Rinse lentils in tap water while you prepare tempering. Turn on Saute mode (high). When it displays ‘hot’, add oil and mustard seeds. Wait for them to sizzle and splutter.

Add onions, serrano chili and minced ginger and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until the onion turns pink.

Add spices and saute for another minute.

Add rinsed and drained lentils along with stock and tin tomatoes. Deglaze the pot, scrapping off any brown bits stuck at the bottom. If you’re just making dal without rice, close the lid, cancel saute and pressure cook for 9 minutes at high pressure (sealing mode). If making rice, read the following instructions.

For Making Pot-in-Pot Rice: Place a trivet in the Instant Pot. In an oven safe bowl add rinsed rice, water and seasoning. Stir well. Place the bowl on top of the trivet. Close the lid and pressure cook for 9 minutes on Manual or Pressure Cook.

After cook time is up, wait for 5 minutes, then manually release pressure. Open the lid after the pin drops. Remove rice and gently fluff with a fork. If the dal is too wet saute for a few minutes to thicken. To add the tadka, follow the instructions below.

Heat a small sauce pan on medium heat. Add ghee (or oil and butter for vegan) along with dry red chilli, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, kashmiri red chili powder (optional) and curry leaves. Gently heat it until the seeds begin to splutter. Turn off heat and add this tempering on top of the cooked dal just before serving.

Serve rice and dal with tadka, bread, pickles and yogurt