Dal Makhani

North Indian comfort food, Dal Makhani is a lightly spiced creamy lentil dish that is cooked to perfection with warm spices such as garam masala and turmeric. Traditionally slow-cooked for hours, this easy, hands-off Instant Pot Dal Makhani recipe delivers authentic flavor and creamy texture in less than an hour! The best part is that you can also cook brown rice at the same time using pot in pot method.

dal makhani served with naan and rice

What is Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani, a beloved North Indian (Punjabi) classic, is made by slow-cooking whole black urad dal (black gram beans) and rajma (red kidney beans) with butter, onion, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, and a fragrant blend of spices. Traditionally, this dish simmers for hours to develop its rich, creamy texture and depth of flavor. However, with an Instant Pot, you can easily recreate this restaurant favorite in just about 50 minutes, making it a mostly hands-free and approachable recipe for home cooks.

Dal Makhani in a white bowl

Ingredients

  • Whole Urad Dal & Rajma – Traditionally, the black gram beans and red kidney beans are soaked overnight, reducing the overall pressure cooking time. You can cook them unsoaked, by simply increasing the cooking time to 60 minutes and adding an extra cup of water.
  • Veggies – Onion, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic paste
  • Spices – cumin seeds, turmeric, red chili powder, and garam masala
  • Garnish – Heavy cream, cilantro, and dried fenugreek leaves
dry and soaked beans in bowls

How to make Daal Makhani in Instant Pot

  • Rinse and soak black gram beans (whole urad) and red kidney beans (rajma) in 3 cups of water for 6 hours or overnight.
  • Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat oil. Add cumin seeds and onions and mix well. 
  • Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, red chili powder, salt, tomatoes, and beans (photos 1 – 2).
steps showing adding onions, lentils and tomatoes to Instant Pot
  • Add 2 cups of water and give a quick stir.
  • For optional pot-in-pot brown rice, place a tall trivet over the beans. Add rice, 2 cups of water, and salt to a stainless steel container. Place the rice container on the trivet (photos 3 – 4)
steps showing how to cook pot in pot lentils and rice
  • Close the Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 30 minutes followed by Natural Pressure Release. Open the Instant Pot and set it to sauté mode.
  • Carefully take out the rice bowl and the trivet. Mash the beans with the back of a spoon for a creamy texture. Stir in cream, garam masala, and garnish with cilantro. (photos 5 – 6)
pictures showing cooked rice in pot and madras lentils in Instant Pot

Serving

Serve the Dal Makhani with brown rice with a side of beet raita or cucumber salad. If you are gluten-free, you can also pair it with Jowar Roti, Bajra Roti, or Chilla. In India, the restaurant-style Dal makhani is often served with Roti or Parathas, and Jeera rice.

Storing

Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days making it perfect for meal prep. This is also a great make-ahead recipe as the flavors continue to develop over time. I often cook Dal Makhani the night before especially when I have to serve it for a party or get-together.

You can also freeze Dal makhani – I would recommend leaving out the cream and adding it just before serving.

Variations and Substitutions

  1. Don’t have time to soak the beans? – Add an extra one cup of water and pressure cook for 60 minutes
  2. Stove Top Recipe – Pressure cook for 45 minutes on medium heat and allow the pressure to release naturally
  3. Vegan Dal Makhani  – Use coconut cream or homemade cashew cream
  4. Diced tomatoes can be substituted with store-bought tomato puree.

Recipe Video