Indian Main Courses
Veggie Lentil Dhansak Recipe – Instant Pot
Lentil Veggie Dhansak Recipe. Dal and vegetables cooked with spices. Parsi dhansak Recipe. Make this dal dhansak in Instant Pot…
- Ready 45 minutes
- Serves 2
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 30 minutes
Dhansak /dansak /dhan saak is an Indian dish from the Parsi community. It has various regional adaptations. It combines elements of Persian and Gujarati cuisine (cuisine of the state of Gujarat). Dhansak generally is made by cooking some meat with a mixture of lentils and vegetables, while the vegetarian version uses just lentils and veggies.
Dhansak can be simply spiced to retain the flavors of the vegetables or lentils, or can be flavored with various spices. It is often served over caramelized onion rice (rice cooked with caramelized onions). This version is a simply spiced dhansak with a combination of lentils, vegetables and greens. Use any vegetables in this amazing dish.
Flexible to your palate and a delicious 1 Pot meal. Perfect to use up the assorted seasonal veggies and greens and so flavorful. Make it in an Instant Pot or in a saucepan, but definitely make this simple, delicious and nutritious meal! The fresh raw ginger and chile in the lentils and veggies make it a different and fresh flavored stew.
more
Dhan means grains and Saak/Shak means vegetables. This Vegetable Dal curry is served over brown rice, which is rice cooked with caramelized onion. To make the rice, caramelize an onion with 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp sugar and a pinch of salt. Add rice, water, salt and bay leaf and cook the rice until done to preference. The version in the pictures has only a few fenugreek leaves for the greens which are mixed in, hence all the prominent yellow dal.
If you make this, do let me know in the comments how it worked for you and also rate the recipe.
More 1 pot Veggie Meals from the blog
- Kohlapuri Veggies – Veggies in sesame coonut sauce
- Mushroom Matar Masala
- Bombay Potato and Peas
- Tofu in Spinach Curry – Saag Tofu
Recipe
Veggie Lentil Dhansak Instant Pot
Lentil Veggie Dhansak. Dal and vegetables cooked with spices. Parsi dhansak Recipe. Cook in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker or Saucepan. Serve over rice or flatbread or garlic bread. Vegan Gluten-free Indian Recipe
- Serves 2
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 30 minutes
- Total 45 minutes
Ingredients
Dal and Veggies:
- 3/4 cup total split dals (combination of red lentils(masoor dal and yellow lentils(mung dal) or toor and moong dal))
- 2 cups chopped vegetables (heaped) (such as cauliflower, eggplant, zuchhini, opo squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli etc))
- 1 cup packed chopped greens (such as spinach, fresh fenugreek leaves, mustard leaves, chard or amaranth)
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 hot green chile minced
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp dhana jeera powder* (or 1/2 tsp garam masala + 1/2 tsp coriander powder + a good pinch of ground cloves)
Tempering:
- 1 tsp oil
- 3/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (heaped)
- 3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tsp garam masala (or more as needed)
Instructions
- 1
Soak the dals for 15 mins to half hour. Drain and combine in a pressure cooker/Instant pot with the vegetables, and the rest of the ingredients under Dals and Veggies(ginger, garlic, spices)and 2.5 to 3 cups water. Cook for 3 minutes on manual (high pressure). Let the pressure release naturally.
- 2
Meanwhile, make the tempering. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add mustard and cumin seeds and let them start to pop. Add onion and garlic and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. (a heavy bottom pan, a good pinch of salt and stirring at regular intervals gives an even golden onion). Add garam masala and mix in.
- 3
Once the pressure has released, open the lid. At this point you can mash the veggies and lentils for a more traditional version..
- 4
Mix in half the tempering into the lentil vegetable mixture in the Instant Pot. Taste and adjust salt and heat(cayenne). Add more salt and garam masala if needed. Garnish with the remaining half tempering, cilantro and lemon juice and serve.
- 5
Serve with rice, flatbread, toasted bread or garlic bread, garlic naan and kachumbar salad (cucumber tomato onion salad).
Notes
*Dhana Jeera powder: Add 1 heaping tbsp coriander seeds, 1.5 tsp cumin seeds to a skillet over low heat. Slow roast for 6 to 8 minutes until they start to get fragrant. Cool and blend to a powder. Mix in a good dash of cinnamon, clove and black pepper and mix in. Use this mixture to garnish dals just before serving. Saucepan: Combine all the ingredients for the dal and veggies in a saucepan. Partially cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the lentils and veggies are tender to preference. Proceed to make the tempering. Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition
- Calories274 kcal
- Carbohydrates45 g
- Protein16 g
- Fat4 g
- Sodium706 mg
- Potassium941 mg
- Fiber19 g
- Sugar5 g
- Vitamin A1405 IU
- Vitamin C63.4 mg
- Calcium92 mg
- Iron5.1 mg
