How To Make Instant Pot Chana Dal

Have you ever wondered how to make Instant Pot Chana Dal?
Let me show you how simple and easy it is to prepare these wonderful dried beans in your instant pot or other electric pressure cooker.

They make the smoothest and creamiest hummus out there as well as a wonderful addition to your Trim Healthy Mama journey.

I had never heard of chana dal until I began my Trim Healthy Mama journey. I’m sure there are other mamas like me that just do not know what this ingredient is.

What is Chana Dal

Chana Dal is peeled, split dried chickpeas. It is an ingredient that is popular in indian cuisine as well as in the middle east.

These wonderful little beans pack a powerhouse of nutrients as well as some protein into the dishes that you use them in.

How I Use Chana Dal

I love making hummus to dip my vegetables in for a wonderful energizing snack, you just have to watch how much fat you add to it so that it stays within the guidelines for an E snack or meal.

I also love spreading hummus on sandwiches instead of this 5 Minute Mayo when the need arises.

You can make cakes, cookies and other dips with chana dal as it has a smoother texture than many other beans.

How Chana Dal Is Different

Chana dal is different from canned chickpeas as they have already been peeled which allows them to blend into a much smoother consistency than other canned beans.

They have a milder taste profile and do not give me the “beany” taste that is present when using some other types of beans.

It is a budget friendly ingredient that you can find at many local markets.

The Instant Pot

I have 2 instant pots, one is a 6qt duo and the other is a duo Mini 3qt. This can be made in either of them as it is a smaller batch recipe.

A word of caution about cooking ingredients that foam in an electric pressure cooker.

DO NOT fill your pot more than half full.

If you disregard this warning you could have a huge mess on your hands as well as mess up your cooker. 

Foaming ingredients that expand such as chana dal require more room to process.

You also need to follow the Natural Pressure Release protocol to ensure that your vent does not become clogged or have spraying liquids all over your kitchen.

To Soak or Not To Soak

Soaking your beans helps them to digest more easily. It also helps reduce foaming (see my note above) during the cooking process.

I have soaked my chana dal for 1 hour and for 7+ hours depending on how quickly I needed to use them.

If you soak for and extended period of time you only need to really cook them for about 2-3 minutes on high pressure. Personally, I still use 8 minutes to ensure that everything is cooked through.

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How To Make Instant Pot Chana Dal

5 from 1 reviews

How To Make Instant Pot Chana Dal

 

Author: Judy

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 8

• Serving size: ¼ cup
• Calories: 95

• Fat: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 16g
• Sodium: 5mg
• Fiber: 9g
• Protein: 6g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time:  1 hour 15 mins

Cook time:  8 mins

Total time:  1 hour 23 mins

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Simply cooked chana dal that can be used to make dishes like hummus smooth and creamy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chana dal
• 6 cups water (divided)

Instructions

1. Place 1 cup of Chana Dal in a glass container and cover with 3 cups of water.
2. Allow to soak for 1-7 hours
3. Drain and rinse the dal.
4. Place the chana dal in your liner.
5. cover with an additional 3 cups of water.
6. Place lid on your Instant Pot, lock into place, make sure the valve is set to sealing.
7. Press the manual or pressure cook button and adjust the time to 8 minutes.
8. Process the dal for 8 min and allow it to natural pressure release for 15 minutes.

Notes

Chana Dal tends to foam a lot.
Please follow the instructions for your pressure cooker concerning volume of ingredients that foam.

For the Instant Pot do not fill your liner more than ½ full

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