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Dal Makhani Recipe

Dal Makhani

Make the Restaurant Style Dal Makhani with this Recipe. Using the whole Indian spices and charcoal, leave the Fragrance and aroma this makes Dal Makhani more flavorful.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, north indian, punjabi
Servings 4
Calories 308 kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • Mixer

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients

  • 140 gm Whole Urad (Black Gram)
  • 40 gm Rajma (Kidney Beans)
  • ½ cup Finely Chopped Onion
  • 1 tsps. Chopped Green Chilies
  • 2 tsps. Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 2 qt. Large Tomato/ 1 Cup Tomato Puree
  • 1/2 tsps. Cumin seeds
  • 2-3 Cloves
  • 2-3 Green cardamoms
  • 1 Black cardamoms
  • 1 Cinnamon
  • 1 Small to medium tej patta 
  • ½  tsp Red chili powder or smoked paprika
  • 2-3 Pinch of ground nutmeg powder
  • ¼ Cup Low Fat Cream
  • ¼  tsp Kasuri meethi
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • Salt as Required
  • Water

For Dhungar Method (Optional)

  • 1 Small Charcoal
  • ½ tsp oil

For Garnish

  • 1-2 tbsp Chopped Coriander Leaves
  • 1/2 tbsp Low fat cream
  • Some Whole mint leaves

Instructions
 

Preparation (Soaking lentils)

  • Soak both ¾ cup whole urad dal (whole black gram) and ¼ cup rajma (kidney beans) overnight in enough water.
  • Rinse the urad lentils and rajma beans a couple of times with water. Drain it well and then add them in a 3 litre pressure cooker.
  • Add 3 cups water and stir well.
  • Boiled or Pressure cook for 18-20 whistles on a high flame. So that whole urad dal and rajma have cooked thoroughly and softened. Check it and still find it hard, then add about ½ cup water again and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles more.
  • Just mash the urad dal and kidney beans with a spoon or with your fingers as lentils should melt in your mouth while eating. There would not be any resistance.

Make Tomato Puree

  • Take 2 large tomatoes or 200 grams of tomatoes, chopped in a blender or mixer jar.
  • Make a smooth Tomato puree Or you can use the readymade Tomato Puree as well. Keep it for later use.
    How to Make Dal Makhani at Home

Making dal makhani

  • Take a pan/Pressure Cooker and 3 tablespoons of butter. Heat it for 30 sec.
  • Add whole spices – ½ tsp cumin seeds, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 2 to 3 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 black cardamom, 1 small to medium tej patta. Fry till the spices become aromatic and sputter.
  • Add ½ cup finely chopped onions. Stir and saute the onions on a low flame till they become light golden.
  • Then add 2 teaspoons of ginger-garlic paste. Sauté till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
  • Add 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies and stir for a minute.
  • Mix the prepared tomato puree.
  • Add ½ teaspoon red chili powder and 2 to 3 pinches of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder (jaayaphal).
  • Sauté and mix it well on low to medium heat. It will take 3-4 minutes till you see fat releasing from the sides.
  • Now add the cooked urad dal and rajma beans with 1 cup water or more if required.

Cook it well on slow flame

  • Mix it well and simmer the dal uncovered on a low heat. Stirring it often, so that the lentils don’t get stuck at the bottom. Mash a few lentils too while stirring.
  • When the dal makhani has begun to thicken, add salt as per your taste.
  • After mixing it well Continue simmer on low heat. If the consistency looks thick or dry you can add more water to it. (The lentils become viscous, creamy and thickening as you simmer. for it for long).
    It will take 25 minutes on a low flame. Do not forget to stirring at intervals.
  • Now the Gravy will be thickened enough, add ¼ to ⅓ cup low-fat cream. Mix the cream very well. Then switch off the heat.
    The consistency in Punjabi dal makhani is neither too thick or too thin. A medium consistency with a viscosity originating from the completely cooked lentils.
    Recipe of Dal Makhani
  • At last add ¼ teaspoon Kasuri methi. Stir again. Cover and keep the dal makhani aside.
    Punjabi dal makhani is Ready to serve. If you want to add Smoky Flavor you can use Dhungar method as given below:

Smoky Dal Makhani - Charcoal smoking or dhungar method

  • Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes red hot. Divide it into some pieces. Keep the red hot charcoal in a small bowl.
  • Pour ½ to ⅔ teaspoon oil on the charcoal. It would begin to smoke as soon as you pour oil on it. Immediately keep this bowl on top of the dal and cover it with a lid tightly for one minute.
  • The charcoal will infuse its smoke in the dal makhani.
  • Stir again. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and a few teaspoons of cream.
Keyword Dal Makhani, Dal Makhani Recipe, Dal Makhani Restaurant Style