Meals · Punjab

Dal Makhani

Punjab's slow-simmered whole black urad and rajma, cooked down until creamy and finished with butter and cream.

Prep 15 min · Cook 90 min · Total 105 min + 8 hr soak · Serves 6

Ingredients

Dal

• ¾ cup Whole black urad (sabut urad)
• 2 tbsp Rajma (kidney beans)
• 1 inch Ginger, sliced
• 1 tsp Salt

Masala

• 3 tbsp Unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
• 1 cup Tomato puree
• 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ¾ tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 1 tbsp Kasuri methi

To finish

• ½ cup Fresh cream
• 1 tbsp Unsalted butter

Method

1. Cook the dal. Drain the urad and rajma and pressure-cook with the ginger, salt and 4 cups water for 1 whistle on high, then 25 minutes on low. The rajma should crush easily between your fingers.
2. Make the masala. In a heavy pot melt the butter with the oil, add the cumin, then the onion and cook until golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste for a minute, then the tomato puree, chilli and salt. Cook until thick and the fat shows at the edges.
3. Simmer slowly. Add the dal with its liquid and mash about a third of it against the pot. Simmer on the lowest heat, stirring every 5 minutes and adding hot water when it catches, until thick, glossy and creamy. The longer it goes, the better.
4. Finish. Stir in the garam masala, kasuri methi and most of the cream, and simmer 5 minutes more.
5. Serve. Top with the last of the cream and the butter. Serve with naan, jeera rice or laccha paratha.

Tips

For a dhaba-style smoky finish, put a hot coal in a steel bowl on top of the dal, drop on 1/2 tsp ghee and cover the pot for 2 minutes.