Instant pot South Indian Dal Rice | Tavve Anna

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This Instant pot South Indian dal rice is a Karnataka-style recipe of a simple dal (lentil soup) and rice that is soft and mushy, a wholesome comforting meal that you will love!

‘Tavve Anna‘ (which literally means dal rice) has been an all-time favorite for me for as long as I remember. It is made with very few basic ingredients and tastes simply delicious. Not only is it a part of our festival menu but also a frequent visitor of our dinner table.

It is one of those dishes that becomes a family favorite right away!

South Indian dal rice – Karnataka style

Tavve (dal) is generally made of Tuvar/Arhar dal (split pigeon peas) but you can also use Moong or Masoor dal.

Anna (rice) is soft and fluffy. When mixed with your hands (that’s how most Indians love to eat their food) it combines very well with tavve (dal).

The types of rice used in South Indian cooking are the medium or small grain varieties like sona masoori, ambe mohar, ponni rice, kolam, etc. Most of these rice cook to be soft, spongy, and slightly sticky.

Sona masoori is widely available in the US and has been in my kitchen ever since I moved here. It makes the perfect mushy rice.

What is different about South Indian dal rice?

This Dal is made by adding tuvar/arhar dal (split pigeon peas) to a typical South Indian tempering of oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and turmeric powder.

Most South Indians like their rice soft and mushy. This is especially when it’s being eaten with dal, sambar, rasam etc.

Other rice dishes like lemon rice, tamarind rice etc. are prepared to keep the grains separate.

Ingredients to make South Indian dal rice

South Indian Dal (Tavve)

1 cup Tuvar/Arhar Dal (split pigeon peas)

3 cups Water

1 tbsp Cooking oil (coconut,/canola/peanut/vegetable oil)

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Turmeric powder

3-4 Curry leaves

1 tsp Red chilli powder (or 1 small green chilli chopped)

Salt to taste

1/2 Lime juice

Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Mushy Rice (Anna)

1 cup Rice

3 cups Water

Additional water for washing dal and rice

Steps to make South Indian Dal Rice

How to cook dal and rice together in Instant pot?

We will use the pot-in-pot method to cook dal and rice together. You will need a steamer rack trivet for pot-in-pot cooking. (have linked the trivet I use and love!)

Prep the ingredients

1.Wash 1 cup dal until the water runs clear and soak in 3 cups of water. Set aside.

2.Wash 1 cup of rice till the water runs clear. Soak in 3 cups of water in the steel insert pan.

3.Keep rest of the ingredients handy.

South Indian Dal (Tavve)

1.Turn on the ‘Saute’ mode in Instant Pot and wait till the display shows ‘Hot’.

2.Add oil. Once the oil is hot add mustard seeds and let it crackle.

3.Add cumin seeds. Once the oil starts to froth, add turmeric powder and curry leaves. Mix once.

4.Add red chilli powder or chopped green chillies. Pour the dal and water quickly to make sure that chilli powder doesn’t burn.

5.Add salt to taste. Mix well.

6.Press ‘Cancel’ to stop the Saute mode.

7.Place the trivet in the inner pot of Instant pot.

Mushy Rice (Anna)

1.Place the steel pan , used for soaking the rice, on the trivet.

2.Close the lid. Press ‘Pressure Cook’ and set timer to 15 mins.

3.Once cook time is done, wait for pressure to release naturally or you can release pressure at 10 mins.

Prepare to Serve

1.Remove the rice pan and trivet. Add chopped cilantro leaves and lime/lemon juice to the dal and stir well.

2.Serve hot with sliced cucumbers and chutney or pickle.

How to cook it in a pressure cooker on stove top?

There will be a few changes in the cooking process if you are using a pressure cooker. Below are the steps for it:

1.Using a stackable steamer , cook dal and rice together on medium – high heat. Turn off the gas after 3 whistles.

2.Place a kadhai/pan on the stove top, add oil and let it heat.

3.Add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Put cumin seeds and wait until the oil gets frothy.

4.Add curry leaves, turmeric powder and give it a mix. Add chilli powder or green chillies and pour in the cooked tuvar dal.

5.Add salt to taste. Mix well.

6.Garnish with cilantro leaves. Add the lime/lemon juice before serving.

7.Serve with hot mushy rice.

What to serve South Indian dal rice with?

Serve it hot with sliced cucumbers and/or onions and chutney or pickle. It tastes great just by itself too. Though it is a meal in itself, you can combine it with curry and roti (Indian flatbread) to enjoy a typical Indian meal. You may want to try this spring onion raita as a side.

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