The ultimate comfort food, Dal Dhokli is a sweet, spicy and tangy lentil stew with freshly made whole wheat noodles cooked in the lentils. A hearty one pot meal from the Indian States of Gujarat and Maharashtra, where it is also called as Chakolya or Varan Phal.
This finger-licking delicious and wholesome recipe has complex flavors from tamarind and jaggery, soft melt in the mouth textures from the homemade wheat noodles and the nutty flavors from mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and peanuts.
After over indulging from a vacation or while recovering from an illness, this easy daal dhokli recipe always makes a good detox meal.
In India, pressure cookers are commonly used for cooking lentils and beans. So to make Dal Dhokli in the Instant Pot made perfect sense, with an added advantage of making it a one pot dish. First make the tadka on the sauté mode, then add the aromatics and lentils and pressure cook the dal. Next, add the thinly rolled and cut pieces of the whole wheat dough and pressure cook it again for a perfectly cooked dal dhokli.
Dal Dhokli Recipe Variations:
- Substitute any cooking oil instead of ghee to make this a Vegan Daal Dhokli
- Add 4 cloves and 1 cinnamon stick with the lentils to add warm flavors and aroma, this is especially a good idea during winter
- Stir in 2-3 big handful of chopped spinach just before adding the dhokli
- Traditionally this dish is made using Toor Dal but Mung Dal or Masoor Dal also makes a good substitute
Step by step recipe to make Instant Pot Dal Dhokli
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. Next, stir in cumin seeds, asafetida 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.
- Pour 2 cups of water, give a quick stir and close the Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure cook(Hi) for 8 mins followed by Natural Pressure Release.
Make the dough, roll and cut into squares
- 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 3/4th 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 pizza cutter, cut each rolled tortilla 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.
Pressure Cook again with the dough squares
- Open Instant Pot after the pressure has released naturally. Turn Instant pot to saute mode and using an immersion blender (or back of the spoon), gently blend (or mix) the dal for 5 seconds. Stir in 3 cups of water, cook covered with a glass lid and bring the dal to a gentle boil.
- Add half of the dough squares to the daal and mix gently. Add remaining half dough squares, mix again. Close Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook(Hi) 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!
Thanks to Mom, for making this recipe with me in the Instant Pot, it is always so much fun to cook with her! Here is my Mom, making the mouth-watering Daal Dhokli in Instant Pot:
Did you enjoy this one pot meal? Try Suva Ni Dhokli, a unique twist to the traditional Dal Dhokli recipe with the addition of Dill leaves also known as Shepu or Suva ni bhaji.
Curious to know how to use different lentils and beans?
Check out this guide to Pulses, Indian lentils and beans with their different names and here are some of my go-to vegetarian recipes using dry beans and lentils:
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- 4 tablespoon ghee divided (or 2 tablespoons of cooking oil for vegan option)
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon asafetida
- 10-12 fresh curry leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 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
- 1/2 cup toor daal rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped for garnish
- 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour divided
- 1 tablespoon besan chickpea flour
- 1 cup water or as needed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon oil divided
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, asafetida 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 mins followed by Natural Pressure Release.
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 3/4th 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.
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. Cook on Manual(Hi) 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!
Recipe Video
NOTES:
- You can add 4 cloves and 1 stick of cinnamon to the dal for more warm flavors
- Add 2-3 handful of chopped spinach in the dal before adding the dhoklis and stir well
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lorraine Gardner-skoglund says
Keep those veggie recipes coming! Love em.
Archana says
Thank you Lorraine! So glad that you are enjoying them. Always appreciate the feedback 🙂
Blogtastic Food says
That looks so yummy! I am hungry now! (:
Archana says
Thank you! It is super yummy and healthy.
Hans Susser says
Another winner !
I could eat at your restaurant every day 🙂
Cheers !
Archana says
Thank you Hans! You made my day!
Genevieve says
If i wanted to avoid spiciness, which spices should I cut back on?
Archana says
Hi Genevieve, You can skip red chili powder in the daal as well as the dough. That will make the dish non spicy. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Paulomi Doshi says
Hi Archana thank you for the recipe. Do I use the IP for the same time if I use half the amount of all ingredients. Thanks
Archana says
Paulomi, It will be the same time for pressure cooking. Let me know how you like it?
Paulomi Doshi says
Thank you
Archana says
You are most welcome! Let me know!
annika says
Looks gorgeous Archana. I’ve only eaten this once… I was about 10 and my dad made it for us in the absence of my mom. Although he is a great cook, he can’t make rotis and this was his way of getting around that. The dhokli turned out to be terrible and we never made it again. I may have to make this dish for him!
Archana says
Hi Annika! So nice that your dad tried to make this for you. It is tricky to make rotis but so thoughtful of him to attempt. It will be so nice if you make these for him now 🙂
Nidhi Tare says
the place where I’m from, its called daal-mutkule 🙂
Archana says
Hi Nidhi! Thats a cute name for this dish 🙂 Growing up we called it “chakulya” in maharashtra!
Nancy Travers says
If you don’t have the time time to make the noodles what would be an acceptable store bought replacement? Thanks, nt
Archana says
Hi Nancy! You can break lasagna noodles in it or any pasta you like!
Msa says
I have a lot of Indian spices, but not ajwain/carom seeds. What are some alternatives to try?
Archana says
You can totally skip ajwain/carom seeds if you do not have them.
priya says
Could you please explain how you would use an ordinary indian pressure cooker to make this?
Archana says
Hi Priya! You can make the Daal directly in the cooker, 2-3 whistles. Then you can add the dhoklis and cook for another 1 whistle.
padma k says
you explain so well in crispy manner.thank you. i got compliment for the black eye curry which i made following your blog 🙂
Archana says
Thank you Padma!
Ushma says
I followed you recipe but after 2 minutes on high pressure the dhokli part still seems raw. Unsure of what happened. Is there an alternative time you recommend? I’ve put back for 3 minutes longer and it still wasnt done.
Archana says
Hi Ushma, I am sorry for the delayed response. Were your dhoklis rolled thin? Also do you know if the Instant Pot actually came to pressure after you added dhokli? Sometimes if your daal is too thick, or if there is not enough water, IP will not come to pressure, that is the only thing I can think of.
Puneeta says
Hi Archana..i tried this and it was awesome..it was so flavorful..big hit in my family..i had a quick question-if i have to make it for a dinner party can i make it in advance and how do i prevent the dhoklis from soaking up the daal and avoid thickening of the daal?
Archana says
Hi Puneeta, Thank you for your feedback. Happy to hear that your family enjoyed this. I would not recommend making this dish ahead of time as it is hard to reheat. You can instead make just the daal and add the dhoklis few mins before you are ready to serve. Make sure to add extra 1 to 2 cups of water if the daal thickens after cooling down. Hope this helps.
Mariyam says
I grew up eating this on special occasions, so am super excited to try to make it! One question – I am trying to cut down on gluten, do you think I could swap out the flour for an all purpose gluten free flour mix?
Archana says
Yes that will work. Except you may want to reduce the cook time after adding the dhokli or just cook them on sauté mode
DS says
Great recipe! I used to eat dal Dhokli at an old school friend’s house when our studying sessions would run late. Her grandmother would whip up a pot of dal Dhokli in minutes! Haven’t had it in years, but when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it! It’s in regular rotation at our house now. Thank you!!
Archana says
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoy this easy Instant Pot recipe.
Hansa Modha says
Made Dal Dhokari this evening. Turned out just perfect. Only thing I did differently was adding only half the amount of Dhokari. I used same amount of water as mentioned. It was just perfect for two people with Little leftovers.
Archana says
Thank you for your lovely feedback.
Dipti says
I have been making this recipe for about a year and this is my husbands favorite dish. I never enjoyed this dish growing up and never cared to make it for my husband since I didn’t like it (lol). After a few months of him begging, i gave in and tried to mAke your recipe. He LOVED and so did I. I make your recipe every few months for him and even bought your cookbook and love the recipes in there! Awesome job!
Archana says
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback
Radha Bage says
I made it today and it came out awesome ..except that I didn’t add any garlic and added methi seeds in tadka..thanks for sharing Archana
Jyoti says
I love dal dhokli. I add veggies like peas, cubed potato, papdi and cut eggplant. This makes it a complete meal for me. I love leftovers and enjoy it cold or warm it in the microwave.
Archana says
Yes! Love the addition of veggies.
mush says
If I’m out of tamarind paste. Do you think I could substitute lemon juice?
Archana says
yes! You can simply squeeze lemon juice when eating too