KitchenCooking times for dal, beans and rice
How long to pressure cook each dal and bean, how long to soak it first and how much water to add. Times are minutes on low heat after the cooker reaches full pressure.
| Dal, bean or grain | Soak | Minutes at pressure | Water for 1 cup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moong dal (yellow, split) | Not needed | 5 to 6 min | 3 cups | Turns mushy fast. Good for khichdi. |
| Masoor dal (red, split) | Not needed | 4 to 5 min | 3 cups | The quickest dal. |
| Toor (arhar) dal | 30 minutes helps | 8 to 10 min | 3 cups | Whisk after cooking for a smooth dal. |
| Chana dal | 30 to 60 minutes | 10 to 12 min | 3 cups | Should hold its shape but press soft between fingers. |
| Urad dal (split, white) | 30 minutes | 8 to 10 min | 3 cups | |
| Whole moong (green) | 4 to 6 hours | 8 to 10 min | 3 cups | Unsoaked: 15 to 18 minutes. |
| Whole masoor (brown) | 2 to 4 hours | 8 to 10 min | 3 cups | Unsoaked: 12 to 15 minutes. |
| Whole urad (for dal makhani) | Overnight | 25 to 30 min | 4 cups | Simmer longer after opening for a creamy dal. |
| Rajma (kidney beans) | Overnight, 8 hours | 20 to 25 min | 4 cups | Must be fully soft. Never eat rajma half cooked. |
| Kabuli chana (white chickpeas) | Overnight, 8 hours | 20 to 25 min | 4 cups | A pinch of baking soda softens old chana. |
| Kala chana (black chickpeas) | Overnight, 8 hours | 25 to 30 min | 4 cups | |
| Lobia (black-eyed beans) | 4 to 6 hours | 10 to 12 min | 3 cups | |
| Dried white peas (safed matar) | Overnight | 15 to 20 min | 3 cups | For ragda, chaat and ghugni. |
| White rice | 15 to 20 minutes, optional | 3 to 5 min | 1 1/2 to 2 cups | Let the pressure drop by itself. |
| Basmati rice | 20 to 30 minutes | 3 to 4 min | 1 1/2 cups | Soaked grains cook long and separate. |
| Brown rice | 30 minutes | 20 to 22 min | 2 to 2 1/2 cups | |
| Khichdi (rice and moong dal) | Not needed | 6 to 8 min | 4 cups for 1 cup of the mix | More water for a softer khichdi. |
| Potatoes, whole, medium | Not needed | 8 to 10 min | Enough to half cover | Cut large potatoes in half. |
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These are ranges for a stove-top pressure cooker at sea level, with the pressure left to fall by itself. Cookers, flames and the age of the dal all change the time. Start with the lower figure and check.
Minutes, not whistles
Many recipes count whistles, but one cooker whistles every two minutes and another every five. Counting minutes from the first whistle, with the flame turned low, gives the same result in every kitchen. If your family recipe says "three whistles", time your own cooker once and write the minutes down.
Soaking
- Soak whole beans in plenty of water, at least three times their volume. They swell to more than double.
- In summer, soak in the fridge or change the water once, so it does not turn sour.
- Throw away the soaking water of rajma and chana and cook in fresh water.
- Forgot to soak? Pour boiling water over the beans, cover for an hour, then cook for a little longer than usual.
Rajma must be cooked through
Raw and half-cooked kidney beans contain a natural substance that causes stomach upset. Proper boiling destroys it. Always soak rajma, cook it under pressure until completely soft, and never eat it crunchy.
Without a pressure cooker
| Food | Time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Egg, soft boiled | 6 minutes | Start timing when the egg goes into boiling water. |
| Egg, medium | 8 minutes | Set white, slightly soft yolk. |
| Egg, hard boiled | 10 to 12 minutes | Cool in cold water for easy peeling. |
| Basmati rice, open pan | 12 to 15 minutes | Covered, on low heat, after the water boils. Rest 5 minutes before opening. |
| Potatoes, boiled in an open pan | 20 to 25 minutes | Medium size, whole. A knife should slide in easily. |
| Fresh green peas | 5 to 7 minutes | In boiling water. Frozen peas need 2 to 3 minutes. |
| Idli | 10 to 12 minutes | Steam on medium heat. A toothpick should come out clean. |
| Dhokla | 15 to 20 minutes | Steam without opening the lid for the first 10 minutes. |
| Momos, vegetable | 8 to 10 minutes | Steam until the cover looks slightly see-through. |
| Sabudana (soaking, not cooking) | 4 to 6 hours | Soak in water that just covers the pearls. A pearl should crush easily when ready. |
Questions people ask
How many whistles for rajma?
Whistle counts differ between cookers, so time is safer. Soak rajma overnight, then cook for 20 to 25 minutes on low heat after the cooker reaches full pressure, and let the pressure drop by itself. The beans must crush easily between two fingers.
Why is my dal still hard?
The usual reasons are old dal, hard water, too little water, or salt and sour ingredients added too early. Add tomatoes, tamarind and lemon only after the dal is soft.
Do I have to soak dal?
Split dals such as moong and masoor cook without soaking. Whole beans such as rajma, chana and whole urad need 8 hours of soaking to cook evenly.
Does cooking take longer in the hills?
Yes. Water boils at a lower temperature at height, so open-pan cooking is slower. A pressure cooker helps most there. Add a few minutes to the times on this page.
More kitchen help
- Cups to gramsAtta, maida, sugar, rice, ghee and more, by ingredient.
- MeasuresTeaspoon, tablespoon, cup, ml, katori, pav, tola and seer.
- Oven temperaturesCelsius, Fahrenheit and gas mark, with fan oven settings.
- SubstitutesWhat to use when an ingredient is missing.
- How much to cookRice, dal, atta and vegetables for any number of people.
- Food storageHow long food keeps in the fridge and the freezer.
- Spice namesJeera, ajwain, kalonji: English and Hindi names with uses.
- Dal and grain namesDals, flours and millets in English and Hindi.
- Vegetable namesTori, tinda, parwal: English and Hindi names with season.