Lentil in any form especially dal is a staple in my household. I like to alternate between lentil and beans and sometimes combine them for certain meals. Our favorite being this lentil chili , chana masala , body cleansing lentil soup . The list is never-ending!! We are vegetarians and find it very easy to add protein to our diet in form of lentil . I like that most lentils doesn’t require pre soaking except whole urad dal. You can pretty much cook them unplanned . Lentil is delicious and the easiest to cook . Some lentils like this Red lentil or yellow moong dal cook within minutes even without a pressure cooker . The recipe that I am sharing with you today is inspired from an Indian lentil curry that my mom made . It is called lauki ( bottle gourd aka Ghia aka Dudhi chana dal . She sometimes made lauki yellow moong dal as well. It looked quiet boring but she made it so delicious that we ate it without fuss . In today’s lentil recipe I am replacing lauki with zucchini and chana dal with red lentil . The spices and the method used is same as my mom did. Back in those days we didn’t even know what zucchini is. Though it is readily available now in India , it wasn’t back then . Once I moved to USA a decade back I started experimenting with veggies found locally here . Zucchini, kale , bok choy, swiss chard , Brussels sprouts were all new to me. I was pretty intimidated by them before . I am always up for trying new recipes. And slowly these veggies became staple in my house.
Why eat lentil and zucchini?
Zucchini is a low-calorie vegetable and that’s why you see zucchini zoodles become such a craze!! It has some impressive benefits too. Zucchini is great for hair and skin . It is good in lowering blood sugar levels. I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy and ate a lot of zucchini in soups , salad , grilled and even this red lentil zucchini dal . Zucchini will keep your energy up too. Because zucchini is a low-calorie vegetable it even promotes weight loss . It’s like all you can eat food . Pairing zucchini with lentils meaning a substantial meal that is balanced with carbs , protein , fiber and flavor. Red lentil is high in fiber and no fat too. This lentil curry will leave you full and satisfied for a long time. If you are carb conscious you can skip roti , rice and eat this curry on its own . You can even thin it down and enjoy it like a soup . This lentil recipe is not very mushy or soupy like dal is. Meaning red lentil isn’t mushy but has a bite to it. Same goes with zucchini , it holds it’s shape very well. Red lentil and zucchini is pressure cooked in the Instant Pot along with Indian spices , ginger , garlic and onions , tomatoes until it’s just done. I have even thrown in some cherry tomatoes after cooking the lentil curry . I like how it gives little burst of sweetness . It is totally optional. A generous squeeze of lemon is a must just before eating.
For Other healthy , quick and easy instant pot recipes click here . Share this recipe on Pinterest too! Hope you like this recipe on how to make Instant Pot Red lentil Zucchini dal and do give it a try. I would love to hear from you. Love being here , don’t miss a single recipe. Subscribe now – it’s free and get every recipe in your inbox. Subscription box is on the home page and below every recipe post.If you have tried any of my recipes do drop in a feedback in the comment section or on my Facebook page carveyourcraving in messages section or tag me @carveyourcraving on instagram. Are we friends yet . Let’s connect on- Facebook| Instagram | Pintrest | Twitter Happy cooking! Do share it with the world! Thanks for stopping by.
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