Rinse the toor dal and let it soak till you chop the veggies.
Chop all the required vegetables and set aside.
Instant Pot Method
Add the toor dal, water, turmeric powder and ¼ cup of chopped onion to the instant pot.
Set it up in manual mode for 7 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
After the pressure is all released, carefully open the Instant Pot lid and then mash the dal nicely.
Then add all the chopped vegetables, cumin powder, red chili powder, and salt.
Close the IP lid and set it steam mode for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, turn the IP off and open the IP lid.
Mix the dal nicely and then set the IP back to saute mode.
Add the grated coconut and chopped cilantro. Let it simmer for 2 minutes and turn off the IP.
In a separate tadka pan, heat the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the hing, panch phoron, and red chili. As they start to splutter, add it to the dal mix and mix it well.
That's it. Dalma is ready. Serve hot with rice.
Pressure Cooker Method
In a pressure pan/cooker, add the toor dal, water, turmeric powder and ¼ cup of chopped onion and pressure cook for three whistles.
After the pressure is all released, carefully open the pressure cooker lid and then mash the dal nicely and set aside.
Heat a kadai or pan and add oil.
Once the oil is hot, add hing, panch phoron, and red chilies.
As the panch phoron starts to splutter, add the chopped veggies and saute for two minutes. Sprinkle some water and cover and cook until the vegetables are tender.
Then add the mashed dal mix, salt, coconut, and cilantro.
Mix them all and bring it to a boil.
Notes
Adjust the salt and spice as per your preference.
And also the vegetables. As I mentioned above, plantain and pumpkin are used traditionally. But you can mix and match with whatever vegetables available.
You can use ghee for tempering, but to keep it vegan, I went with oil.
You can use mustard oil or your preferred oil for tempering.