Dal Makhani Recipe

Dal Makhni or the black dal, the quintessential part of a typical Indian meal. There may be many other dishes but a typical Punjabi meal cannot be complete without this dish, the Punjabi dal Makhani. This is the perfect accompaniment to a meal, whether vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

The dal makhani that is made in my house is essentially my grandmother’s recipe which has been tweaked here and there with changing times.

But the one thing that hasn’t changed is the time spent on cooking it. It is like my mother used to say, put it to cook and forget about it. Believe me that’s the difference between a mouth watering version and a not so mouth watering one. You can take your pick.

Dal Makhani Recipe (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients –

• Urad Saboot 1 cup
• Rajma 2 tbsp
• Tomatoes (puréed) 4
• Onions (chopped) 4
• Ginger (grated) 1 inch piece
• Garlic (crushed) 4 flakes
• Desi ghee. 1 1/2 tsp + 3 tsp
• Water 5 cups
• Dhania powder 2tsp
• Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
• Salt. To taste
• Dry, red chillies (soaked for 15 minutes) 2

Method –

• Wash the dal and soak it along with the rajma for at least 6 hours/ overnight.
• Grind the ginger, garlic and red chillies to a paste.
• Discard water from the dal and add 5 cups of fresh water.
• Pressure cook the dal and rajma with with 1 1/2 tsp ghee, salt and half of the ginger- garlic paste.
• After the first whistle, keep the dal on low flame for 40 minutes. Remove from fire. After the pressure drops, mash the hot dal a little and keep aside.
• Heat the remaining ghee in a Kadhai. Add the onions. Cook till they turn a little brown and add the remaining ginger- garlic paste.
• Add the tomato purée. Cook till thick and dry.
• Add the garam masala and dhania powder . Cook till the ghee separates and then cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add this mixture to the boiled dal.
• Simmer on liw foams for 1-2 hours stirring and mashing the dal occasionally against the sides of the cooker.
• Keep cooking for another 30- 40 minutes till you get the right colour and consistency.
• Remove from fire and serve hot.

Mind you I add no butter or cream to it! And it is delicious!

Follow the recipe and remember me when you get all the compliments!