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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:

1. Wash black urad dal a couple of times and soak in water overnight.
2. Soak kidney bean  in another bowl .
3. The next day, put the soaked urad dal in a colander for sometime.
4. Now, clean the lentil. Some of them are hard as pellets and will never cook. They need to be discarded.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Once the pressure release, check the taste and adjust accordingly. Garnish with fresh coriander. 

Take a tip:

1. I have not added garlic, if you wish, put it and saute with onions.
2. You can make tomato puree and use it.  
3. 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.
4. You may add some cream in the end.

Evergreendishesdev

Dal Makhni

5 from 11 votes

Dal Makhni is a delicious side dish from North India. Black urad dal and kidney bean are cooked together to form a creamy and tasty accompaniment. It is ideal to pair with roti, nan or steamed rice.

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Ingredients Method

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

Method

 

1. Wash black urad dal a couple of times and soak in water overnight.
2. Soak kidney bean  in another bowl .
3. The next day, put the soaked urad dal in a colander for sometime.
4. Now, clean the lentil. Some of them are hard as pellets and will never cook. They need to be discarded.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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 :

• Kadai Paneer
• Aloo Palak Sukhi Sabzi
• Matar Paneer
• Chana Masala

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