice drizzled with yogurt and topped with pickled onion and additional cilantro.
Note on cook time
While this Instant Pot Dal takes just 15 minutes of cooking time, you will also need to account for the time it takes for the pressure to build and release in the Instant Pot.
When I tested this recipe, it took about 15 minutes for the pressure to build, and then I let the pressure release naturally at the end of the cooking time for 10 minutes too – So, overall (with prep time) this recipe should take you about 45 minutes from start to finish.
But my favorite part is that because the Instant Pot makes the cooking process so hands off (no stirring or babysitting the pot) it leaves you plenty of time to prepare the toppings and rice that you’ll want when serving up the dal.
Topping ideas
The topping are simple – but stunning. A bit of quick-pickled onions makes an amazing contrast with the otherwise boring looking dal.
To make them, just thin slice some red onion and give it a quick massage with a bit of lime juice, lime zest and some salt and sugar. These onions are so good and so easy, they may just replace my traditional pickled red onions.
To add a bit more tang and creaminess, a swirl of salt and pepper seasoned Greek yogurt gets stirred in at the end too.
Serve it all up on a bed of basmati rice and prepare to be wowed by this vegetarian dinner. You’ll not only want it for Meatless Monday, but every day of the week.
PS – This Instant Pot Dal can also be made totally vegan if you just omit the yogurt.
Wine pairings
More lentil recipes
More Instant Pot recipes
Did You Make This Instant Pot Yellow Split Pea Dal?
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Full Recipe
Instant Pot Dal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (finely grated)
- 1 2-inch piece ginger (peeled and finely grated (about 2 tablespoons))
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (more if you like your indian food spicy)
- 1½ cups dried split peas (rinsed)
- 3 cups water
- 2 tomatoes (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Serving:
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped + extra for garnish)
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)
- Cooked basmati rice
Quick Pickled Red Onion:
- 1 small red onion (very thinly sliced into rounds, rinsed)
- 1 lime (zested and juiced)
- Pinch of sugar
- Large pinch of salt
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to SAUTE, add heat the oil. Add onions and a pinch of salt and sauté until softened, 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Hit the CANCEL button and add split peas, water, tomatoes, salt and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Cover and seal the lid – turn the vent to sealing. Press the MANUAL (high pressure) button and set the timer to 10 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for Instant Pot to come to full pressure, then the display will show a countdown timer.
- Meanwhile, make your toppings.
- In a small bowl, combine lime zest and juice, red onion, sugar, and a large pinch of salt. Massage the onion for 1 minute to help it soften.
- Mix yogurt and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Once the 10 minutes are up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid, stir in the cilantro and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve dal over rice drizzled with yogurt and topped with pickled onion and additional cilantro.
Nutrition
This instant pot yellow split peas recipe was originally published in 2018. It was updated in 2019 to add an instructional video. The Instant Pot Dal recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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