Dal Makhani Recipe

dal makhani

Everybody loves a basic tadka Dal as part of an Indian meal. A bowl of warm dal, rice topped with ghee is comfort food and even makes a perfect accompaniment to any meal. But when we think of slow cooked creamy Dal Makhani it’s in a league of its own. A traditional lentil dish that’s part of most Indian meals at weddings and special occasions. Essentially a recipe hailing from the north of India with influences from the Peshawar Punjabi community after partition, it now sits well in Mughlai/ north Indian restaurant menus across India and worldwide.

Ingredients

• 280gms whole urad dal (black lentil)
• 60gms red kidney beans
• 1.5 litres water
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• Pinch of asafoetida
• 1 green chilli slit lengthwise
• 1 tsp cumin seeds coarsely ground
• 10 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 210gms white onion finely chopped
• 220gms tomatoes finely chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 1” piece of ginger finely chopped
• 1 tsp mild chilli powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tbsp butter
• 60mls single cream
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander for garnish
• ½ “ginger slivers for garnish

Method

1. Soak the black lentils and kidney beans overnight in a bowl in plenty of water.
2. In a large heavy bottom sauce pan add the black lentil and kidney beans along with the water and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer on a low heat for an hour. Stir a few times and scarp of the foam from the top. Continue cooking for further 1 hour and 15 minutes 
3. Drain, reserving the cooking water and set aside to use for later. Mash the lentils with a potato masher this will take some arm work so keep mashing till you have a coarse consistency. You want some lentils whole but most of it mashed.
4. In a heavy bottom large non stick sauce pan heat the oil on a low heat. Add the asafoetida, chilli and cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for 5 seconds and add the garlic frying for a further 30 seconds.
5. Now turn the heat to medium and add the onions sautéing for 7-10 minutes until they begin to soften. Stir well making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. Add the tomatoes and fry for a further 3 minutes mashing the softened tomatoes with the back of the spoon now add the puree and cook for a minute.
7. Add the ginger and fry for a minute followed by the mild chilli powder. Season to taste and add the mashed dal. Stir well and make sure to mix all the spices with the dal.
8. Add 650 mls cooking liquid and stir. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes on a low heat with the lid on. Make sure to stir a few times preventing it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
9. The dal should be thick and creamy so add a little more water only if you need to. Add the garam masala powder along with the butter. Stir well simmering for a minute
10. Just before you serve add a swirl of cream, fresh coriander and ginger. Serve with naan or pulao