Instant Pot Sobji Dal Sobji Diye Bhaja Muger Dal Vvk

Instant Pot Sobji Dal

The second recipe that I am going to share as a part of this mega marathon under the theme “protein-rich dishes” is the flavorful mixed vegetable dal that is prepared with roasted moong dal. This Sobji dal is a popular recipe from the Bengali Cuisine, and it is known as Sobji Diye Bhaja Muger Dal, meaning roasted moong dal with veggies. It is really fascinating how all these Indian regional cuisines have their unique and authentic dal recipes. I am super glad about picking this Indian Legumes theme and all these new dal recipes have now become the staples in our household. Earlier this year I posted the Bengali cholar dal, and now it’s the Sobji dal. The yellow lentils or the split moong dal is one of the most commonly used lentils in India. One cup of cooked moong dal approximately has 7 to 8 gram of protein. With veggies added and when served with roti or rice, they form a complete meal. There are different methods and variations to prepare this dal, but here is my instant pot version. You can use mustard oil or ghee for tempering. We are yet to acquire the taste of mustard oil, so I went with the regular cooking oil. Traditionally winter vegetables are used for this recipe. I used beans, peas, carrot, cauliflower, and broccoli for this recipe but you can use any veggies of your choice. Here is the recap from previous marathons and the sobji dal recipe.

Recap:

2015 | Day 2 – Baked Portobello Mushroom Burger 2016 | Day 2 – Dabeli 2017 | Day 2 – Instant Pot Sobji Dal | Sobji Diye Bhaja Muger Dal

Instant Pot Sobji Dal | Sobji Diye Bhaja Muger Dal Recipe:

Instant Pot Sobji Dal / Sobji Diye Bhaja Muger Dal is a Bengali style dal recipe prepared with roasted moong dal and mixed vegetables in Instant Pot.

Ingredients:

Moong Dal – ½ cup Mixed Vegetables – 2.5 cups (Beans, Peas, Carrot, Cauliflower, Broccoli) Oil – 1.5 tsp + .5 tsp Green Chili – 1 Ginger – 1 inch Garam Masala – 1 tsp Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp Salt – 1.5 tsp Panch Phoron – ½ tsp Cilantro to garnish Water – 2 cups Salt – 1. 5 tsps Sugar – ½ tsp

Prep – Work:

Chop all the veggies and wash them. Drain the water and set aside. Chop the green chili and ginger into small pieces and set aside.

Steps:

Instant Pot Method:

Set the instant pot in saute mode and add ½ Tsp of oil.

Then add the ½ cup of moong dal and roast them until they turn light brown or until you can smell the nutty aroma. Turn off the IP and remove the moong dal and soak in water.

Set the IP back in saute mode and add the remaining 1.5 tsps of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the panch phoron, chopped green chili, and ginger and saute for a minute. Then add the chopped vegetables, turmeric powder, garam masala, sugar, and salt.

Mix them thoroughly. Meanwhile, drain the water from the moong dal and add it to the veggie mix. Add 2 cups of water and close the IP with the vent sealed. Let it cook in manual mode for 5 minutes.

Next…

After it beeps, wait for 5 minutes and release the pressure quickly.

Carefully open the lid and mix the dal nicely. Set the IP back to saute mode. Finally, add the chopped cilantro and let it simmer for 3 minutes.

That’s it. Sobji dal is ready. Serve it hot with rice or roti.

Pressure Cooker Method:

Heat a kadai or pressure pan and add ½ Tsp of oil. Then add the ½ cup of moong dal and roast them until they turn light brown or until you can smell the nutty aroma. Turn off the heat and remove the moong dal and soak in water. Heat a pressure pan/cooker and add the remaining 1.5 tsps of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the panch phoron, chopped green chili, and ginger and saute for a minute. Then add the chopped vegetables, turmeric powder, garam masala, sugar, and salt. Mix them thoroughly. Meanwhile, drain the water from the moong dal and add it to the veggie mix. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for up to 2 whistles. Once the pressure is off, carefully open the pressure cooker lid and mix the dal nicely. Add chopped cilantro and simmer the dal again over low flame for 3 minutes.

Notes:

Adjust the salt and spices as per your preference. Traditionally winter/seasonal veggies are used for this recipe. You can mix and match with your favorite and available ones. Sugar is optional. Roasting the moong dal adds a delicate flavor to this recipe but if time is pressure you can skip the roasting step and add the washed dal directly and cook it along with veggies. Instead of oil, you can use ghee for tempering. You can add onion and garlic during tempering for more flavor.