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    Home » Dals | Lentils & Legumes » Instant Pot Sultani Dal

    Instant Pot Sultani Dal

    Posted on September 30, 2017 · Last Updated on July 31, 2019 · By Srividhya G · 18 Comments

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    Instant Pot Sultani Dal delicious collage of two images

    This Instant Pot Sultani Dal is a super-rich, creamy dal from the state of Uttar Pradesh. It’s the smoky flavored Sultani dal prepared with split pigeon peas, yogurt, milk and cream, butter and of course ghee. 

    A dal can’t get any richer than this. Yes, we need all those dairy products for this dal. I said it’s a smoky flavored dal too. :-) 

    Uttar Pradesh is known for both Awadhi and Bhojpuri cuisine. And these both cuisines are heavily influenced by Mughlai cuisine. I learnt quite a bit about these cuisines from Raja Rasoi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan.

    As I explored further, I stumbled upon the Sultani dal, and I was amazed how we can transform the humble dal to this royal and rich dal. I immediately searched for this recipe, and I decided to go with this one. I wanted to add the smoky flavor too, and then my quest for charcoal began.

    Charcoal

    As we don’t have a grill in our backyard, I have no clue about the charcoal variety. Oh boy, I got so confused with the types of coal available here in the US. All I wanted was just one charcoal and one fine day as I was sharing my blog updates with my colleagues, I shared this charcoal saga as well.

    Finally, my colleague helped me to find the non-chemical variety and even got one piece for me. :-) I used the bay leaf for the smoky flavor, but you can use betel leaf as mentioned in the original recipe. It was fun trying the smoky flavor, and I was bit scared as I was using instant pot. I turned my IP off and even pulled off the plug and then tried infusing the smoky effect.

    I used a big charcoal piece, so I did not burn it completely. And I would recommend using a small piece for this recipe. There is a lot of room to improvise, but I am glad that I stepped out of the comfort zone and tried it. :-) Now that I have learnt how to infuse the smoky flavor on the stove top, I have quite a few new recipes to experiment. So stay tuned.

    Recap:

    • 2015 | Day 26 – South Tamil Nadu Trip
    • 2016 | Day 26 – Sukha Bhel with Barley Puffs
    • 2017 | Day 26 – Instant Pot Sultani Dal

    Instant Pot Sultani Dal

    A Mughalai influenced royal and rich smoky flavored dal prepared with split pigeon peas, yogurt, milk and cream, butter and of course ghee.

    Ingredients:

    • Onion – 1
    • Garlic – 2
    • Green chili – 2
    • Cloves – 3
    • Cardamom -2
    • Cinnamon – 1 inch
    • Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
    • Milk – ½ cup
    • Cream – 1 tbsp.
    • Yogurt – 2 tbsps.
    • Saffron – a generous pinch
    • Butter – 1 tbsp.
    • Ghee – 1 tbsp.
    • Salt – 2 tsps.
    • Sugar – 1 tsp
    • Toor dal -1 cup
    • Water – 2 cups + 3 tbsps
    • Turmeric – ½ tsp
    • Cilantro – handful
    • For Smoky Flavor:
    • Bay leaf -1
    • Charcoal piece- 1
    • Ghee- 1 tsp
    • Garam masala – ½ tsp

    Prep – Work:

    • Cut the onion and cilantro and set aside.
    • Slit the green chili into and chop the garlic into small pieces.
    • Soak the saffron in 3 tbsps of water and set aside.

    Steps:

    Cooking the Dal – Instant Pot Method:

    Toor dal, water and turmeric powder in Instant Pot

    • Wash the toor dal and add it the IP. Add two cups of water and turmeric powder and set it manual mode and cook for 7 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
    • When the pressure is all released, mash the dal transfer the dal to the separate bowl. Wash the IP pot and wipe it clean.

    Cooking the Dal – Pressure Cooker Method:

    • Wash the toor dal and pressure cook by adding two cups of water and turmeric powder.
    • When the pressure is all released, mash the dal and set aside.

    Tempering the Dal (Both Instant pot and Stovetop Methods):

    Adding ghee and butter to Instant Pot

    • If using IP, Set the IP in sauté mode and add the ghee and butter. Else heat the heavy bottom vessel and add the ghee and butter.
    • When the butter melts, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, green cardamom, and cloves.

    Adding chopped onion, garlic and green chili to Instant Pot.

    • Sauté for a minute and then add the chopped onion, garlic, and green chili. Cook until the onion turns translucent.

    Adding the cooked dal and salt and mixing in Isntant Pot

    • Next, add the cooked dal and salt. Mix them thoroughly.

    Mixing yogurt and milk together in Instant Pot

    • Then add yogurt and milk and mix again. Cover and cook for two to three minutes. I used my glass lid for the covering and cooking.

    Mixing the ingredients in Instant Pot

    Adding saffron water along with saffron

    • Then add the saffron water along with saffron and let it simmer for a minute.

    Adding cream and boiling

    • Finally, add the cream and bring it to one boil and keep it warm mode if using IP or over a low flame on the stove top.

    Smoky Flavor:

    Using charcoal directly on the stove top

    • I just lit my charcoal directly on the stove top like below. It should be hot enough to produce the smoky flavor.
    • Place the bay leaf in a small bowl and keep the hot charcoal on top and add ghee and garam masala.

    Placing the bay leaf in a small bowl with the hot charcoal on top

    • Put this bowl inside the dal mix and cover it and switch off the flame and keep for ten minutes. If using IP, turn it off completely and unplug it. Place the bowl inside and cover it with a lid.
    • That’s it. The Royal Sultani Dal is ready. Serve hot with rice/naan/roti.

    Instant Pot Sultani Dal served in a dark bowl with more dal in the background

    Notes:

    • Please be careful while lighting the charcoal and adding the smoky flavor. Turn off the heat and unplug the IP when doing the same.
    • The original recipe calls for betel leaf. So instead of bay leaf, you can use betel leaf too.
    • Adjust the salt and spices as per your preference.
    • While adding yogurt, keep stirring the mix so that the yogurt doesn’t curdle.
    • Make sure you mash the dal nicely, and that adds the creamy flavor as well.
    Instant Pot Sultani Dal collage with text overlay“>
    Instant Pot Sultani Dal delicious collage of two images
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    5 from 1 vote

    Instant Pot Sultani Dal

    A Mughalai influenced royal and rich smoky flavored dal prepared with split pigeon peas, yogurt, milk and cream, butter and of course ghee.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Main Course, rice accompaniment, roti accompaniments
    Cuisine: Indian, North Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 188kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    • 1 Onion
    • 2 Garlic
    • 2 Green chili
    • 2 Cardamom
    • 1 inch Cinnamon
    • ½ tsp Cumin seeds
    • ½ cup Milk
    • 1 tbsp Cream
    • 2 tbsps Yogurt
    • Saffron a generous pinch
    • 1 tbsp Butter
    • 1 tbsp Ghee
    • 2 tsps Salt
    • 1 tsp Sugar
    • 1 cup Toor dal
    • 2 cups Water 3 tbsps
    • ½ tsp Turmeric
    • Cilantro handful

    For Smoky Flavor

    • 1 Bay leaf
    • 1 Charcoal piece
    • 1 tsp Ghee
    • ½ tsp Garam masala

    Instructions

    Prep – Work

    • Cut the onion and cilantro and set aside.
    • Slit the green chili into and chop the garlic into small pieces.
    • Soak the saffron in 3 tbsps of water and set aside.

    Steps

      Cooking the dal

        Instant Pot Method

        • Wash the toor dal and add it the IP. Add two cups of water and turmeric powder and set it manual mode and cook for 7 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
        • When the pressure is all released, mash the dal transfer the dal to the separate bowl. Wash the IP pot and wipe it clean.

        Pressure cooker Method

        • Wash the toor dal and pressure cook by adding two cups of water and turmeric powder.
        • When the pressure is all released, mash the dal and set aside.
        • Tempering the Dal: (Both Instant pot and Stovetop method)
        • If using IP, Set the IP in sauté mode and add the ghee and butter. Else heat the heavy bottom vessel and add the ghee and butter.
        • When the butter melts, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, green cardamom, and cloves.
        • Sauté for a minute and then add the chopped onion, garlic, and green chili. Cook until the onion turns translucent.
        • Next, add the cooked dal and salt. Mix them thoroughly.
        • Then add yogurt and milk and mix again. Cover and cook for two to three minutes. I used my glass lid for the covering and cooking.
        • Then add the saffron water along with saffron and let it simmer for a minute.
        • Finally, add the cream and bring it to one boil and keep it warm mode if using IP or over a low flame on the stove top.

        Smoky Flavor

        • I just lit my charcoal directly on the stove top like below. It should be hot enough to produce the smoky flavor.
        • Place the bay leaf in a small bowl and keep the hot charcoal on top and add ghee and garam masala.
        • Put this bowl inside the dal mix and cover it and switch off the flame and keep for ten minutes. If using IP, turn it off completely and unplug it. Place the bowl inside and cover it with a lid.
        • That’s it. The Royal Sultani Dal is ready. Serve hot with rice/naan/roti.

        Notes

        • Please be careful while lighting the charcoal and adding the smoky flavor.
        • Turn off the heat and unplug the IP when doing the same.
        • The original recipe calls for betel leaf. So instead of bay leaf, you can use betel leaf too.
        • Adjust the salt and spices as per your preference.
        • While adding yogurt, keep stirring the mix so that the yogurt doesn’t curdle.
        • Make sure you mash the dal nicely, and that adds the creamy flavor as well. Adapted from Vah Chef

        Nutrition

        Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 1293mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg

        I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

        Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
        For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

        P.S. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas!

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        Protein Rich Dishes collage

        Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 80

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        Filed Under: Dals | Lentils & Legumes, Indian Legume Recipes, Instant Pot Recipes Tagged With: Blogging Marathon, dals and lentil recipes from indian states, home made badam kulfi, homemade sultani dal, how to prepare sultani dal, how to prepare sultani dal in instant pot, Instant Pot Indian Recipes, instant pot sultani dal, Mughalai recipes, nawabi cuisine, protein rich recipes, smoky flavored sultani dal, sultani dal, sultani dal recipe, uttarpradesh cuisine

        Reader Interactions

        Comments

        1. ruchi indu says

          October 18, 2017 at 10:08 pm

          I make a similar recipe with moong dal as a side dish for rotis. Nice royal recipe to end the series.

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            October 20, 2017 at 11:50 am

            oh nice. Thanks Ruchi.

            Reply
        2. Preeti says

          October 04, 2017 at 8:27 pm

          I heard about sultani dal… but never tried. Looks delicious and healthy.

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            October 06, 2017 at 7:49 am

            Thanks :-)

            Reply
        3. Mayuri Patel says

          October 04, 2017 at 1:27 pm

          That’s one rich dal. Lucky you didn’t set off the smoke alarm! The first time I saw this smokey technique was in the Indian Masterchef where smokey flavored lassi was made by putting a hot coal in the lassi and covered.

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            October 06, 2017 at 7:50 am

            he he he… Thanks Mayuri

            Reply
        4. Sapana says

          October 04, 2017 at 3:44 am

          Such a creamy and tasty looking Sultani dal. Loved all your dal recipes this month.

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            October 04, 2017 at 8:33 am

            Thanks Sapana.

            Reply
        5. Sharmila - The Happie Friends Potpourri Corner says

          October 03, 2017 at 9:58 am

          I still remember you were saying me about Sultani Dal, never thought it is so rich.. I will surely try this one.. Bookmarking..

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            October 03, 2017 at 10:46 am

            :-) Thanks Sharmila.

            Reply
        6. themadscientistskitchen says

          October 02, 2017 at 8:56 am

          Wow what a delicious end to the series. I loved all your recipes and will try them. It was great running theseries with you.

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            October 03, 2017 at 10:52 am

            Same here Archana. Thanks a lot.

            Reply
        7. Priya Suresh says

          October 01, 2017 at 10:20 am

          Am sure this smoky flavor dal will definitely please my tastebuds and am sure with all those ingredients went in it, this dal will tastes fabulous.

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            October 01, 2017 at 3:07 pm

            Thanks Priya.

            Reply
        8. vaishalisabnani says

          September 30, 2017 at 9:06 pm

          Perfect Daal to wrap up the series . Sultani Daal is a very very delicious one , I remember cooking it for my Awadhi Thali . The tempering with coal , and that smoky flavour is to die for !
          Loved running the marathon with you , it has been a great learning process . Bookmarked some of these delicious and rare recipes .

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            October 01, 2017 at 3:14 pm

            Thanks a lot and same here Vaishali. Loved all your recipes.

            Reply
        9. Srivalli Jetti says

          September 30, 2017 at 8:12 pm

          Wow that surely looks very creamy!..you saved the best for the last!..totally enjoyed your dishes and so much hard work!..great job Srividhya..

          Reply
          • Srividhya G says

            October 01, 2017 at 8:29 pm

            Thanks a lot Valli.

            Reply

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