Dal makhani is a classic North Indian dish made with black lentils, red kidney beans, and a rich and creamy tomato-based sauce. It’s a dish that’s beloved throughout India and around the world, and is perfect for vegetarians and vegans.
Dal makhani is a hearty and nutritious dish that’s perfect for a cozy dinner at home, or for entertaining guests. It’s a true staple of Indian cuisine, and one that’s sure to delight anyone who tries it. Whether you’re a fan of lentils, beans, or just delicious and flavorful food, dal makhani is a recipe that you won’t want to miss.
Dal Makhani is one of the most popular lentil recipes from the North Indian Punjabi cuisine made with Whole Black Lentils (known as Urad dal or Kaali Dal in Hindi) and Kidney Beans (known as Rajma in Hindi). This dal has whole black lentils cooked with butter and cream and boiled on low heat for that exclusive flavor. The richness in the dish comes from the fats in the butter and cream. The amount of butter and cream added is not abundant and just enough to lift the dish in its richness. You could still make dal makhani with less butter and cream. Just remember to slow cook it for longer periods of time, to get the real deal. You can serve this creamy dal makhani with chapati, naan, jeera rice and tandoori butter roti. Do not forget to add a spoonful of butter or ghee in the bowl while serving. You can highlight the taste of this recipe by adding one tablespoon of almond paste, which you can prepare with soaked almonds. This will make the dal creamier. The most common dal that I used to make every day was obviously the toor dal. Then there was masoor dal (red lentils), chana dal and moong dal which she also made once in a while. Makhani means “buttery”, so for this recipe whole black lentils (urad sabut) is cooked with lot of butter and cream. Nowadays I prepare this recipe for chapati once in every two weeks.
Dal Makhani Recipe | Side dish for chapati
Ingredients
Instructions
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Take whole black urad dal, red rajma and chana dal.
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Was and soak altogether for 7-8 hrs.
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After 8 hrs. again wash twice and fill with fresh water.
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Transfer all in to pressure cooker and add salt.
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Cook in medium flame for 3 whistles.
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Allow to release pressure naturally then open the lid.
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To start main recipe, heat oil and ghee.
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Add chopped onion and sauté till onion become translucent.
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Add ginger garlic paste and sauté till raw smell goes off.
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Add red chilli powder now itself and sauté till oil get start to separate.
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Add tomato puree.
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To this add coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder sauté till raw smell goes off.
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Add cooked dal with water.
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Add salt and enough water to reach correct consistency.
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Cook covered for about 5-8 minutes in medium flame. Stir occasionally.
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Add fresh cream or thick milk mix well.
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Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and cook for another 2 minutes in low flame.
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To tempering, in a hot oil or ghee add cumin seeds.
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Once cumin seeds start splutters, add Kashmiri red chilli powder.
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Pour this tempering oil on to dal makhana gravy before start blackening.
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Add spoon full of ghee and fresh cream.
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Hotel style very healthy dal makhani is ready for serving.
Note
- For any kind of dried whole beans or dried peas it is always helps to soak them overnight or for 8 to 9 hours
- Slow cooking enhances all the flavor and makes the dal super delicious and creamy.
- Be generous with using butter and cream for the authentic taste.
