• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ministry of Curry logo

  • SHOP
    • Amazon Store
    • Cookbook
    • eBooks
    • Cooking Classes
    • Meal Plans
  • RESOURCES
    • Instant Pot 101
    • Air Fryer 101
    • Indian Cooking Tools
    • Cooking 101
    • Essential Indian Spices
    • Guide to Beans and Lentils
    • Holiday Shopping Guide
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Oven Recipes
    • Stove Top Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Salad
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Low Carb
    • Vegan
  • ABOUT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
  • Cooking Classes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Beans and Lentils

    Instant Pot Dal Dhokli | Lentil stew with homemade noodles

    Published: Jun 29, 2017 · Modified: May 10, 2022 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 52 Comments

    1206 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    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 Chakolya or Varan Phal.

    Dal Dhokli served in a white bowl

    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 nutty flavors from mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and peanuts.

    After overindulging 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 the 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.

    Varan Phal served in a white bowl

    Variations

    1. Substitute any cooking oil instead of ghee to make this a Vegan Daal Dhokli
    2. Add 4 cloves and 1 cinnamon stick with the lentils to add warm flavors and aroma, this is especially a good idea during winter
    3. Stir in 2-3 big handful of chopped spinach just before adding the dhokli
    4. Traditionally this dish is made using Toor Dal but Mung Dal or Masoor Dal also makes a good substitute

    Instructions

    Step by step recipe to make Instant Pot Dal Dhokli:

    Step 1: 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, asafoetida, 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.
    steps showing how to make dal dhokli

    Step 2: 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 a tablespoon of oil. Use water as needed to make a firm yet pliable dough. I used little more than ¾th 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.

    Step 3: Pressure Cook again with the dough squares

    • Open Instant Pot after the pressure has released naturally. Turn the 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!
    steps showing how to make dal dhokli in the Instant Pot

    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:

    • EASY Spinach Dal
    • Black Eyed Peas Curry
    • Chana Masala
    • Dal Makhani
    • Shepu chi Bhaji
    • Sprouted mung misal

    ★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    daal dhokli
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    4.88 from 25 votes

    Daal Dhokli - Instant Pot

    Daal Dhokli - Savory whole wheat noodles cooked in sweet, spicy and tangy lentil stew makes an ultimate comfort food!
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 351kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Ingredients

    Part 1: Dal

    • 4 tablespoon ghee divided (or 2 tablespoons of cooking oil for vegan option)
    • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
    • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
    • ¼ teaspoon asafetida
    • 12 fresh curry leaves
    • ½ 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
    • ½ cup toor daal rinsed and drained
    • 2 cups water
    • ½ cup cilantro chopped for garnish

    Part II: Dhokli

    • 2½ cups whole wheat flour divided
    • 1 tablespoon besan chickpea flour
    • 1 cup water or as needed
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon carom seeds
    • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
    • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1 tablespoon oil divided

    Instructions

    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. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, 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 minutes followed by Natural Pressure Release.

    Make the Dhokli

    • 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 ¾th 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.

    Pressure cook Dal & Dhokli

    • 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. Pressure Cook 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!

    Video

    Notes

    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

    Nutrition

    Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 1883mg | Potassium: 403mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 590IU | Vitamin C: 45.2mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry

    ♥ We LOVE to hear from you! Did you try this recipe? Please share your food photo with hashtag #ministryofcurry on Facebook or Instagram, so we can see it and our followers can enjoy it too! Thank you and Happy Cooking ♥ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for tasty and easy video recipes. Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Check out our delicious Instant Pot Recipe board on Pinterest.

    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
    Twitter Facebook Linkedin
    « Instant Pot Corn Poblano Chowder
    Instant Pot Sprouted Lentils Bowl »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. lorraine Gardner-skoglund says

      June 29, 2017 at 12:22 pm

      Keep those veggie recipes coming! Love em.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 29, 2017 at 2:13 pm

        Thank you Lorraine! So glad that you are enjoying them. Always appreciate the feedback 🙂

        Reply
    2. Blogtastic Food says

      June 29, 2017 at 9:20 pm

      That looks so yummy! I am hungry now! (:

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 29, 2017 at 10:05 pm

        Thank you! It is super yummy and healthy.

        Reply
    3. Hans Susser says

      June 29, 2017 at 9:46 pm

      Another winner !
      I could eat at your restaurant every day 🙂
      Cheers !

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 29, 2017 at 10:05 pm

        Thank you Hans! You made my day!

        Reply
    4. Genevieve says

      June 30, 2017 at 12:53 am

      If i wanted to avoid spiciness, which spices should I cut back on?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 30, 2017 at 2:50 pm

        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.

        Reply
    5. Paulomi Doshi says

      July 01, 2017 at 8:58 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 01, 2017 at 9:58 pm

        Paulomi, It will be the same time for pressure cooking. Let me know how you like it?

        Reply
        • Paulomi Doshi says

          July 02, 2017 at 1:46 am

          Thank you

          Reply
          • Archana says

            July 02, 2017 at 3:49 pm

            You are most welcome! Let me know!

            Reply
    6. annika says

      July 04, 2017 at 9:44 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 04, 2017 at 11:01 pm

        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 🙂

        Reply
    7. Nidhi Tare says

      September 29, 2017 at 2:47 pm

      the place where I'm from, its called daal-mutkule 🙂

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 29, 2017 at 2:51 pm

        Hi Nidhi! Thats a cute name for this dish 🙂 Growing up we called it "chakulya" in maharashtra!

        Reply
    8. Nancy Travers says

      September 30, 2017 at 10:53 am

      If you don't have the time time to make the noodles what would be an acceptable store bought replacement? Thanks, nt

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 30, 2017 at 2:37 pm

        Hi Nancy! You can break lasagna noodles in it or any pasta you like!

        Reply
    9. Msa says

      October 01, 2017 at 3:19 pm

      I have a lot of Indian spices, but not ajwain/carom seeds. What are some alternatives to try?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 01, 2017 at 8:13 pm

        You can totally skip ajwain/carom seeds if you do not have them.

        Reply
    10. priya says

      October 29, 2017 at 5:42 am

      Could you please explain how you would use an ordinary indian pressure cooker to make this?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 29, 2017 at 10:23 am

        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.

        Reply
    11. padma k says

      January 16, 2018 at 8:00 pm

      you explain so well in crispy manner.thank you. i got compliment for the black eye curry which i made following your blog 🙂

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 17, 2018 at 6:58 pm

        Thank you Padma!

        Reply
    12. Ushma says

      February 27, 2018 at 10:03 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 02, 2018 at 9:12 am

        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.

        Reply
    13. Puneeta says

      March 19, 2018 at 8:41 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 19, 2018 at 9:18 pm

        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.

        Reply
    14. Mariyam says

      July 19, 2018 at 10:44 am

      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?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 19, 2018 at 10:45 am

        Yes that will work. Except you may want to reduce the cook time after adding the dhokli or just cook them on sauté mode

        Reply
    15. DS says

      April 13, 2019 at 11:28 pm

      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!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 14, 2019 at 1:32 pm

        Thank you! I am so glad you enjoy this easy Instant Pot recipe.

        Reply
    16. Hansa Modha says

      September 01, 2019 at 6:57 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 02, 2019 at 11:44 am

        Thank you for your lovely feedback.

        Reply
    17. Dipti says

      September 15, 2019 at 6:24 pm

      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!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 15, 2019 at 9:46 pm

        Thank you so much for your lovely feedback

        Reply
    18. Radha Bage says

      March 18, 2020 at 1:57 am

      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 Archana5 stars

      Reply
    19. Jyoti says

      March 20, 2020 at 11:12 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 20, 2020 at 6:40 pm

        Yes! Love the addition of veggies.

        Reply
    20. mush says

      April 02, 2020 at 12:35 am

      If I'm out of tamarind paste. Do you think I could substitute lemon juice?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 02, 2020 at 9:21 am

        yes! You can simply squeeze lemon juice when eating too

        Reply
    Newer Comments »

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

    Learn More About Me!

    Archana's Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook

    SHOP

    Popular Posts

    • Mumbai Pav Bhaji
    • Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
    • Mushroom Masala
    • Homemade Pomegranate Juice

    Footer

    AS FEATURED IN

    ↑Back to Top

    Ministry of Curry

    Shop
    About
    Privacy Policy
    Accessibility
    Contact

    Food and Recipes

    Recipe Index
    Cooking 101
    Instant Pot 101
    Cookbook

    MOC Pro

    Dashboard
    Meal Plans
    Virtual Cooking Classes
    Tips & Tricks

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Ministry of Curry

    1206 shares
    • 245