Dal-makhani

Votes: 5

Time: 8 hours 35 minutes
Complexity: average
Servings: 5

Nutritional value per serving:

Calories 446, total fat 30 G., saturated fats 17 G., proteins 12 G., carbohydrates 36 G., fiber 7 G., cholesterol 81 mg, sodium 343 mg, sugar 8 G.

“This is one of the most popular and delicious dals in India,” says Nidhi Jalan. “Thick and rich, with a deep flavor, it is made primarily from whole black lentils called sabut urad dal and a small amount of red kidney beans. This Punjabi dal, originally from Peshawar (now part of Pakistan), was brought to India during the partition and instantly became a classic. It's served everywhere, from five-star hotels to roadside shacks. There are several variations of this dish—kali dal, maki dal, and dal bukhara. The dal makhani recipe was invented by the founder of the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi, who added kidney beans, tomatoes, and cream to the dish. Traditionally, it's cooked in a clay pot and simmered for 24 hours, but a pressure cooker greatly simplifies the process. This dal tastes even better the next day.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

1 cup whole black urad dal, washed and soaked overnight
3 tablespoons Kashmiri rajma (or red kidney beans or pinto beans; see Note), rinsed and soaked overnight
5 cloves garlic, finely grated (1 tbsp)
5 cm fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated (2 tsp)
2 tsp ground Kashmiri chili pepper
0.5 tsp. garam masala
1 cup strained tomato puree
110 g unsalted butter + extra for serving, if desired
0.5 cups heavy cream
Special equipment: 6-quart Instant Pot or 4-quart stovetop pressure cooker

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: red beans, ginger root, ground red hot pepper, garam masala, tomato sauce, cream

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Drain the soaked black beans and red kidney beans and transfer to a 6-quart (1.5-liter) slow cooker. Add 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, close the lid, and prepare the slow cooker. Pressure cook according to the manufacturer's instructions on low heat for 1 hour. Alternatively, cook in a regular pressure cooker on medium-high heat for 15 minutes.

Chef's Note

Whole black urad dal, or sabut urad dal In Hindi, it is considered the king of dal in northern India. Although there are many varieties of urad dal (split, white), for this recipe, it is essential to use whole black dal.

Kashmiri rajma is a dark red variety of bean. It's very similar in appearance to pinto beans. Kashmir Rajma Slightly sweeter than regular kidney beans and retains its dark red color even after cooking. They can easily be substituted for regular red kidney beans.
Once the pressure cooker cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's instructions and allow the pressure to release naturally. Once the pressure has released, open the lid and add the garlic, ginger, Kashmiri pepper, garam masala, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Set the cooker to sauté and cook, stirring frequently to prevent the mixture from burning on the bottom, for about 5 minutes. If using a pressure cooker, sauté over medium-high heat.

Lightly mash the bean mixture with a potato masher, reserving some whole beans. Add the tomato puree and butter and mix well. Cover (but do not seal), set the slow cooker to low, and cook, checking and stirring occasionally to ensure the puree does not burn, adding a little water if it becomes too thick, for about 2 hours. The dal should have the consistency of thick lentil soup. If using a pressure cooker, add 0.5–1 cup of water along with the tomato puree and simmer over low heat as directed.
Add 6 tablespoons of heavy cream, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, for another 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. If using a pressure cooker, simmer over medium heat.
Before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons of cream, like for cappuccino. If desired, serve the dal with a knob of butter.