This creamy Instant Pot Dal Makhani is a delicious and healthy alternative to Indian takeout! Not-too-spicy and beginner-friendly—it’s a family favorite along with Vegetarian Butter Chicken. After food styling a cookbook for a Michelin restaurant, Vij’s, I was craving Indian food for weeks—so I created this simple recipe to enjoy at home. No overnight soaking required, just bold flavors and mostly hands-off cooking!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Fast and easy: Traditionally, Dal Makhani takes many hours to prepare, but not this Instant Pot recipe! There's no overnight soaking and no need to simmer for hours. You'll just do 15 minutes of active cooking, then the Instant Pot does the rest.
- Simplified ingredients: This version keeps it simple with ingredients mostly found in standard grocery stores.
- High protein: This Instant Pot Dal Makhani is a high-protein vegetarian (vegan) meal. A single serving has 17 grams of protein—or pair with rice and naan for a total of 30 grams of protein!
- Versatile: Enjoy on its own. Or serve with rice, naan, cooked veggies, or other sides (like quick pickled onions, pickled shallots, or pakoras)—whatever you have at home.
- Make ahead friendly: This Instant Pot Dal Makhani tastes even better the next day! It keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days—or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Gluten Free and easily vegan: This recipe is already gluten-free. But you can make it vegan/dairy-free with just two simple swaps.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
I’ve kept this Instant Pot Dal Makhani recipe as simple as possible, using ingredients you can mostly find at a well-stocked grocery store. Here's what you need:
- Black Gram (Urad Sabut Dal): These small black beans are key to traditional Dal Makhani. Often mistaken for lentils, they’re actually related to mung beans. My grocery store stocks these in the Indian section—but you might need to check an Indian market or shop online. You can substitute dried black lentils, but the dish won't be as creamy.
- Canned Kidney Beans: Dal Makhani usually has red kidney beans, so I like to add them for more protein. You can swap in canned pinto beans—or just skip the beans.
- Butter: Takeout Dal Makhani is loaded with butter! This recipe uses just enough for that creamy, buttery flavor we love—but it’s much lighter and healthier. I like salted butter, but unsalted butter works too. To make it vegan, use a buttery tasting plant-based substitute (such as Miyokos Cultured Butter).
- Passata: Puréed and strained uncooked tomatoes, usually sold in a glass jar. If you can’t find it, blend fresh ripe tomatoes—then strain out the seeds (or leave them in).
- Recipe testing note: Passata gave better results than fresh tomatoes or tomato paste. I expected tomato paste to win for its concentrated flavor, but since it’s already cooked, it lacked the bright acidity of uncooked tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes were less consistent, especially when not in-season (which is often)!
- Garam Masala: Since garam masala is a spice blend, the flavor depends on the brand. Look for one that’s fresh, fragrant, and ideally made with toasted spices—or try making it yourself!
- Cream: This recipe keeps it silky and rich with much less cream than takeout. If you're vegan, I recommend an unflavored, unsweetened barista-style cream or milk—or skip it and use more vegan butter to taste.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Want more ideas for how to use passata? Make Vegetarian Butter Chicken or Tomato and Chickpea Casserole with Feta.
How to make Instant Pot Dal Makhani
Traditional Dal Makhani is no small feat—it involves overnight soaking, grinding spices, simmering for 4 to 24 hours, and sometimes infusing it with smoke (dhungar method). If you're able to do these things, you'll get a fabulous result. But for me, I can't do that on a weeknight.
Want a quicker and easier way to make Dal Makhani at home? This Instant Pot version delivers delicious flavor with much less work. Here's how to make it:
1. Pour boiling water over the black dal. Let it quick-soak just while you prep the other ingredients and start cooking.
2. Saute cumin seeds and onions in butter. Then add garlic and ginger.
3. Add tomato passata and cook for 4 minutes. Then stir in spices and salt and cook for another minute.
4. Add water and bay leaf. Drain and rinse quick-soaked black dal, then add to the Instant Pot.
5. Cook on "high pressure" for 35 minutes. Then stir in kidney beans and cream. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
6. Ladle into bowls, garnish with cilantro (optional) and serve with basmati rice and/or naan, if desired.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
I tested this Dal Makhani recipe 7 times in the Instant Pot to get it just right! Here are the key tips I picked up along the way:
- Black gram vs. lentils: When black gram cooks down, it contributes to the creaminess that Dal Makhani's known for. When I substituted black lentils, the dish was still delicious but less creamy. Use black gram (urad dal) if you can. Otherwise, swap black (beluga) lentils and add an extra splash of cream to compensate.
- You don't have to use Ghee: Dal Makhani is often made with both ghee and butter. Ghee is clarified butter, typically used in Indian cooking for its high smoke point. I started testing this recipe using ghee to saute the onions. But since the Instant Pot's element doesn’t get as hot as a stove, I found regular butter works just fine—and keeps it simple.
- Use fresh spices: Good-quality dried spices, especially garam masala, make all the difference. Buy from a store that restocks often, and stick to small quantities so you go through it quickly.
- No spice option: When I tested a version without cayenne, I personally missed it. But you can definitely leave out the cayenne if you don't like any spice/heat.
- Canned kidney beans work better dried: I tried cooking dried kidney beans with the black gram, but they didn’t cook evenly. For this quicker Instant Pot method, stir in cooked beans at the end. Canned beans are easiest, but you can prep them from scratch separately if you’d like.
- Vegan/dairy-free option: This recipe can easily be made vegan with a buttery plant-based butter and a neutral, unsweetened cream substitute. Avoid coconut cream, as the strong coconut flavor can overwhelm the dish.
- Leftovers taste great: Like stews, this Dal Makhani tastes even better the next day. If you can, let the Instant Pot do a “natural release” to give more time for the flavors to develop, but a “quick release” works if you’re in a hurry!
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Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can substitute black gram (urad dal) with black lentils (Beluga lentils). However, your finished dish will be less creamy. Some of the creaminess associated with Dal Makhani comes from the black gram as it cooks down. If you choose to use black lentils instead, add an extra splash of cream to compensate.
Making this Instant Pot Dal Makhani vegan is simple—just swap in a buttery plant-based butter (like Miyokos) and a neutral, unsweetened cream substitute.
Thinning Dal Makhani is simple—just stir in water after it’s done cooking in the Instant Pot. A splash more cream works too!
Yes, you can freeze this Instant Pot Dal Makhani for up to 3 months. Let it cool, then transfer to freezer bags or freezer safe container. My go-to method is to freeze the bags flat on a baking sheet, because they're easier to store and defrost quickly. (You can remove the baking sheet once the Dal Makhani is frozen solid).
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Dal Makhani
Ingredients
- 1½ cups black gram (urad sabut dal, see note 1)
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 large diced white onion
- 1 tablespoon finely grated garlic (4 to 5 cloves, see note 2)
- 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger (see note 2)
- 1 cup tomato passata (see note 3)
- 1½ teaspoon paprika
- 1½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1½ teaspoon garam masala (see note 4)
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne (see note 5)
- 1¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 cups water
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 (15 oz / 14 fl oz / 398 ml) can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
- ¼ cup whipping cream
- cilantro (optional garnish, chopped or whole leaves)
Instructions
- Quick soak: Add 1½ cups black gram to a heatproof boil. Cover with at least 2-inches (5cm) of boiling water (from a kettle). Let sit while you prep/start cooking the other ingredients, at least 10 minutes.
- Saute: Select the "Saute" setting on your Instant Pot (see note 5). Add ¼ cup salted butter. Once melted, scatter in 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds, stir to coat, and let sizzle for 1 minute. Add 1 large diced white onion and saute until pale golden, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon finely grated garlic and 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Pour in 1 cup tomato passata, cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick to the bottom. Add 1½ teaspoon paprika, 1½ teaspoon ground coriander, 1½ teaspoon garam masala, ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne, and 1¾ teaspoon fine sea salt. Stir well to mix, let cook for 1 minute, then turn off the Saute setting.
- Cook: Add 4 cups water and 1 dried bay leaf into the mixture, stirring well to mix. Drain and rinse the quick soaked black gram, then add and stir well. Pressure cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Let the Instant Pot natural release for at least 10 minutes (longer is better).
- Finish: Remove bay leaf. Drain and rinse 1 (15 oz / 14 fl oz / 398 ml) can kidney beans, then add to the mixture along with ¼ cup whipping cream. Stir to mix. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Spoon dal makhani into bowls, top with cilantro (if using), and serve with rice and/or naan (optional).
Notes
- Black Gram: Dal Makhani is typically made with Black Gram (Urad Sabut Dal or Vigna Mungo). They look like small black beans, similar in size to mung beans. Black Gram can sometimes be found in the Indian section of well-stocked grocery stores. Otherwise, find it at an Indian market or online. You can substitute Black (Beluga) Lentils in a pinch, but the dish won't be quite as creamy.
- Grated Garlic & Ginger: Use a microplane or fine rasp grater for the garlic and ginger—this helps it meld into the mixture. If you don't have one, mince it as finely as possible (you want it to resemble more of a paste). When measuring grated ginger in a teaspoon, don't pack it down otherwise you'll add too much.
- Tomato Passata: Strained, uncooked tomatoes typically sold in a glass jar. Mutti is my favorite brand of passata. If you can't find passata, your next best bet is blending ripe tomatoes then straining—or, if tomatoes aren't in season, blend high-quality whole canned tomatoes.
- Garam Masala: This spice blend varies by brand. Fresh spices make a big difference—so prioritize buying from a store that re-stocks often and try to buy small quantities so it gets used quickly in your home.
- Cayenne: I use ¼ teaspoon cayenne. It's similar to the "medium" spice level we order from our Indian restaurant. If you typically order "mild", consider using ⅛ teaspoon. And if you don't want any spice, skip the cayenne altogether.
- Storage Tips: Leftovers taste even better the next day! Refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
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