Dal Makhani is a North Indian dish, or more precisely a Punjabi delicacy, a rich accompaniment for rotis/Naan or rice! This is one rich , hearty dhal slow cooked for hours with loads of love in other words “Makhani/ butter” which just makes this dish thick, creamy and aromatic in every bite that you take! Though I have relished this dish at a couple of potlucks, I’ve never tried making at home. The other day, when one of my ardent reader “Yas”requested for this and I decided to give it a try. She wanted something similar to “Sachin ka Dabha style dal makhani”, I don’t know whether this recipe could match that taste but can assure that it wouldn’t disappoint. Here is my humble attempt in preparing this mouthwatering restaurant style Dal Makhani, serve it hot with naan!
Some gravy recipes to try…
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| Whole Black gram / Urad Dal / Muzhu Karuppu Ulundhu | 1/2 cup |
| Kidney Beans / Rajma | 15 count |
| Bengal gram / Kadhalai paruppu | 1 teaspoon |
| Water | 7 cups (for pressure cooking dal) |
| Bay leaf | 2 small |
| Cinnamon | 2 (small piece) |
| Cloves | 4 count |
| Cardamom | 2 count |
| Cumin seeds | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Kasuri methi leaves / Dry fenugreek leaves | 1 teaspoon |
| Butter | 3 tablespoons |
| Onion (finely minced) | 1 medium size |
| Tomato (crushed / puree) (ripe) | 1 cup |
| Ginger Garlic paste | 1 teaspoon |
| Green chili | 2 (slit open) |
| Turmeric powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Red Chili powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Coriander powder | 2 teaspoons |
| Cumin powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Salt | 1 + 1/2 teaspoon or as needed |
| Milk or Cream | 1/2 cup |
| Grated ginger (for garnish) | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Butter & Fresh cream (for garnish) | 1 teaspoon |
| Coriander leaves (for garnish) | 2 tablespoon (chopped) |
Lets see how to make Dal Makhani
Place lentils (Black gram , kidney beans and Bengal gram in a large bowl. Cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Drain all the water, rinse the soaked beans and then cook the lentils with water and 1 teaspoon of salt. (Traditionally its cooked on a low flame overnight and allowed to thicken which is very time consuming) Lets cook this lentil in a pressure cooker which helps to cook much faster. Pressure cook for upto 6-7 whistles.
Once the lentil is fully cooked, remove from heat and set aside. Drain and save the excess cooking water. Mash the cooked dhal/ lentil with a flat ladle. If you prefer chunky texture then skip the mashing)
Lets assemble the ingredients for gravy…..
Melt butter in a big sauce pan and temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds.
Now add the finely minced onion, green chili, ginger garlic paste and saute over medium flame.
Keep frying till the onions mixture turns golden brown.
Now add the tomato puree along with turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.
Cook this mixture until the the oil separates.
Now add the cooked lentil mixture along with the excess water from the cooked lentils. (Gently mash the dal before adding)
Cover with lid and simmer for 30 minutes over low flame.
Add fresh cream or milk to this cooked lentil to make it even creamier. Simmer for 5-10 minutes and switch off.
Garnish with coriander leaves, grated ginger and butter. Serve with naan with a dollop of fresh cream on top.
Notes
- The longer the mixture cooks, the better the taste ad creamier the texture.
- Restaurant version dal makhani is loaded with butter and fresh cream. Stirring in extra butte yields velvety consistency gravy.
- Mash the cooked dhal with a flat ladle or lightly pulse in a blender to yield creamier texture.
- Red Masoor lentil can be used too. It adds nice color and also makes it really yummy.
- This recipe yield about 5 cups of gravy, serve 5 adults.
If you find this post useful, please pin it or share it with your Facebook fans or Twitter followers or Google+ circles today. Thank you!
Comments are closed.