DAL MAKHANI
Dal Makhani is a popular lentil dish from the North Indian Cuisine. Dal is lentils and makhani is butter. Therefore as the name suggests this lentil curry is rich and creamy. Both cream and butter contribute to the richness and the spices make it exotically flavourful. The lentils or dal used for this curry is urad or black gram.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole black grams
- ¼ cup red kidney beans
- 5-6 cups water
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp ghee or oil
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste or cut into strips
- 1 tsp green chilli paste or 1-2 chillis chopped
- 10 to 12 peppercorns
- 1 one inch cinnamon stick
- 4 - 6 cloves
- 3-4 cardamom
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1-1¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp coriander cumin powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ cup fresh tomato puree
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida
- 1 tbsp kasuri methi
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cream
- 1-2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Soak the lentils and beans overnight in enough warm water or for 6 to 8 hours.
- Drain out the water. Wash the lentils and beans and put them in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water, 1 tsp cumin seeds and ¼ tsp turmeric powder. Pressure cook over medium heat for 4 to 6 whistles.
- In the meantime prepare the curry or dal. Heat ghee and oil in a pan. When it is hot add the peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, bay leafs, cardamom and remaining cumin seeds. When they begin to sizzle, add asafoetida.
- Add chopped onions and stir fry them till it starts turning light brown in colour.
- Add the garlic, ginger and chilli pastes. Stir fry till the garlic becomes light pink in colour.
- Add remaining turmeric powder, coriander cumin, red chilli powders, garam masala and tomato puree.
- Cook till the mixture becomes thick.
- Mash the cooked lentils lightly. Add the tomato gravy, remaining water and salt to it.
- Mix well and let it simmer over low heat for nearly 20 minutes.
- Stir occasionally so that the dal does not stick at the bottom.
- Add fresh cream. Mix well.
- Garnish with coriander and butter. Serve.
Notes
- Most of the dals I prepare are thick. If you want a thinner dal, just add more water.
- Instead of fresh cream, add milk.
- Can do additional tadka (tempering) to pour on top before serving. For this heat a tbsp of ghee, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp red chilli powder (kashmiri as its not hot) and pour over the dal. If you do not have kashmiri chilli powder use normal red chilli powder but do not add in the dal while cooking.
- For fresh tomato puree, wash 1kg of tomatoes. Half them and put them in a saucepan. Add ¼ cup water. Cover the pan. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Let the tomatoes cool down. Liquidize and store in the fridge. Usually keeps good for a whole week in the fridge.