Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani is also known as Kali Dal or Mah Ki Dal - a rich heavy dal (spicy lentil preparation) , often found on Indian restaurant menus. It is of North Indian origin but now popular all over India because of increasing restaurant culture among Indians.

I love it because of its buttery taste and smooth velvety texture. It is little time-consuming to prepare at home as it involves soaking of pulses followed by slow-cooking of the dal itself. I used to avoid making it at home as I thought it was very difficult to make but when I tried it for the first time, I was happy with the result. Now I make it regularly and have never been disappointed.

The two main beans/pulses need for this dal are Whole Urid and Rajmah. Urid is a type of lentils, also known as Black Gram and  is available at Indian grocers in UK. Rajmah is Red Kidney Beans. My version of Dal Makhani is relatively quick and easy as I use canned Kidney Beans and I soak Whole Urid for about four hours only. Most Indian kitchens are equipped with Pressure Cooker which makes cooking of Dal Makhani or any dal for that matter easier. However, this dal can also be cooked in a pot but it will take about an hour for the pre-soaked Kidney Beans and Urid dal to become soft. This dish is ideal for cooking in a slow-cooker although I've never tried it myself.

Dal Makhani is best served with Jeera Rice or Naans.

Dal Makhani / Kali Dal

Ingredients (to serve 4 people)

1 cup Whole Urid Dal - soaked for 4-6 hours
1/4 cup Kidney Beans - soaked overnight (I use canned Kidney Beans)
2 Onions - finely chopped
2 Tomatoes - pureed or 1/2 can of Tomatoes
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 1/2 tsp Coriander (Dhania) Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/4 tsp Turmeric
3 tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
1/2 cup Whipping Cream
1 Bay Leaf
1" piece of Cinnamon
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Method

• Take the Ghee in a Pressure Cooker and heat it. Add Cumin Seeds, Bay Leaf and Cinnamon and roast them lightly.
• Add the chopped Onions and Turmeric and cook them until they are very soft. This may take about 10 minutes.
• Then add the Ginger-Garlic paste and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the spice powders - Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder and Garam Masala and mix well.
• Add the Tomato puree (then add 1/2 tsp sugar to reduce the acidic taste of tomato - optional).
• Cook the mixture until oil starts separating from masala. It takes about 15 minutes to reach this step from the time you start cooking.
• Now add the soaked Kidney Beans and Whole Urid and mix them well with the masala paste.
• Add enough water to Pressure Cooker to cook the lentils. Place the lid on the Pressure Cooker and cook until the Kidney Beans and Urid are softened. The number of Pressure Cooker whistles needed is different for different models. To check if the dal is cooked, press the Urid dal/beans between the fingers - if it can be crushed easily, the dal is ready.
• Take off the Pressure Cooker from stove and allow all the steam to escape from cooker, then take off the lid.
• Lightly mash the dal with back of ladle.
• Pour half the cream and salt to the dal and mix well. Place the cooker back on stove and simmer dal  for 5-10 minutes.
• Finally take it off the heat and transfer it to a serving dish. Spoon over some cream to decorate and serve it hot.