Daal Dhokli - Instant Pot
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Calories
351 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Daal Dhokli - Instant Pot
Description
Daal Dhokli transforms lentils and dough into a filling stew-like dish. The toor dal is tempered with ghee, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida, curry leaves, then simmered with turmeric, grated ginger and garlic, diced tomatoes, red chili powder, jaggery, tamarind paste, salt, and peanuts before pressure cooking. This builds a balance of sour, sweet, and mildly spicy flavors with textural interest from the nuts.
Meanwhile, the dhokli dough is made from whole wheat flour, chickpea flour, salt, carom seeds, red chili powder, turmeric, and oil, kneaded into a firm dough and rolled into thin sheets that are cut into strips or diamonds. These dough pieces are added to the cooked dal and simmered together briefly, allowing the dhokli to soften yet remain chewy. Fresh cilantro garnish adds brightness.
This dish serves well as a main meal, offering a combination of legume protein with starchy dumplings, flavored by the complex seasonings in the dal. It is a filling, rustic dish that can be customized with extra spices or greens. Cooking in an Instant Pot speeds up the dal preparation while maintaining rich flavor.
It is suggested to consider adding warming whole spices like cloves and cinnamon to the dal or folding in chopped spinach for added nutrition and color. This further layers in complexity and variety.
Ingredients
Part 1: Dal
- 4 tablespoon ghee divided (or 2 tablespoons of cooking oil for vegan option)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
- 12 curry leaves fresh
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric ground
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 3 teaspoon garlic grated
- 2 plum tomatoes diced
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 tablespoon jaggery or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon peanuts skip for nut allergy
- ½ cup toor daal rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup cilantro chopped for garnish
Part II: Dhokli
- 2½ cups whole wheat flour divided
- 1 tablespoon besan chickpea flour
- 1 cup water or as needed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric ground
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil divided, generic cooking oil
Instructions
Pressure Cook dal
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté(more) mode and heat 2 tablespoons of ghee or cooking oil. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves. Add turmeric, ginger, and garlic. Mix well.
- Add tomatoes, red chili powder, jaggery, tamarind paste, salt, peanuts and toor dal. Mix well.
- Add 2 cups of water, give a quick stir and close Instant Pot with the Pressure valve set to sealing. Pressure Cook(Hi) for 8 minutes followed by Natural Pressure Release.
Make the Dhokli
- While the Dal is cooking, make the dough by mixing 2 cups of whole wheat flour, chickpea flour, salt, carom seeds, red chili powder, turmeric and half tablespoon of oil. Use water as needed to make a firm yet pliable dough. I used little more than ¾th cup of water. Add remaining oil and knead the dough well.
- Make 5 balls from the dough. Using the extra whole wheat flour, roll the dough balls into 10-12 inch thin circles.
- Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut each rolled circle into 1-inch squares or dhoklis. Put the cut dough pieces on a platter. Sprinkle a little bit of dry flour before layering the pieces on a tray to avoid them from sticking to each other.
- Open Instant Pot after the pressure has released naturally. Turn Instant pot to sauté mode and using back of a wooden spatula or an immersion blender, gently blend the dal for 5 seconds. Add 3 cups of water, mix well, cook covered with a glass lid and bring the dal to a gentle boil.
Pressure cook Dal & Dhokli
- Add half of the dough squares to the dal and mix gently.
- Add remaining half dough squares, mix again. Close Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 2 minutes followed by Quick Release.
- Mix the Daal Dhokli, add another tablespoon or two of ghee (recommended but optional) and garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy Piping hot!
Notes
- For warmer flavors in the dal, cloves and cinnamon stick can be added during cooking.
- Chopped spinach can be stirred into the dal before adding the dhokli for extra nutrition and color.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 1Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 351 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 351kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 39g | 13% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Cholesterol | 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 1883mg | 78% |
| Potassium | 403mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 590IU | 12% |
| Vitamin C | 45.2mg | 50% |
| Calcium | 42mg | 4% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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