Dal Makhani is the most popular and delicious dish of North India, which requires time and patience to prepare especially in restaurant style. This rich, creamy and spicy dal is made on special occasions. Let us know how to prepare it at home.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
Whole urad dal (black lentils) – 1 cup
Rajma – ¼ cup
Water – 4-5 cups (for soaking and cooking)
Spices:
Onion – 2 medium (finely chopped)
Tomatoes – 3 large (puree or finely chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste – 1½ tbsp
Green chilli – 2 (finely chopped)
Red chilli powder – 1½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Salt – as per taste
For Richness:
Butter – 3 tbsp
Fresh cream – ½ cup
Ghee – 1 tbsp (optional)
For tempering:
Cumin – 1 tsp
Bay leaf – 1
Cinnamon – 1 piece
Cloves – 2-3
Green cardamom – 2
Preparation
Soaking Dal and Rajma:
Wash urad dal and kidney beans thoroughly and soak them in water overnight or for at least 8 hours. Due to this the pulses cook quickly and well.
Pressure Cooking:
Put soaked lentils and kidney beans in the pressure cooker. Add 4 cups of water and some salt and cook for 6-7 whistles. Dal should be soft and creamy.
Cooking Process
Prepare tadka:
Heat butter and ghee in a deep pan or kadai. Add cumin seeds, then add bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and fry until fragrant.
Onions and Spices:
Add finely chopped onion and fry until golden. Then add ginger-garlic paste and green chilli and cook for 2 minutes.
Tomatoes and Spices:
Add tomato puree and cook on medium flame until oil separates. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder to it and mix well.
Mixing pulses:
Now add cooked lentils and kidney beans to this masala. Add some water if needed. Cook on low flame for 30-40 minutes so that the spices dissolve well in the dal. Keep stirring in between.
Add Richness:
When the dal becomes thick, add fresh cream and butter to it. Sprinkle garam masala and cook on low flame for 10 minutes.
Serving Style
Serve Dal Makhani hot with a piece of butter and garnish with cream. Serve it with naan, tandoori roti, paratha or jeera rice.
tips
Cooking pulses on low flame for a longer time enhances the taste.
The quantity of butter and cream can be increased as per taste.
For smoky flavour, you can add coal smoke (dhunghar).
If time is short then use instant pot or pressure cooker.
