Dal makhani
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
Whole black urad and a little rajma, slow-cooked for hours and finished with butter and cream; Delhi's richest dal.
Region: DelhiOccasion: Weddings, parties and Sunday mealsTime: 3 hours + overnight soakingServes: 6Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole urad dal (sabut kali dal)
- ¼ cup rajma (kidney beans)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 cup tomato purée
- 1½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ cup fresh cream
- 1 tsp kasuri methi
- Salt to taste
Method
- Soak the urad and rajma overnight. Pressure-cook with salt and 5 cups water until completely soft.
- Melt 2 tbsp butter, add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add tomato purée and chilli powder and cook until thick.
- Add the cooked dal with its water and mash some of the grains against the pot.
- Simmer on the lowest heat for at least an hour, stirring often and adding hot water as needed, until creamy.
- Stir in the remaining butter, cream, garam masala and crushed kasuri methi.
- Serve hot with naan, tandoori roti or jeera rice.
History
Dal makhani is generally credited to the Punjabi cooks of Delhi's restaurants after 1947, especially Moti Mahal in Daryaganj, who enriched slow-cooked black urad dal with butter and cream.
Significance
Dal makhani is on almost every north Indian wedding and party menu and is a favourite for Sunday family meals.