Dal Makhani is a rich creamy, delectable side dish from North Indian cuisine. It makes a good accompaniment to all kinds of flat breads, rice dishes and steamed rice. Dal is the Hindi word for lentil while Makhani translates to butter. It is a whole black lentil cooked in butter.
The first time I had it was decades back and since then it has been a family favourite. I learnt this recipe from a good Punjabi friend who is no more. She was kind enough to share this recipe with me. Dal Makhani is synonymous to the traditional Maa ki dal. Whole black dal is cooked on a low flame for long hours with spices.
Here is an easy restaurant style dal makhni recipe. It is rich, creamy and tastes delicious. It can be paired with any kind of flatbread like roti, nan, paratha, roomali roti or phulka.
A few pointers while cooking dal makhni at home. It needs time and patience, the lentil needs to be soaked for at least six hours. Once they are soaked, put them in a colander, after sometime, clean it thoroughly, discard the hard ones. The hard pulses never cook and do not taste good. Later, it is cooked in a pressure cooker for six whistles along with kidney beans and a few other ingredients. Once the pressure releases, the makhan comes into action. After sauting the onion and tomato in butter, lentils are again cooked in a pressure cooker. This is the usual procedure I have been following to get a creamy dal makhani.
Dal Makhani
Dal Makhani Recipe
Ingredients :
250 grams black urad dal
50 grams rajma
1 inch ginger
2 green chillies
3 cups water
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 onion
2 tomato
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
coriander for garnshing
Method:
- Wash black urad dal a couple of times and soak in water overnight.
- Soak kidney bean in another bowl .
- The next day, put the soaked urad dal in a colander for sometime.
- Now, clean the lentil. Some of them are hard as pellets and will never cook. They need to be discarded.
- In a bowl, add the cleaned lentils and kidney beans with three cups of water. Cut the green chilli into two pieces and throw it. Put the grated ginger and a little turmeric powder to it. Pressure cook for five or six whistles.
- In another pressure pan, add butter. Add cumin, as it splutters, put onion pieces. Saute it for sometime, until light pink in colour. Put tomato in it. Saute it. Once it is mushy, add the cooked lentil and bean mixture to it. Put salt. Allow it to simmer for sometime. Put chilli powder and pepper powder. Check the consistency, add water accordingly. The consistency, will be thicker on cooling, you need a medium, flowing consistency. Pressure cook for one whistle.
- Once the pressure release, check the taste and adjust accordingly. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Take a tip:
- I have not added garlic, if you wish, put it and saute with onions.
- You can make tomato puree and use it.
- The measurement given here may be more for some of you. Reduce the quantity of lentil and kidney beans used. Use the other ingredients as per your need.
- You may add some cream in the end.
Dal Makhni
Ingredients
- 250 grams black urad dal
- 50 grams rajma
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 green chillies
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 onion
- 2 to mato
- salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
- coriander for garnshing
Instructions
- Wash black urad dal a couple of times and soak in water overnight.
- Soak kidney bean in another bowl .
- The next day, put the soaked urad dal in a colander for sometime.
- Now, clean the lentil. Some of them are hard as pellets and will never cook. They need to be discarded.
- In a bowl, add the cleaned lentils and kidney beans with three cups of water. Cut the green chilli into two pieces and throw it. Put the grated ginger and a little turmeric powder to it. Pressure cook for five or six whistles.
- In another pressure pan, add butter. Add cumin, as it splutters, put onion pieces. Saute it for sometime, until light pink in colour. Put tomato in it. Saute it. Once it is mushy, add the cooked lentil and bean mixture to it. Put salt. Allow it to simmer for sometime. Put chilli powder and pepper powder. Check the consistency, add water accordingly. The consistency, will be thicker on cooling, you need a medium, flowing consistency. Pressure cook for one whistle.
- Once the pressure release, check the taste and adjust accordingly. Garnish with fresh coriander.
About the event:
Sending this post at Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge for the theme “Restaurant style food at home”. The theme was suggested by Aruna Sahas Chandra. I like the variety of different dishes she puts on her blog. Recently, she posted Paneer Do Pyaza, would like to recreate the same as my children love paneer dishes.
Here, it is a monthly event, partners are paired and secret ingredients are exchanged between them. The dish is prepared and shared in the Facebook group. Guessing the ingredients is a fun activity. My partner for the event was talented blogger Anu Kollon. The two ingredients given to me where cumin and onion. I made Dal Makhni which I intended to post since a long time. I had given ginger and tomato, she has made delicious, Paneer Butter Masala.
A few North Indian dishes shared earlier are :
Pin Dal Makhani to Indian Food Board:
Dal Makhani
If you ever make this Dal Makhani recipe, do take a picture and tag me @foodiejayashree on Instagram, I will be glad to see your creation.Follow evergreendishes on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, let’s be connected. Subscribe to get all updates and a book of handy hints for free! Check out my e-books
Dal makhni is so creamy and healthy . I always love to have this protein rich dal with piping hot jeera rice. A perfect soulful meal for a hungry stomach 🙂
It’s been long I dint had dal makhani, loved your easy dal makhani recipe. It’s protein rich and healthy recipe, like to have it with some hot roti’s.
Dal Makhni looks very creamy and healthy. Would love with some naan or steamed rice.
This is one dish we always order when dining out at Indian Restaurants, Love how creamy your preparation looks.Soaking them overnight makes the cooking process faster and the dal cooks to a creamy consistency.
Dal Makhani with hot naan / kulcha is a great combo to dig into. perfect meal , and protein rich too for hungry eaters!
This is my favorite dal and is so comforting! Your dal looks amazing, simple and healthy. Now I am going to the kitchen to make this. Thanks for an amazing recipe.
Dal makhani looks so creamy and delicious. I would love to have it with hot kulcha. And also loved that you didn’t use fresh cream. Healthy and yummy dal can be served to health conscious people too.
Dal makhani looks so delicious and it is one of my favorite North Indian curries. Would love to eat them with jeera rice or naan.
We love dal makhani to the core..yours looks so creamy and delectable!
Dal Makhni looks so delicious, one of the common side dishes from North India. One can well pair with roti, or steamed rice.
Dal Makhani looks so rich and creamy. Home made Dal Makhana is always so delicious.Love this protein rich dal . Soaking it overnight makes the cooking process faster.
Dal Makhani is one of our favourite dal and we love it to the core. Your dal looks so creamy and rich perfect restaurant style. Love it with naan/chapatis and steamed rice.
The Dal Makhani looks super creamy and absolutely delicious! Would love to dig into it with some naan on the side. 😊 Love your simple and no-fuss recipe.
The Dal makhani is one my husband loves from a restaurant. I am so happy to have the recipe to make it at home just like the Indian restaurants.