This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Lentil Veggie Dhansak Recipe. Dal and vegetables cooked with spices. Parsi dhansak Recipe. Make this dal dhansak in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker or in a Saucepan. Serve over rice or flatbread or garlic bread. Vegan Gluten-free Soyfree Nut-free Indian Recipe.
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.
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
Veggie Lentil Dhansak Instant Pot
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
- 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.
- 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 .
- Once the pressure has released, open the lid. At this point you can mash the veggies and lentils for a more traditional version..
- 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.
- Serve with rice, flatbread, toasted bread or garlic bread, garlic naan and kachumbar salad (cucumber tomato onion salad).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I make the dal in the instant pot today, then tomorrow, reheat and do the tempering? Will that still taste good? Or will it be tastier, if I prep everything today and cook everything tomorrow?
Thx!
Yes, that will work fine. Indian food anyway tastes better the next day as the spices infuse it well 🙂
Thanks! My first recipe in the instant pot! Will be my go to way for making dal now! So easy!
Awesome!
One of my life goals is to make everything (EVERYTHING) in your cookbooks, but I’m never going to succeed if you keep posting amazing recipes on your site! I’m serious, your recipes are among my top few life goals.
I used red and yellow dal, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and was lucky enough to get fenugreek! I love the combination of Instant Pot and the tempering. And the ginger is wonderful. I look forward to trying new combinations. I still need to work on my onion caramelization techniques though.
Thank you!
Thats awesome! I hear you. Sometimes I have to pause and have weeks of making my own favorites. Its the nature of online blogging. Gotta keep posting so the blog stays popular with google search and people can find the recipes!
Oh please please please never stop making new recipes!! That’s not what I meant 🙂
Is there any dhana jeera in the cooking or just for garnish?
its added with the lentils, veggies. See under dal and veggies. All of the ingredients and added to a pot and cooked. You can use more for garnish
Thanks Richa, I thought that must be it but just wanted to check! Making this tonight 🙂
Now I’m seriously craving Indian food! Lentils and veggies are the key to my soul. I’ve never actually heard of this recipe but this take looks wonderful!
Thank you Cassie. This one is really delicious!
To do all in an instant pot, can I do the tempering in the pot before adding the dal and cooking the veggies?
Yes, you can make the tempering in the pot. Reserve half of it for garnish later. Add the lentils to the pot and proceed.
Thanks!
I grew up eating a similar kind of daal. That was however prepared with masoor daal. So comforting and soul satisfying with a bowl of steam rice.
Yummy
This looks so delicious and comforting.
This looks fabulous, just like all your recipes. I cant wait to make it!