Dal Makhani Recipe

Dal Makhani is one of my favorite recipes. I am literally in love with this dish. I still remember the day i returned from a trip to Europe dying to eat authentic indian spicy food and my mom had made a bowl of delicious Dal Makhani. I simply devoured the whole stuff having twice the amount I normally do.

For someone who loves Indian food, a Dal Makhani recipe is a must in your cookbook. With this in mind, I am going to refer some of the best Dal Makhani recipes available that you can make at home.

For the uninitiated, this is a smoothie creamy butter gravy of Black lentils and beans.

Learn more about this history of Dal Makhani

Dal makhani is a delicacy from Punjab in India.

Traditionally this dal was cooked on low flame, for hours, on charcoal. This gave it a creamier texture. It had malai (cream) or fresh butter added to it. When cooked at home these days, more moderate amounts of cream or butter are used. When prepared in restaurants, it is cooked slowly on low heat and often has a large amount of cream and butter added. Lentils and beans were soaked overnight for at least 8 hours and gently simmered on low heat along with ginger, garlic and a few other spices (garam masala). These are then combined with a tangy masala base which includes onions, tomatoes (chopped or puree) or dried mango powder or even pomegranate seeds.

Dollops of fresh cream and butter lend the rich finishing touch. It is garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves and fresh cream. It is a sumptuous meal and a staple diet in Punjab and most of Northern India. It is commonly eaten with roti or rice.

Dal makhani is a type of daal eaten in India (in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and the Bhojpuri area of Bihar) and Pakistan. It is eaten with either naan or chapatis.

read the rest of the wikipedia article

The Ingredients

I - THE DAL

- Black Urad Dal (Black Lentils)

- Rajma (Kidney Beans)

II - THE MAKHANI

- Yoghurt

- Double Cream/Fresh White Butter

III - THE SPICES

- Onions

- Tomatoes

- Green Chillies

- Garlic

- Ginger

- Red Chilli Powder

- Cumin Seeds

Cooking the Dal

The idea here is to just simplify the steps. You can check out the various recipes below to get the specific amount and time.

The Soak

You've got to soak the Kidney Beans (Rajma) and the Dal for at least 6-8 hours. Best done overnight.

The Cook

The cooking is generally done with a pressure cooker. Add a little salt and water,mix both the beans and the dal and pressure cook for about 20 minutes, till the dal is soft.

You can also add the yoghurt and some cream while cooking the dal.

Your DaL is ready

Preparing the Makhani Gravy

Well anyone familiar with Indian cooking will not find this too difficult.

- Start with heating the oil and add cumin and garlic - till this gets a bit brown

- Add the onions and fry till golden brown

- Add the other spices - chillies, garam masala, other spices, tomatoes, salt

- Lastly add the dal to this gravy

- You can add water as needed based on how thick you want the gravy

- Garnish with Cream and Coriander

- Add Butter to this delicious dish

Your Yummy Delicious Dal Makhani is ready to serve

A Featured Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup urad dal (Whole black lentils)

2 tbsp rajma (Kidney beans)

2 medium sized onions, finely chopped

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

Pulp of 3 medium sized fresh tomatoes

2 green chillies slit

¼ tsp haldi powder (Turmeric powder)

½ tsp jeera (Cumin seeds)

1 tsp chilli powder (Chilli powder)

2 tsp dhania powder (Coriander powder)

½ tsp garam masala

1-2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup cream

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander leaves chopped (Cilantro) and 1-2 tbsp butter for garnish

Method

1. Clean, wash and soak the whole urad and rajma overnight separately. Drain and keep aside.

2. Combine the dals and add 2 cups of water with little salt (as per taste) and pressure cook till the dals are overcooked. Whisk well till the dal is almost mashed.

3. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds crackle, add the slit green chillies, chopped onions, ginger paste and garlic paste. Fry the onion till golden brown over a medium flame.

4. Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder and stir for 5 mins.

5. Add tomato pulp and stir till the oil separates.

6. Add the cooked dal and 3/4 - 1 cup of water and salt (as per taste) simmer it for 15 mins till it becomes little thick.

7. Add the garam masala and stir.

8. Add the cream and mix gently.

9. Garnish with the chopped coriander and butter.

10. Serve with steamed basmati rice or phulkas (rotis).

If you are a fan of Indian cuisine then you must have this. The perfect spice for your Dal Makhani

Sanjeev Kapoor, Tarla Dalal and Madhur Jaffrey share their expert Dal Makhani Recipes.