Dal Makhani Recipe – Rich and Creamy

About Dal Makhani 

Everyone enjoys an Indian lunch that includes a simple tadka dal. Comfort food and the ideal side dish for any meal is a bowl of warm dal, rice, and ghee. However, the slow-cooked, creamy Dal Makhani that comes to mind is in a class by itself. a customary lentil dish that is served at weddings and other special events as part of most Indian dinners. Essentially a cuisine from the north of India, it now fits nicely on the menus of Mughlai and north Indian restaurants both inside India and abroad.

Dal used in Dal Makhani 

In Indian cuisine, toor dal, channa dal, and moong dal are among the lentils that are most frequently used, but urad dal, often known as black lentils, is essential to a traditional Dal Makhani.

There are numerous recipes for slow-cooked black dals that solely call for urad dal and no additional lentils or pulses. 

Because urad dal benefits from slow cooking, the longer it cooks, the richer the resulting Dal Makhani is. A master pot is cooked overnight at a low temperature in places like Bukhara, which is famous for its Dal Bukhara. Even if we no longer have the luxury of boiling the dal for half a day or even cooking over coals! So the Rajma/Kidney bean addition will give the makhani gravy its rich texture as well as a little amount of colour. Ginger, tomatoes, and chillies give both kidney beans and urad dal plenty of time and flavour while they cook.

The abundance of butter and cream in this dish is the reason it should only be served on exceptional occasions.

Richness in Dal Makhani 

Since the word “makhani” means “buttery,” a lot of butter and cream are used to boil the whole black lentils and kidney beans in dal makhani to make it rich and creamy.

Ingredients for Dal Makhani 

• Sabut urad dal or whole black lentil – ½ cup
• Rajma or kidney beans – ¼ cup
• Onion – 1 medium-sized
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Tomato puree – ¾ cup
• Kashmiri red chilli powder – ½ tsp
• Garam masala – ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Sugar – ½ tsp
• Fresh cream – 2 tbsp
• Butter – 3 tbsp
• Ghee – 1 tbsp
• Salt

Method for Dal Makhani recipe

1. Soak ½ cup of sabut urad dal and ¼ cup of rajma with enough water overnight.
2. Next day drain the water from sabut urad dal and rajma and transfer into a pressure cooker add the required water and salt and pressure cook for 10 whistles or more on medium flame until the dal and rajma cooks well.
3. You can pressure cook the dal and rajma again by adding enough water if it is not cooked well.
4. Make use of a potato masher to mash some of the dal and rajma. As you prepare the masala, lower the heat to a simmer and allow the dal to cook.

To prepare masala for the Dal Makhani recipe

1. To prepare the masala, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon ghee in a sizable pot or pan over medium heat.
2. Add1 finely grated onion once the butter has melted and is hot. The onion should be cooked until it gets a pale golden colour. To prevent burning, stir it regularly while maintaining medium heat.
3. Once the raw scent has disappeared, add 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Mix in the ¾ cup tomato puree. Cook for 3 to 4 more minutes.
5. Mix in the cooked dal.
6. Add 1 tsp Salt,½ tsp  Kashmiri red chilli powder, and ½  garam masala, ¼ tsp turmeric powder and mix well.
7. Stir in 1/2 cup of water, then turn the heat to low. Allow it to simmer uncovered over low heat for about 30 to 40 minutes.
8. Dal will cling to the bottom of the saucepan if you don’t stir it frequently every 10 minutes or so. Add water if required to maintain consistency.
9. After the dal has simmered for around 40 minutes, add ½ tsp sugar and combine, add salt if needed.
10. Add 2 tbsp cream and 1 tablespoon butter as well. Mix well.
11. After that, simmer on low heat for 10 more minutes.
12. Dal makhani is ready to enjoy with steamed rice. 

Tips and tricks for Dal Makhani recipe 

• If you don’t have kidney beans or don’t like them in your dal makhani, you may substitute 1 cup of urad dal.
• If you can’t locate store-bought tomato puree, you may puree 2 large tomatoes yourself and use them in the recipe. Just be sure to include 1 tablespoon of tomato paste for the dish to give it a rich flavour.
• The secret to an excellent dal makhani is to simmer the dal on low heat. 
• You can cook the dal on the stovetop if you don’t have a pressure cooker. Lentils should be added to a pan with water and cooked. It could take even more time. Lentils should be incredibly tender after cooking.
• Beans should always be soaked for at least eight to nine hours, preferably overnight. Additionally, soaking makes beans cook more quickly.
• Give the soaked beans a few thorough rinses in water before cooking. After that, completely drain the water and cook the beans in new water.
• Beans and other legumes should be fresh, not old. Beans that are past their expiration date shelf life will take longer to cook and may not cook properly.

FAQ for Dal Makhani

Rich and Creamy Dal Makhani Recipe

Everyone enjoys an Indian lunch that includes a simple tadka dal. Comfort food and the ideal side dish for any meal is a bowl of warm dal, rice, and ghee. However, the slow-cooked, creamy Dal Makhani that comes to mind is in a class by itself a customary lentil dish that is served at weddings and other special events as part of most Indian dinners

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Calories 293 kcal

Ingredients

  

• ½ cup Sabut urad dal or whole black lentil
• ¼ cup Rajma or kidney beans
• 1 no medium sized Onion
• 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
• ¾ cup Tomato puree
• ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
• ½ tsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Fresh cream
• 3 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• Salt

Instructions

 

How to prepare Dal Makhani

• Soak 1/2 cup of sabut urad dal and 1/4 cup of rajma in adequate water overnight
• The following day, drain the water from the sabut urad dal and the rajma, transfer them to a pressure cooker, add the necessary water and salt, and pressure cook for at least 10 whistles on medium heat until the dal and rajma are thoroughly cooked
• If the dal and rajma are not cooked properly the first time, you can pressure cook them again by adding additional water
• Mash some of the dal and rajma with a potato masher. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the dal cook while you make the masala

Masala for for Dal Makhani

• Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon ghee in a large pot or pan over medium heat to make the masala
• As soon as the butter has melted and is hot, add 1 finely shredded onion. Cook the onion until it turns a light golden color. Stir it frequently while keeping medium heat to avoid scorching
• Add 1 teaspoon of ginger and garlic paste and boil for 1 to 2 minutes after the raw smell has vanished
• Add the 1/4 cup of tomato puree. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes
• Incorporate the cooked dal
• Mix thoroughly after adding 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of Kashmiri red chilli powder, and 1/2 tsp of garam masala, ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• Turn the heat to low after stirring in 1/2 cup of water. For 30 to 40 minutes, let it simmer uncovered over low heat
• If you don't stir the dal frequently, perhaps once every 10 minutes, it will stick to the bottom of the pan. If necessary, add water to keep the consistency
• Add ½  teaspoon sugar and stir after the dal has simmered for about 40 minutes
• Add salt as necessary
• Add 2 tablespoons of fresh cream and 1 tablespoon of butter. Mix well
• After that, simmer for a further ten minutes over low heat

Keyword Dal makhani recipe