Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani, also known as Maa Ki Dal, is a staple Punjabi household dish. It's loved by all and is an excellent introduction to north Indian food. Made with black lentils and red kidney beans, this dal is thick, creamy and flavourful without bonds. It's the perfect dish if you're planning to make an authentic Indian meal.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1.5 cups of black lentils

⅔ cups of rajma

3 Tbsp oil

3 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

3 green cardamoms

1.5 chopped Onions

2 slit green chilli

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 cup tomato puree

salt according to taste

2 Tbsp coriander powder

2 tsp Chilli powder

Method

Step 1

Wash black lentils and rajma. Soak them for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.

Step 2

Now rinse the dal and rajma. Drop them in the cooker with 4 cups of water. And wait till 5 whistles.

Step 3

Take a wok or a deep pan. Add oil, and keep the heat to a medium. Once the oil is hot, add cloves, bay leaves, cardamoms and cinnamon sticks—roast for 30 seconds.

Step 4

Now add the onions and green chilli. Keep the heat at medium-low and let them get golden brown. Once the onions are golden brown, add ginger garlic paste.

Step 5

Now add the tomato puree. And let the masala cook for at least 10 minutes on medium flame. Keep stirring from time to time. The masala should leave all the oil and should turn reddish brown.

Step 6

Then add 1 cup of water, cover the pan and let the masala boil for another 15 minutes. Then reduce the masala again, and Cook till the masala leaves out all the oil.

Step 7

Once the masala paste is ready, add the dal and rajma to it, with the leftover water in the cooker. Now mix the dal into the paste well.

Step 8

Add salt, chilli powder and coriander powder to the dal. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook the dal for at least 20-30 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally and add little water if required.

Step 9

Add a dash of garam masala. Now turn down the flame to a low and let the dal cook for another 20-30 minutes. The key is to get a thick consistency, and you can also mash the dal.

Step 10

After 20 minutes, add some butter/cream on top. Serve with rice or naan.

Tips

1. Soaking lentils overnight is an essential step. If you're out of time, soak the lentils in boiling water for at least 4 hours.

2. Cook the whole spices till they are aromatic, and cooking them further will burn them out.

3. The longer you cook your masala, the better your dal will cook.

4. The longer you slow cook your dal, the better it will taste.

5. Always add your garam masala at the end of the cooking process, and a dash of it goes a long way!