Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 cup toor dal
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 big tomato or 2 small tomatoes
• 2 serrano peppers
• 1 green bell pepper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
• 1 teaspoon of tamarind paste or concentrate
• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2-3 cups of water (if you want a thicker dal, then use 2 cups, otherwise use 3)

Instructions

1. Soak dal in water for 1 hour
2. Put Instant Pot setting to saute
3. Add oil or ghee to Instant Pot
4. Add cumin and fenugreek seeds
5. Once spices are fragrant, add onion; wait for onion to become translucent, then add garlic
6. After the raw garlic smell goes away, add tomatoes and some salt
7. Once tomatoes are soft, add peppers
8. Add in all other spices and 1 tsp of tamarind paste
9. Turn off sauté mode on Instant Pot and change setting to manual
10. Add dal and 2-3 cups of water
11. Put Instant Pot setting on high pressure for 12 minutes
12. After 12 minutes, do a 5 minute natural release, and 2 minute quick release

Finish with lemon juice.

Serve with rice, chapati, or naan

For tempering:

• Heat some oil in a small pan
• Add in 1 tsp urad dal and chana dal, 1 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp cumin seeds, pinch of hing or asofetida
• After it starts sizzling, pour over the top of the tomato dal

Finish with lemon juice.

Serve with rice, chapati, or naan