Dal makhani is a symbol of Punjabi cuisine: black urad dal and kidney beans simmered for a long time in a creamy butter, tomato, and spice sauce. A comforting dish of great creaminess.
Ingredients
- 200 g Whole black urad dal (whole black lentils)
- 60 g Dried kidney beans (rajma)
- 60 g Unsalted butter
- 100 ml Heavy cream
- 1 piece Yellow onion
- 3 pieces Ripe tomatoes
- 1 piece Fresh ginger
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 2 pieces Fresh green chili
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp Ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (or sweet paprika)
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- to taste Salt
- 1 bunch Fresh cilantro
- 1 tbsp Neutral oil (sunflower or canola)
- as needed Water
Method
- Thoroughly rinse the urad dal and kidney beans under cold water until the rinsing water is perfectly clear. Soak them in a large container of water overnight, until they have doubled in volume.
- Drain the soaked legumes and transfer them to a Dutch oven. Cover with water, add salt, and a pinch of turmeric. Bring to a boil, skim the surface, then lower the heat and simmer gently until the lentils are very tender and mash easily between your fingers.
- While the lentils are cooking, prepare the ginger-garlic paste by blending ginger and garlic with a drizzle of neutral oil and a pinch of salt until you get a smooth paste.
- Finely chop the onion. Chop the tomatoes into pieces. Heat the butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle until they release their fragrance.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté until deeply golden and translucent. Then stir in the ginger-garlic paste and finely chopped green chilies. Sauté, stirring, until the raw smell of the ginger-garlic disappears.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, ground coriander, turmeric, and chili powder. Cook, stirring regularly and mashing the tomatoes, until they are completely broken down and the butter rises to the surface of the mixture.
- Stir the cooked lentils along with their cooking water into the skillet. Mix everything well, then simmer over very low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until a creamy and smooth consistency is achieved.
- Pour in the heavy cream and sprinkle with garam masala. Mix gently and simmer for another ten minutes so the flavors meld harmoniously. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve very hot, garnished with a melting pat of butter on the surface and chopped fresh cilantro, accompanied by warm naan or basmati rice.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 357.3 kcal
- Protein
- 9.64 g
- Carbohydrate
- 25.56 g
- Fat
- 24.76 g
- Fibre
- 8.32 g
- Calcium
- 41.3 mg
- Iron
- 2.84 mg
- Magnesium
- 38.04 mg
