Dal Makhani is a rich, creamy and luscious dish. It’s a popular North Indian food and Delhi people love their Dal Makhani just the way they fall for Rajma-Chawal and Chole-Bhature. Perfecting the Dal Makhani was never easy for me. I tried cooking it by following different recipes, and tasted dal makhani from many eateries to understand what goes into it, where my recipe was lacking the actual taste, etc., and it’s a long story till I write my own Dal Makhani recipe, the way I love to cook it at home.
The thumb rule of Dal Makhani is slow cooking. The longer you simmer the dal, the more will be the taste. It might taste like Dal Fry if not done well. I’m not making you afraid of trying this, I’m just stating my experience here. After several trials, I can say now that I cook a decent restaurant-style Dal Makhani that my family love to have every time I make it.
I don’t follow the Dhungar Method in my Dal Makhani, though this step is recommended if you prefer to get the smoky flavor in your dal. (read note)
Dal Makhani
Dal Makhani is a rich, creamy and luscious lentil based main course dish. It’s a popular North Indian food and paired best with Naan or Tandoori roti.
Ingredients
- 250g- Black whole urad dal
- 3 tbsp- Rajma / Red kidney beans
- 1 Large onion (chopped)
- 1 tbsp- Ginger paste
- 2 tbsp- Garlic paste
- 2 tsp- Coriander powder
- 1 tsp- Kasuri methi / Dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 tsp- Kashmiri mirch powder
- 3- Tomato (medium-sized)
- ¼ tsp- Turmeric powder
- Salt
- 1 tsp- Fresh coriander leaves (chopped)
- ¼ tsp- Nutmeg powder
- ½ tsp- Garam masala powder
- 4- Green chillies (halved)
- 3 tbsp- Butter
- 3 tbsp- Vegetable oil
- ¼ cup- Fresh cream
- Salt to taste
For tempering
- ½ tsp- Cumin seeds
- 2- Black cardamom (lightly crushed)
Instructions
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Soak urad dal and rajma in plenty of water overnight. Next day discard the water and wash 5-6 times under running water, keep aside.
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Next, pressure cook dal and rajma with enough water (water level should be 2″ up from the dal). Add ½ tsp salt and 2 green chilies to this, and close the cooker lid. Check after 7-8 whistles. You need to cook the dal with the grains visible and mushy at the same time. Open the lid after the pressure has reduced.
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Cut each tomato into four vertical slices, discard the seeds. Transfer the tomatoes along with two green chillies to a mixer grinder, and make a puree of it, keep aside.
Always use freshly made tomato puree to cook Dal Makhani, store-bought tomato puree makes the Dal Makhani more sour in taste, which is not desired.
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Heat 2 tbsp butter and oil in a deep frying pan/kadai. Temper with all the ingredients mentioned ‘for tempering’.
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Add chopped onion, sauté until light brown in colour.
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Next to add ginger-garlic paste, sauté quickly for a few seconds.
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Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, nutmeg powder, kashmiri mirch powder, salt, and tomato puree, mix well and cook for a minute or two over medium heat, keep stirring.
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Now add the boiled dal and salt. Add ½ cup of water into this. Mix well, cover and cook over low heat for the next 30 minutes. Slow cooking brings out the rich taste of Dal Makhani. Keep stirring in between, and adjust the consistency of dal makhani with warm water if you think that the dal is thickening too much.
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Add fresh cream, 1 tbsp butter, kasuri methi, and garam masala powder towards the end, mix well, cook for a few minutes more.
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Remove from the heat, and transfer to a bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh cream (if desired).
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Serve hot Dal Makhani with Roti, Naan, Paratha, Phulka or Jeera Rice. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
After cooking the Dal Makhani turn off the heat. Next, heat a small piece of charcoal with a tong, and wait until the charcoal turns red from all sides. Immediately put it in a small bowl and pour 1 tsp of vegetable oil or ghee over it. Place this bowl carefully over Dal Makhani and close the lid. Keep it like this for the next 5-10 minutes, let the smoky flavour infused into the food before you serve it. (this step is optional)
The dish is well presented and well explained. It looks very tasty and delicious.Thank you for sharing this dish. I will definetly try this dish at home. http://www.BigBrandBox.in
Thank you Bhakti for your kind words. Hope you’ll enjoy cooking it. 🙂
This dish is DELICIOUS! I’ve cooked it twice now Thanks For Sharing
good article,i love dal makhani.