Varan Bhaat
Varan bhaat is a comforting and satisfying Maharashtrian dish and makes a perfect lunch or dinner. This instant pot varan recipe is incredibly easy and quick to make.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 cup Arhar dal (toor dal or split pigeon peas)
- 3 cups Water (for cooking dal)
- Salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Jaggery (Gur)
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 1 ½ - 2 cups Water (for cooking rice (1.5 cups for firm texture rice grains, 2 cups for soft and slightly mushy texture))
- 1 ½ tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
Instructions
- 1
Wash toor dal under running cold water until water runs clear or rinse 2-3 times in a bowl until water is not cloudy anymore.
- 2
Similarly, wash or rinse the rice. Take that into instant pot steamer insert, and add water and salt. Keep it ready.
- 3
Add rinsed toor dal in instant pot liner along with salt, turmeric powder, jaggery and water.
- 4
Place a tall rack in the center.
- 5
Place rice container on the rack and cover it with a lid.
- 6
Cover the instant pot with a lid, and keep the valve to sealing position. Pressure cook on manual (high pressure) for 10 minutes. Let it NPR (Natural pressure release). Once the pin drops open the lid.
- 7
Carefully remove the rice container lid. NOTE: The water may be collected on the lid. Make sure not to spill the collected water on the rice. Take the rice container and rack out.
- 8
Dal should be cooked and super soft, mushy texture. Using a whisk, start beating, it will mash the soft dal. You’ll have mashed dal yet slightly grainy (not super smooth).
- 9
For tempering, heat the small tadka pan on medium heat. Once hot add ghee. Once the ghee is hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit. Add hing, swirl it around to mix.
- 10
Immediately add this tadka to the mashed dal, mix.