Red lentil dal curry soup with red split lentils, lemon & tomatoes or Indian style tomato dal curry soup in instant pot is super easy to make, delicious and nutritious Indian dal! Red lentils are known by the name masoor dal in India and it is a perfect substitute for yellow moong dal or toor dal in many dal recipes or sambar recipes.

This is a breeze to make in the instant pot pressure cooker, but you can also make this easily on stove top using a pressure cooker or just a pot or pan, just like you make other kinds of dals on stove top.
The simple, easy Indian tomato dal curry soup made using red lentils, lemon juice, tomatoes and spices makes a quick, delicious, nutritious vegetarian lentil soup or enjoy this as a curry or side dish with cooked white rice or brown rice and it also goes as a great side dish with Indian breads like chapathi, poori etc.
This is a very delicious and simple Indian dal and I like to serve this with basmati rice for a quick, simple dinner or lunch.
I also have this easy, delicious mung bean soup with lemon juice and spices which is also so simple & quick to make in the instant pot pressure cooker!
What do red lentils taste like?
When cooked soft, red lentils taste very mild & earthy and also slightly sweet in flavor and creamy in texture. They almost taste and feel like mashed potatoes when cooked and mashed well!
Any spices or flavors you add to the lentils will be absorbed greatly and so any dishes made out of lentils usually reflect the taste of the ingredients used along with the lentils.
This red lentil dal soup with lemon and tomatoes has tangy, sour flavor from the lemon juice and tomatoes, but it's delicious, nutritious and healthy as well.
If you like dal soups or lentil soups with tangy lemon flavor, do try this easy red lentil soup with lemon.
How long to cook red lentil dal curry soup in instant pot pressure cooker?
To make this red lentil dal curry soup, we only need to cook the red lentils for about 7 minutes in high pressure.
The red lentils or masoor dal are well cooked by this time and you can easily mash using a long spoon, making it perfect for dal soup & curry!
So here is how you can make easy & delicious red lentil tomato dal curry soup at home.
More red lentil/masoor dal recipes:
How to make instant pot Indian red lentil dal curry soup with lemon juice and tomatoes?
To make easy, homemade red lentil tomato dal curry soup, we use the following ingredients.
ingredients to make red lentil dal curry soup with lemon juice & tomatoes
red lentils (masoor dal) 2 cups
water 3 cups (or vegetable broth)
salt adjust to taste
onion 1 medium sized peeled and chopped
lemon juice ¼ cup (from one medium sized lemon)
tomatoes 4 medium sized sliced
green chilies 2 finely chopped (optional)
garlic minced or chopped 1 tablespoon
turmeric powder ½ teaspoon
red chili powder ½ teaspoon
butter 2 tablespoons
heavy cream or thick coconut milk ¼ cup
cilantro leaves chopped 1 tablespoon (for garnishing, optional)
Step by step instructions
Wash the red lentils very well and add to the instant pot.
Also add the chopped onion & tomatoes, garlic and green chilies (if using).
Also add water, lemon juice salt, butter and spice powders, mix well.
Close the instant pot with lid in sealing position and cook in high pressure for 7 minutes.
Once the cooking is done, wait for a natural pressure release.
Once the pressure is all released, carefully open the instant pot, stir the contents.
Add the heavy cream and stir to combine with the dal curry, garnish with chopped cilantro leaves if desired.
Serve the easy, delicious red lentil tomato dal curry soup as it is or serve it as a dal curry with cooked rice or chapathi or poori as you like!
More easy dal recipes in instant pot:
Below you can get the recipe for red lentil dal curry soup in detail.
Indian Red Lentil Dal Curry Soup With Lemon, Tomatoes And Spices
Ingredients
- 2 cups red lentils (masoor dal)
- 3 cups water or vegetable broth
- salt adjust to taste
- 1 medium sized onion peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup lemon juice from one medium sized lemon
- 4 medium sized tomatoes sliced
- 2 green chilies finely chopped, optional
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced or chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream or thick coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves chopped for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- Wash the red lentils very well and add to the instant pot.
- Also add the chopped onion & tomatoes, garlic and green chilies (if using).
- Also add water, lemon juice salt, butter and spice powders, mix well.
- Close the instant pot with lid in sealing position and cook in high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Once the cooking is done, wait for a natural pressure release.
- Once the pressure is all released, carefully open the instant pot, stir the contents.
- Add the heavy cream and stir to combine with the dal curry, garnish with chopped cilantro leaves if desired.
- Serve the easy, delicious red lentil tomato dal curry soup as it is or serve it as a dal curry with cooked rice or chapathi or poori as you like!
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