30-60 min4 servingsArchana Mundhe

South Indian Rice And Lentils

By Archana Mundhe

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4 servings

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30-60 min

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Easy

South Indian Rice And Lentils
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Recipe Details

Course: Main Dishes

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 40 min

Total Time: 30-60 min

Cooking Technique: Pressure Cook, Sauté

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup short-grain white rice
  • 4 tbsp ghee
  • 2 tbsp raw cashews
  • 2 tsp Ginger
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 20 curry leaves
  • 1/2 cup moong daal
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp hing
  • 4 1/2 cups Water
In South India, this satisfying tiffin dish is eaten for breakfast, but it can also be enjoyed as part of lunch or dinner. The rice and lentils are generously seasoned with curry leaves, cumin seeds, black pepper, and hing. Use the low-pressure Rice setting here so that the rice and lentils are cooked soft and have a lighter texture. Served hot with coconut chutney or Sambar (page 71), this ghee-laced dish makes a delightful lazy weekend brunch.

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Measure the rice into a wire-mesh strainer, then rinse under running water for 10 seconds, swishing it around. Drain and set aside.
  2. Select the high Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee. Add the cashews and sauté until they start to turn golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the cashews to a small bowl.
  3. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons ghee, the ginger, cumin seeds, peppercorns, ground pepper, and curry leaves directly to the hot ghee at the bottom edges of the pot and sauté until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Transfer the tadka to the bowl with the cashews and set aside.
  4. Add the moong daal to the now-empty Instant Pot and sauté until toasted, about 1 minute. Add the rice, salt, and hing; pour in the water; and stir to combine.
  5. Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the Rice setting and set the cooking time for 12 minutes at low pressure.
  6. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then move the Pressure Release to Venting to release any remaining steam. Press the Cancel button to turn off the Instant Pot. Open the pot and stir in the reserved cashews and tadka.
  7. Spoon the rice and lentils onto plates and serve.

Notes

VEGAN VARIATION, Substitute neutral vegetable oil or coconut oil for the ghee.

About the chef

Archana Mundhe

Archana Mundhe

This authorized collection of 75 simplified Indian classics for the immensely popular electric pressure cooker, the Instant Pot, is a beautifully photographed, easy-to-follow source for flavorful weekday meals.
The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook is your source for quick, flavorful Indian favorites and contemporary weekday meals. With 75 well-tested recipes authorized by Instant Pot covering every meal of the day, this is a go-to resource for classic chicken, lamb, and vegetarian curries; daals, soups, and seafood like fennel and saffron spiced mussels; breakfast delights like spicy frittata and ginger almond oatmeal; and sweet treats like rose milk cake and fig and walnut halwa.
ARCHANA MUNDHE is a software engineer turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger who writes at Ministry of Curry. Born and raised in western India, Mundhe now cooks and writes in New Jersey, where she lives with her husband and their two sons.

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