dal makhani

Creamy &amp; buttery Dal Makhani is one of India's most special and popular dal. Black lentils are cooked with lot of butter and cream making it a special dish. Best enjoyed with naan!&nbsp;

Dal Makhani

urad dal sabut (whole black lentil) (165 grams)

rajma (red kidney beans) (60 grams)

salt

water (28 oz)

ghee

butter (divided, use amul butter (salted) if possible)

onion

ginger garlic paste (use fresh paste if possible)

tomato puree (use store bought tomato puree)

kashmiri red chili powder

garam masala

salt (or

water (12 oz, as needed)

sugar

cream (60 ml)

butter (salted) (for serving)

charcoal (optional, for giving dal a smokey flavor)

Wash and rinse urad dal (whole black lentil) and rajma (kidney beans) in a large bowl. Soak in 3 cups water overnight.

In the morning, drain the water in which the dal and rajma was soaked. Transfer the dal and rajma to a pressure cooker with 1 teaspoon salt. Add around 3.5 cups water.&nbsp;

Pressure cook on high-medium heat for 10 whistles, then lower the heat to low-medium and cook for another 10 minutes. In total around 15 to 20 whistles.

Let the pressure release naturally. The dal and rajma should be completely cooked and you should be able to mash them with your fingers.&nbsp;If using the Instant pot, pressure cook the lentils on high pressure for 30 minutes with natural pressure release.

Mash some of the dal and rajma using a potato masher. Then turn on the heat to lowest heat and let the dal simmer while you make the masala.

To make the masala, in a large pot/pan, heat 2 tablespoons butter&nbsp; (I use and recommend amul salted butter here) and 1 tablespoon ghee on medium heat.

Once the butter melts and is hot, add the finely grated onion. Cook the onion for around 6 to 7 minutes or until it turns light golden brown. Keep stirring it continuously so that it doesn't burn and keep heat on medium.

Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for 1 to 2 minute until the raw smell goes away.

Add the tomato puree and mix. Cook for 2 minutes or until the puree mixes well with masala and oil starts oozing out from the sides.

Add in the boiled dal (which had been simmering for around 10 to 15 mins you were making the masala) and mix.&nbsp;

Add garam masala, kashmiri red chili powder and salt. Mix to combine.&nbsp;

Add 1/2 cup water, stir and set heat to low. Let it simmer on low heat uncovered for around 45 minutes.&nbsp;

Stir often (every 10 minutes or so) else dal will stick to the bottom of the pot. You will also need to add water. I added total of 1.5 cups water as the dal was simmering.

Add sugar and mix after the dal has simmered for 45 minutes.

Also add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 cup cream. Mix well.

Simmer for 10 more minutes on low heat after adding the cream. Dal will become really creamy by now. You may serve the dal at this point or do the additional step of giving it a smokey flavor.

This last step (dhungar method) is optional but recommend. For the smokey flavor,&nbsp;place a steel bowl on top of a trivet placed inside the dal. Then heat a piece of charcoal over direct heat until its red hot.

Place hot charcoal in that steel bowl on top of the trivet. Pour melted ghee (around 1 tablespoon) on top of charcoal.

You will immediately see fumes coming out of charcoal. Immediately close the pan with a lid. Let it remain like this for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove lid and remove the bowl from dal. The longer you keep the lid closed, the smokier dal will get and for dal makhani I don't like it very smokey so 2 minutes was good for me. You may do 5 minutes but don't do more.

Garnish dal makhani with more cream and serve with a pat of amul butter. Enjoy!

<p>This easy dal makhani recipe uses pre-cooked beans and lentils to shorten the cook time for this flavorful vegetarian dish. Serve with naan and enjoy!</p>

Easy Dal Makhani

garlic

ginger

tomato paste

milk, divided

olive oil

cumin seeds, chili powder, and coriander

cayenne pepper

butter

black lentils (or 3 cups cooked black lentils)

black beans

Naan or basmati rice,

Sour cream,

Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Peel and mince the ginger.

In a small bowl, mix together the tomato paste and 1/2 cup milk until smooth.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Sauté the cumin seeds until they just start to brown, about 1 minute. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and sauté 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the chili powder, coriander, garam masala, cayenne pepper, butter, the tomato paste and milk mixture, and another 1/2 cup milk. Add the beans and lentils and the kosher salt.

Heat and stir, gradually adding the remainder of the milk (1 1/2 cups, or more) over a few minutes until a thick sauce forms.

Serve warm, with naan for dipping, or serve with basmati rice. Top with sour cream and chopped cilantro.

VEGAN DAL MAKHANI (BLACK LENTIL DAL)

black urad dal

water

extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil)

red onion, finely diced

bay leaves

cinnamon

turmeric

cumin

coriander

ground garam masala

sweet paprika

smoked paprika

can diced tomatoes

coconut milk

sea salt flakes

red chilli, thinly sliced

ginger piece, julienned

coriander leaves

coconut cream

Wash, rinse and soak the urad dal in the soaking water for 2 hours.

Place soaked dal along with the soaking water in the bowl of a slow cooker and cook on high for half an hour.

Prepare the tempering &#8211; heat olive oil in a large shallow frying pan. Sauté onion, ginger, bay leaves and cinnamon on medium for a couple of minutes until onion is caramelised. Add turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala and paprika. Sauté for a couple of minutes until spices are toasted and aromatic.

Add the tempering to the dal in the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk and salt. Mix well. Cover and slow cook on low for 6 hours. The consistency of the finished dal should be that of a loose porridge. If it is drier than that, add half a cup of water to loosen the dal in the last stages of cooking.

To finish the dal &#8211; Heat oil in a small frying pan. Sauté the chilli and ginger strips for a minute. Remove from heat and pour over the dal. Garnish with coriander and swirl through the coconut cream. Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice and lemon wedges on the side.

This dish was so delicious - thank you. I think I may have used the wrong lentils also however adjusted the cooking time and bang - a winner. Finished it off with a dollop of cream and some grated lemon rind. Thank you so much I will definitely be doing this again.

This recipe is delicious. I love the stories and information behind your recipes too. It made a big difference adding the coconut cream and ginger/chilli at the end. So yummy. I had roasted cauliflower and pumpkin with mine. I can’t wait to try more recipes of yours. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to try some of your new ones out! What next...,hmm

Made for dinner tonight and it was super tasty! Only tweaks were some lemon juice and tomato paste as it lacked some acidity (I think the tomato acidity cooked off because of the time).

Delicious with no modifications, thank you!

This is finger-licking good! This is my first time cooking dal, and it's simply amazing.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, Sneh!

This was simply amazing, one of the best dishes I have ever made. I found it needed less than 3 hours simmering on the cooker top at the lowest possible heat, even though I used black gram. If slow cooking in the oven, what would the timing and temperature be I wonder?

This is a fantastic recipe, I loved it as did my whole family.Thank you and keep them coming, you are an inspiration.

I loved this recipe, it has become one of our household favourites!
Thank you 

I simply cooked the beans in the instant pot with the sauteed onions and spices instead of boiling them ahead of time. It’s absolutely delicious.

Absolutely love this recipe. Simple to make and delicious!

Excellent and so easy.  I had Whole Foods black lentils, so glad I saw the comment regarding the difference in cooking times.

Personal taste I thought it needed a bit of black pepper.  I actually used ground grains of paradise, which I often use in place of pepper. Also added some corn starch at the end to thicken to consistency I remember from restaurants, because the wonderful smell made me too impatient to reduce by simmering.

This dal makhani is rich, creamy and loaded with flavor. It’s also lighter and quicker to make than other recipes! Recipe yields 4 servings. 

Quick Dal Makhani

avocado oil olive oil

yellow onion, chopped

garlic, pressed

jalapeño pepper, seeds

Frontier Co-op garam masala*

Frontier Co-op ground cumin

Frontier Co-op coriander

black pepper

(15 ounces) diced tomatoes (preferably the fire-roasted variety), with their juices

black lentils

(15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans

bay leaf

lime juice, lime

Optional (for additional creaminess): half-and-half, coconut milk

cilantro,

Suggested accompaniments: cooked brown basmati rice

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeño, and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 6 minutes.

Stir in the garam masala, cumin, coriander and salt. Season generously with black pepper. Cook, while stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute, while stirring. Add the lentils, kidney beans, water and bay leaf. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils are nice and tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf. Transfer 2 cups of the mixture (make sure to get some liquid with the lentils) to a blender. Securely fasten the lid. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, being careful to avoid the hot steam rising from the blender lid.

Transfer the blended mixture back to the pot and stir to combine. Add the lime juice and season to taste with salt (I usually add 1/2 teaspoon) and pepper. If you would like to temper the flavor and make the mixture even more creamy, stir in a splash of half-and-half or coconut milk, to taste.

Serve in bowls, with chopped cilantro and a lime wedge on top. If desired, serve rice or naan on the side. Leftovers keep well, refrigerated, for up to 5 days.

Could I use fresh tomatoes and If so how many?? 

Thank you!

I've never tasted Dal Makhani myself, but I love Indian cuisine and in trying new food in general.

I also happen to have a jar of garam masala lying around that has been begging for a new recipe! 

Thank you so much! I can't wait to try this!

Made this last night - it was so good! Most people say it was so good there were no leftovers. Well, we had a lot of leftovers (I think it makes more than 4 servings). But that's great because now I get to eat it for lunch for the next few days. :) Thanks Kate! These recipes are helping me explore different spices and flavors in my cooking.

This is so easy and good! I used regular brown lentils, didn't puree any of it, and it turned out fine.

I wanted to cook something that didn't require a trip to the grocery store, so I made this tonight.  I previously found the black lentils at Whole foods.  This came together quickly and was delish.  Great recipe.  I ate two servings and the house smelled wonderful from cooking it.

I made this Dal recipe a few days ago and it is sooo.. delicious! My daughter at it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. SUCCESS!! I only made a few minor changes. I didn't have kidney beans so I substituted black beans and I used a quart of chicken stock for added flavor. (I wonder how vegetable broth would task?) And, I left the seeds and ribs in on half of the jalapeno and added a 1/4 t. asafoetida (Indian spice). Thank you so much.. a new favorite!

Very good. Second recipe from your site and again success! 
I did some substitutes and adjustments, e.g. used mung beans instead of black lentils (in my city I did not saw anything like that) and instead of dices tomato used whole (that what I had at home). As I was cooking to my toddlers from spices i I've adeed only garam masala and it turned out well!
So feel so lucky that I've found your site)))

This was wonderful! I couldn't find black lentils, so used regular green lentils. Still so delicious. Filling and flavorful, like all of your recipes! Thanks for another great one.

This is delicious! I added a small cinnamon stick and a bit of cardamom for some extra depth, and used some coconut milk for creaminess like you suggested. The leftovers are even better! I'll be making a double batch next time.

I have eaten a lot of Dal in my travels over the years and this is simple to make and has great flavors, it was a big hit. I made it and liked it so much I shared the recipe with some friends. I added some zucchini (large cubed), red bell peppers and fresh spinach at the end (I like my veggies crunchy) to make a complete meal.

I was able to get the whole black lentils at my local coop.

Another great recipe...

I tried this tonight, and it was a hit with my family, even the kids! I left out the beans and added in a bit more lentils and used fresh tomatoes instead. We made it in the Instant Pot in about 15 minutes and served it with some brown rice. Thanks Kate! :)

This recipe was amaaaazing! Loved the tip of putting a little bit in the blender to make it creamy. Served w/ naan and rice and I cannot wait to make it again!!

I made this for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING. It ended up not being quite flavorful enough, so I went back and added some more of the aromatics (it is entirely possible some of my spices were old). I also added a dash of cayenne to give it a little bit of heat. This was the most guilt-free comfort food I have ever had. Thanks, Kate!

I honestly was not expecting this to have enough spices, but the amounts were perfect. Regular coconut milk drizzled in at the end was a must. I plan to devour many hot bowls of this during our cold, rainy winter in Portland.

I just had one of those Mondays, where I'm screwing up left and right, traffic's bad, the grocery store is crowded and ... of course, I get home and in the middle of this recipe, realize that I forgot the kidney beans. Ugh! I was so excited to make this, so I soldiered on with a random can of chickpeas from the cupboard and I can say that even if with my last minute substitution that this recipe made all the bad parts of Monday disappear.  Thanks for an easy, yummy, complex-tasting but easy-to-make dinner.  If I could pull off a dinner this good after a day like this, you know it is a genius recipe!

This dal has become one of my favorite recipes ever.  It is absolutely delicious, I will have to double the recipe when I make it again in a few days.  I didn't have garam masala on hand so I used curry powder instead and used my immersion blender to make it creamy.  Love this recipe!!

This is delicious and it was pretty simple to put together. I kept it basic and didn't add cream, rice or bread this time around. I used my immersion blender in the soup pot and just pulsed it enough times to get some of the soup blended. It is a hearty soup! Made Kate's broccoli salad as a side item with this soup for lunches this week - was very full!!!

Kate, I recently went back to being a vegetarian. The only thing I eat that's not from the earth are eggs (sometimes) and goat milk products (which are easily digested, high in protein and low in sugar than cow). I found your blog by chance and it is one of the most amazing rabbit holes I have ever fallen into. I adore your photography, recipes and the stories. They are very much like my own—inspired by travel and people. And, Cookie is adorable and needs to be on display more! Thank you so much. I hope FOOD NETWORK or NYT Cooking snaps you up soon. You're an amazing talent.

I tried a bite to see if the lentils were done and it tasted amazing! Then I accidentally added a whole (large) lime instead of just a tablespoon and it was really overpowering  (I'm blaming mommy brain) I'll be making it again soon the correcte way ;)

This Dal Makhani recipe is a restaurant style version with subtle smoky flavors and creaminess of the lentils. Dal Makhani is one of the most popular lentil recipes from the North Indian cuisine made with whole urad dal (black gram) and kidney beans.

onions onion

green chilies (or serrano peppers

tomatoes tomato puree)

cumin seeds

cloves

green cardamoms

black cardamom

tej patta ((Indian bay leaf))

red chili powder (or cayenne pepper

nutmeg

heavy cream

¼ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi ((dry fenugreek leaves) - optional)

butter (- salted or unsalted)

salt (as required)

charcoal

coriander leaves ((cilantro))

low fat cream (or

ginger (julienne - optional)

Soak both the whole urad dal and rajma overnight in enough water for 8 to 9 hours or overnight. Later drain them well.

Rinse both the lentils a couple of times in water.

Drain again and then add them in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Add water and stir well.

Pressure cook for 18 to 20 whistles on a high flame, till both the urad dal and rajma have cooked thoroughly and softened. If they are not cooked, then add about ½ cup water again and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles more.

The urad dal should melt in the mouth and should not give any bite or resistance when eaten. You can also just mash the urad dal with a spoon or with your fingers to check the doneness. The same rule applies for rajma too. Keep the cooked beans aside.

In a blender or mixer jar, take chopped tomatoes and blend to a smooth puree. Set aside.

You can also add ready 1 cup tomato puree instead of blending the tomatoes. No need to blanch the tomatoes while pureeing.

Preparation

In a pan, now heat butter. You can use salted butter or unsalted butter.

Add the whole spices - cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 small to medium tej patta.

Fry for some seconds till the spices sputter and become aromatic.

Add finely chopped onions.

Stir and sauté the onions on a low or medium-low heat often till they become light golden.

Add the ginger garlic paste. Stir again and sauté for some seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

Add the chopped green chilies and sauté for a minute.

Add the prepared tomato puree and mix well.

Add red chili powder and 2 to 3 pinches of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.

Stir very well and sauté this mixture on a low to medium flame, till you see fat releasing from the sides.

Then add the cooked urad dal and rajma beans along with the stock. Also add 1 cup water or as required.

Making dal makhani

Stir very well and simmer the dal makhani uncovered on a low flame.

Keep on stirring often, so that the lentils don't stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Once it has begun to thicken, add salt as required.

Stir very well and continue to simmer on a low flame. Keep on stirring when the lentils are simmered on low heat.

When simmering you can add more water if the gravy looks thick or dry. The longer you keep dal makhani to simmer, the better it tastes.

I kept it for about an overall 25 minutes on a low flame. Do keep on stirring at intervals.

When the gravy has thickened enough, then add cream. Dal makhani is not too thick or too thin. It has a medium consistency.

Mix the cream very well. Then switch off the heat.

Add crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Mix again.

Cover and set dal makhani aside, if you are proceeding to the dhungar method. Or else you can serve dal makhni straight away.

Slow cooking

Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes red hot. With the help of tongs, keep on turning the charcoal piece so that it evenly burns.

Keep the red hot charcoal in a small bowl.

Pour ½ teaspoon oil on the hot charcoal.

Immediately keep this bowl on top of the dal makhani.

Cover for a minute and allow the charcoal to infuse its smoke in the dal makhni. Remove the bowl. Stir again.

Serve punjabi dal makhani garnished with chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and a few teaspoons of cream with naan, roti, paratha or steamed rice.

Dhungar method

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/xbvunpjtp5k8l26zwsnd

This Dal Makhani recipe is a restaurant style version with smoky flavors and subtle creaminess of the lentils. If you love authentic Punjabi food then you are going to love this Dal Makhani even more.

Dal makhani is a delicious, rich &amp; creamy dish made with black lentils, spices, butter and cream. Instructions included for stovetop and instant pot.

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