Dal Makhani
Dal Makhani is a spicy and heavy dal preparation made with a combination of rajma and whole black gram. This mixed lentil dal is generally made with lots of butter, garlic and garnished with cream. I usually cook Dal makhani from scratch using powdered spices (or garam masala) as we do not want to bite into the whole spices in an otherwise smooth textured dal.
The very distinct flavour of dal makhani comes essentially from the burnt garlic and the richness from the cream. Also dal makhani should be cooked on a very low heat for at least 2-3 hours if you want a rich and smooth texture.
What you'll need
1/2 cup whole black gram (whole udad dal)
1/4 cup rajma
1 tsp jullian ginger
7-8 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped white onion
1 tsp chilli powder, turmeric powder
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 cup cream
1 green chilli finely chopped
3 medium sized tomatoes boiled, peeled and then pureed
Salt as per taste
How to
Rinse and soak the lentils in enough water overnight or 8-9 hours.Drain and pressure cook on medium flame for 4-5 whistles. When the pressure cooker cools down, remove the lid and allow it to cook on low heat for half an hour.
In a frying pan sauté the garlic in butter for a good 3-4 minutes.Let the garlic turn brown and release the aroma. Add the finely chopped onions, green chillies and fry for 2 min. Traditionally onions are not added but, you can if you want. Add tomato puree and allow to cook until the raw smell goes off. When the tomato puree is cooked and starts releasing butter, add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and mix well. Now add the cooked lentils along with the water used to cook them.
Taste the mixture and add more salt or chilli powder if needed. On a very low heat, cook the dal for around 30 minutes. Add cream, julienned ginger and again cook for about 1 hr on very low heat. Add some water if the dal is too thick. By now the lentils will be soft and they will have a melt in your mouth texture. You can cook the dal in very low heat for another 1 hour if you want. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with some butter and cream and serve hot with rice or naan.
