I just started making dal for the first time in my many years on this earth. I’ve eaten a lot of dal, but it’s just not something I’ve ever tried to cook until this year.

I could kick myself for keeping my kitchen dal-less for such a long time, because it’s so delicious, easy (maybe about 30 minutes total with the Instant Pot) and my daughter is dal’s #1 FAN. She basically ignored everything else on her plate when this dal was on it.

What’s the dal?

Dal means “split lentils,” and there are countless different versions that you can make. but they are all basically at the intersection of curry, soup and porridge. Some people like dal a little thicker like a creamy mash and others like dal a little thinner like a brothy lentil soup (this style is very common with yellow lentils).

I’m not a dal recipe expert by any stretch of the imagination and this is certainly NOT traditional, but one night I winged it with my Instant Pot and a bag of red lentils (masoor dal). The result was a really tasty dinner that also included an extra nutritious and not-so-secret (because it’s in the title of the recipe) ingredient: pumpkin. I’ve been making it fairly regularly since.

The consistency of this pumpkin dal is super creamy—like a mash or porridge. I’d go as far as calling it abundantly cozy, the exact thing I want to be eating for breakfast in the winter. Also lunch and dinner because dal’s an all-day-everyday food like that. The most typical use in our house is that I prep a big batch of dal and then use it to make lunch bowls (whatever leftover protein we might have + rice + dal + veggies + coriander chutney + etc.)

The flavor is rich from the coconut milk (and ghee, if you use it), but it’s also very approachable and almost basic—at least for a curry. It’s purposefully not spicy because I was cooking, in part, for a toddler who has mixed feelings about spicy foods. I make a lot of food this way these days so everyone can enjoy it at their own heat level through their choice of toppings.

Easy Instant Pot Pumpkin Dal

gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan recipe | serves 8+

Ingredients

• 3 T ghee or coconut oil

• 1 onion, minced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 tsp ginger, minced

• 1 T Madras curry powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1 can pumpkin puree (squash or sweet potato—also good)

• 1 can coconut milk

• 2.5 cups red lentils

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• kosher salt, to taste

• lemon juice, to taste

• optional toppings: fresh cilantro, ghee drizzle, toasted cumin seeds, yogurt, sizzled shallots, chili flakes, etc.

Instructions

1. Using the Instant Pot sauté option, cook the onions with ghee until translucent.

2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute or two. (If you are adding a chopped green or red chili, now’s the time for this, too.)

3. Add the curry powder, cumin and coriander and cook for a minute to release the masala flavors.

4. Add the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, red lentils and stock. Stir it up.

5. On the manual setting, select 8 minutes on the normal level. It’ll take longer than that (as you maybe know) to heat up, so it’ll be about 30 minutes total in the Instant Pot.

6. Once the cooking is finished, you can do natural pressure release or quick release.

7. Add salt and lemon juice to taste.

8. Top with whatever you like best, or just eat it plain with a giant spoon.

9. When reheating, add a little water or broth since dal tends to become quite thick when it hangs out.

Notes

• You will not even know the pumpkin is there, but hooray for more vitamins. You also might not even know the coconut milk is there.