Split Urad Dal Recipe (Instant Pot)

This dhuli urad dal recipe is just the perfect comfort food and combines best with any type of flatbread. This is one of the popular North Indian dal recipes.

Urad dal is rich in protein, fiber, and many other nutrients. This is why you must include it in your diet.

Urad Dal or Black Gram lentils are commonly used in the most popular Punjabi cuisine, Dal Makhani. This is one of the common lentils in Indian cuisine, especially in South India and North India. This versatile lentil is a rich protein, fat, and carbohydrate source. Hence, it is good food for our bodies. We use this lentil as authentic dal, curried dal, or as snacks. This lentil blends well with every food variety.

In South Indian cuisine, most items have urad dal or black gram lentils as the main ingredient. Some examples are idli, dosa, medu vada, dal bonda, etc. The list is countless. This is also one of the main ingredients in many rich North Indian Dal recipes, like authentic kali dal (with whole lentils with skin), dal makhani, dhuli urad dal ( this recipe), langarwali dal recipe.

Nutrition & Health Benefits

Urad dal or split black gram lentils are a high source of protein and many other vitamins and essential nutrients. This contains iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It's rich in soluble and insoluble fibers that help keep our gut and digestive system healthy.

There are numerous health benefits of this urad dal or black gram lentils.

Split Urad Dal Recipe (Split Black Gram Lentils)

This urad dal is made from the skinned split black gram. There are three different types of urad dal that we normally use in our recipes. The type of urad dal we use also decides the taste of the dal or other urad dal recipes.

1. Whole urad dal with skin (Black)
2. Whole urad dal without skin (white /pale white)
3. Split urad dal with skin
4. Split urad dal without skin (white)

For this split urad dal recipe, I'm using white, skinned urad dal (dhuli urad dal).

If you take the split lentils with skin, that's also good, but again, that will change the color and flavor of the outcome. This dal tastes even better with a curried flavor.

When I make my dal with split dal but with skin, I prefer to use curry paste to add a curry flavor. That is more like an authentic Kali dal recipe.

Ingredients for Urad (Udad) dal recipe

Split urad dal (split black gram lentils) - Take white urad dal (halved & without skin)

Onion, tomatoes, garlic minced, green chilies, and cilantro leaves to garnish

Ground Spices - Coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, dry red chili, cumin seeds, and hing (asafoetida).

Instructions - Manual Pressure Cooker

Step 1 - Soak the dal

Black gram lentils (urad dal), regardless of type, i.e., with skin or without skin, take longer to cook than other lentils or dals since they are harder. But this split urad dal is softer than whole lentils. But still, you need to soak these split lentils for at least 1 - 2 hours to reduce the cooking time. Otherwise, it takes too long even if we use the pressure cooking method (manual pressure cooker). You can skip soaking the lentils if made in the instant pot.

Step 2 - Saute onion, tomatoes, & spices

Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a pressure cooker. Add a bay leaf. Then, add cumin seeds and allow them to splutter.

Next, add chopped onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Then, add diced tomatoes and green chilies to the pot. Saute for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes are a little softer.

Now add in the ground spices. Stir quickly. Immediately add soaked lentils.

Then, pour in water (in a ratio of 1: 2.5) and close the cooker's lid. Pressure cook (in a manual pressure cooker) for 10 minutes on low to medium flame or 5 - 6 whistles* on medium heat.

(*Note—You can observe the pressure cooking time of lentils. It may take 3 - 4 whistles more than the toor dal cooking time.)

Method II - If you don't want a curried flavor and prefer a bland dal flavor, skip all sauteing of onion, tomato, and spices. Add soaked lentils, water, and some chopped tomatoes (optional). Add salt and turmeric powder to taste and cook for 5 - 6 whistles. Then follow step 3 and add aromatic tempering to the dal.

Step 3 - Final tempering

Heat ghee or clarified butter. Add cumin seeds, chopped garlic, and dry red chili (whole). Add a generous amount of hing and red chili powder. Now pour in the tadka or tempering to the boiled dal and immediately cover with a lid. Finally, add freshly chopped coriander leaves. Split urad dal is ready now.

Instant Pot Urad Dal

Start the instant pot on SAUTE mode. Add oil. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, minced garlic, and green chilies. Then add chopped onions and saute for 2 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for another minute. Once the tomatoes turn soft and cooked, add the ground spices. Give a nice stir.

Now add the dal, followed by water. Mix well before closing the pot. Now close the pot with the lid and turn the pressure valve to SEAL. Set the timer to PRESSURE COOK mode manually and at HIGH PRESSURE for 7 minutes. Once the timer is done, let the pressure release naturally. Then, open the lid and add chopped cilantro leaves.

Adding extra tempering is optional, but here are the instructions:

Heat a small pan and add oil or ghee (clarified butter). Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Then add diced garlic and whole red chilies (optional). Saute (on low flame) till the garlic starts to change color. Turn off the heat at this point. Add hing (asafoetida) and red chili powder to the hot oil and pour the tempering into the dal in the pot. Give them a nice stir, and add chopped cilantro leaves at the end.

If you like lentils/ dal, read similar recipes on the blog, like sabut masoor dal, dal palak, methi dal, dalma, dhuli urad dal, hara moong dal, Lahsooni Dal, Lauki chana dal, moong masoor dal.

Recipe card for split urad dal

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