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tender jackfruit curry in brasswares
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5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Vegetarian Dalcha | Tender Jackfruit and Lentils Curry

Vegan curry with tender jackfruit and lentils made in Instant Pot! The vegetarian version of the Hyderabadi Dalcha with raw/unripe/tender jackfruit.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: South Indian
Keyword: veg dalcha
Servings: 6
Calories: 133kcal
Author: Srividhya G

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 cardamom
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 1 Roma tomato chopped, approx ½ cup
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 10 mint leaves
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1.5 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 cup tender jackfruit if using frozen, thaw it to room temperature
  • ¼ cup raw mango chopped
  • ½ cup split pigeon peas toor dal, rinsed, soaked for 10 minutes and drained
  • 2 tbsp Bengal gram chana dal, rinsed, soaked for 10 minutes and drained
  • 3 cups water.
  • ½ tsp tamarind
  • 2 tbsp cilantro

Instructions

  • Set the Instant Pot in the "saute" mode and when the display shows hot, add the oil. Wait for 30 seconds and then add the whole spices - fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon.
  • Mix and fry it for just 10 seconds. We don't want the fennel seeds to brown up.
  • Then add the 1 cup of chopped onion. Saute the onion for about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Next, add the mint leaves and ginger-garlic paste. Mix and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Then add the chopped tomatoes. Gently stir and add salt all the spice powders - salt, garam masala, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and red chili powder. Mix thoroughly — Cook for a minute.
  • Add the tender jackfruit now and mix, followed by the raw mango or green mango, if using. Mix again.
  • Now add the washed lentils - split pigeon peas and Bengal gram. Then the water. Finally, add in the tamarind paste and mix the curry thoroughly. Make sure to scrape the bottom.
  • Press cancel and close the Instant Pot. Make sure the sealing ring is present, and the vent is in the sealing position. Pressure cook at manual mode "high pressure" for 20 minutes and after the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally.
  • Now carefully open the Instant Pot and set the Instant Pot back to "saute" mode. Mash the lentils and tender jackfruit. Add the cilantro and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Then turn off the Instant Pot.
  • Serve dalcha hot with biryani, pulao or even with plain steamed rice or idli or dosa.

Video

Notes

  • Instead of tender jackfruit, you can use mixed vegetables like bottle gourd, plantain, brinjal, or with any vegetables that you have in hand.
  • If you can't source raw mango, you can increase the tamarind paste and instead of ½ tsp you can use 1 to 1.5 tsp. If you can source both fresh green mango and tamarind, make the curry without it. After adding cilantro, add about 2 tbsp of lemon or lime juice for the tanginess.
  • I did not use any green chilies. You can add one or two and in that case, reduce the red chili powder measure.
  • In my recipe, the quantity of lentils is more. But you can reduce the lentils measure and add 2 cups of vegetables.
  • Adjust the salt and spices according to your preference.

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 808mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 485IU | Vitamin C: 11.1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1.2mg