Pressure cooker dal with whole spice temper. Batch-cooking recipe designed for repeatability — weigh your spices.
Weigh out 1000g red split lentils and set aside. Dissolve 8g Mutti vegetable paste into 500g stock + ~1600g water (2100g total liquid).
Heat coconut oil in the pressure cooker on medium-high until shimmering. Add all whole spices at once. Stir continuously until mustard seeds begin to pop and cumin darkens one shade — about 45 seconds. Don’t let them burn.
Add onion. Cook 6 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds, until translucent with some browning.
Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant, then splash in ~100g of the prepped liquid — just enough to keep the bottom moist without flooding it. Stir another 30 seconds. Garlic should not brown or stick.
Pre-mix the ground spices (first-half garam masala only) and tomato paste into one paste in a small bowl (tare-and-add on the scale). Add to the pan and stir for 60 seconds — colour deepens to brick red, strong aroma, no smoking. The water splash from stage 2 keeps it from sticking; add another small splash if needed.
Add lentils. Fold into the spice base until evenly coated. Toast for 90 seconds.
Add diced tomatoes first, deglaze any remaining fond. Add the remaining liquid. Season with salt. Stir well. Seal the pressure cooker. Cook on high for 12 minutes. Quick release.
Remove bay leaves and cardamom pods. Stir in coconut milk and the second-half garam masala. Add lemon zest and juice. Simmer uncovered on low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust — salt, lemon, chili.
Remove from heat. Dal thickens significantly on standing. Rest 5 minutes before serving or portioning. Serve with harissa on the side for individual heat adjustment.
Swap garam masala for Sri Lankan curry powder (same quantity — 10g total, split 5g at stage 3 / 5g at stage 6). More aromatic and complex, slightly different heat profile.
Use premium curry powder Preston in place of garam masala. More robust, Australian-style spice character.
| Ingredient | ×1 | ×4 |
|---|---|---|
| Red split lentils | 1000g | 4000g |
| Brown onions | 350g | 1400g |
| Coconut oil | 28g | 112g |
| Garam masala | 10g | 40g |
| Ground coriander | 8g | 32g |
| Diced tomatoes | 800g | 3200g |
| Tomato paste | 16g | 64g |
| Coconut milk | 400g | 1600g |
| Stock | 500g | 2000g |
| Lemons (zest + juice) | 54g | 216g |
Makes this truly repeatable. A small kitchen scale takes the guesswork out, especially across consecutive batches.
Easier than fresh — no peeling, just grate straight from the freezer. Flavour is excellent.
2100g total liquid per 1000g dry lentils is the target. The tinned tomatoes contribute liquid — if you want thicker dal, reduce water by 200–400g. Actual yield is approximately 4.5–5kg per batch.
Full-fat coconut milk gives a silkier, lighter finish. Cream is richer. Either works — add at the end, not during pressure cooking.
Garlic and ginger want a splash of liquid within ~30 seconds of going in — the pan is already hot from cooking down the onion, and they’ll catch on the bottom otherwise. The same splash carries through the spice bloom and prevents pressure cooker burn warnings later, so no second deglaze is needed.
Tare-and-add turmeric, coriander, the first-half garam masala (5g), chili flakes, and tomato paste into one bowl during prep. Easier to weigh, easier to dump in fast at stage 3 — the pan can’t wait while you fish through five jars. Keep the second-half garam masala (5g) in its own small dish for stage 6.
5g at stage 3 (depth, warmth that survives pressure cooking) + 5g at stage 6 (top-note aroma — cardamom and clove volatiles that pressure heat would destroy). The extra ramekin is worth the lift.
Sealed Western-supermarket red lentils (McKenzie’s, Coles, Woolies, ALDI) are mechanically sorted and clean — the historical reason for rinsing pulses (stones, chaff, field dust) is gone. And red lentils throw off starch on purpose: that’s the creamy body of dal, not a defect to remove. Rinsing here would wash out a feature. Open-bin or sub-continental-grocer sacks are a different story — rinse those.
Lemon juice and coconut milk can separate slightly on thawing. A vigorous stir or brief blitz with a stick blender when reheating resolves this.
Serve as a condiment at the table rather than cooking it in. Lets each portion be adjusted to heat preference.
Weigh out lentils, set aside.
Dissolve vegetable paste into stock + water (2100g total liquid).
Heat oil on medium-high until shimmering. Add all spices at once. Stir until mustard seeds pop and cumin darkens.
Add onion. Cook 6 min, stir every 90s, until translucent with browning.
At 6:00 add: 15g garlic (rough-chopped) + 15g frozen ginger (grated). Stir 30s, then splash ~100g of the prepped liquid. Stir another 30s — garlic shouldn’t brown.
Add the pre-mixed spices + tomato paste. Stir 60s until brick red. Splash more liquid if it sticks.
Add lentils. Fold into the spice base until coated. Toast 90s.
Add tomatoes, deglaze. Add remaining liquid + salt. Stir. Seal lid. High pressure 12 min. Quick release.
Remove bay leaves + cardamom. Stir in coconut milk + second-half garam masala. Add lemon. Simmer uncovered 5 min. Taste and adjust.
Remove from heat. Dal thickens on standing. Rest 5 min before serving or portioning. Serve with harissa on the side.