Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10min
Cook Time: 45min

Ingredients:

• 2 red chillies
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dhal
• 1 tbsp tamarind (soak in warm water)
• 1/2 tsp tumeric powder
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1.5 tbsp sambhar powder (I use MTR Brand)
• 6-8 okra
• 1 tsp chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Turn Instant Pot (IP) to Saute Mode, wait a few minutes for the pot to say “Hot”
2. Add 2 tbsps oil. Add red chillies, asafoetida, mustard seeds, and curry leaves.
3. After seeds pop, add chopped red onions.
4. Once onions are translucent, add the chopped tomatoes, with about 1/2 cup water.
5. Cover the IP with a regular tempered glass pot lid and cook until tomatoes become pulpy.
6. It’s important to note in steps 1-5, the IP is not under pressure. It is operating more like a pan on the stove. In the next steps we will put the IP under pressure.
7. Turn the IP off by hitting the “Cancel” button. Add dhal and water in a 1:3 ratio. So for 1/2 cup dhal, add 1.5 cups water.
8. Put the pressure cooker lid on the IP (the lid that comes with it). Make sure the vent is sealed on the lid.
9. Choose the “Pressure Cook” setting or “Manual” setting and set cook time to 20min High Pressure (HP). The pot will take a few minutes to build up pressure and then it will start counting down from 20min.
10. Once the 20min cook time has passed, the IP will beep and will now read “L0:00 and start counting up, to show the time lapsed since the pressure cook finished. Wait for about 10 min (screen will read “L0:10) and manual release the vent on top of the lid to diffuse any lasting pressure.
11. Open the IP lid and use a potato masher to mash the dhal to create a creamy consistency.
12. Now add the soak tamarind, tumeric powder, salt, sambar powder and a few cups of water.
13. Add the okra. Stir all ingredients and close the IP with the lid.
14. Turn the IP off by hitting the “Cancel” button. Choose the “Pressure Cook” setting or “Manual” setting and this time set cook time to 4 min.
15. This time once the 4min cook time has passed, the IP will beep, and you should immediately manually release the vent on top of the lid to diffuse any lasting pressure. (This will prevent vegetables from getting overcooked/soggy.)
16. Top with chopped cilantro.

Variations/Tips:
(a) Instead of okra, substitute with carrot, radish, or aspargus, etc. Cook time is the same.
(b) Adding vegetables after the dhal is cooked prevents overcooking of the vegetables.
(c) Adding tamarind after dhal is cooked allows dhal to get cooked to a creamy consistency.
(d) If you don’t want the sambhar to be spicy, than reduce the amount of sambhar powder by at least half.
(e) Cut Okra in 1 inch pieces to avoid sogginess