Dal Makhani
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INGREDIENTS
Main
ingredients:
¾ cup whole urad dal, 140 grams
¼ cup rajma, 40 grams
3 cups water for pressure cooking, 750 ml
1 medium onion or 50 grams onion or ½ cup finely chopped onions
1 or 2 green chilies, chopped
2 tsp ginger garlic paste or 6 to 7 garlic + 1 inch ginger,
crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
2 large tomatoes or 200 grams tomatoes, pureed or 1 cup tomato
puree
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 to 3 cloves
2 to 3 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
1 inch cinnamon
1 small to medium tej patta/bay leaf
½ tsp red chili powder
2 to 3 pinches of nutmeg
powder or grated nutmeg
1 cup of water or add as required
¼ to ⅓ cup low fat cream,
25% to 30% fat
½ tbsp low fat cream for
garnish
¼ tsp kasuri methi/dry
fenugreek leaves, crushed
3 tbsp butter, salted or
unsalted
Salt as required
For
dhungar method: (optional)
1 small piece of charcoal
½ to ⅔ tsp oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Preparing
dal makhani:
- Soak both ¾ cup whole urad dal and ¼
cup rajma/kidney beans overnight in enough water for 8 to 9 hours. Later drain
them well.
- Rinse both the lentils a couple of
times in water.
- Drain again and then put them in a
pressure cooker. Add 3 cups water and stir well.
- Pressure cook for 18 to 20 whistles on
a high flame, till both the urad dal and rajma have cooked thoroughly and
softened. If they are not cooked, then add about ½ cup water again and pressure
cook for 4 to 5 whistles more. The urad dal should melt in the mouth and should
not give any bite or resistance when eaten. You can also just mash the urad dal
with a spoon. The same rule applies for rajma too. Keep the cooked beans aside.
- In a blender or mixer jar, put 2 large
tomatoes or 200 grams of chopped tomatoes.
- Blend to a smooth puree. Keep aside. You
can also use ready 1 cup tomato puree instead of blending the tomatoes. No need
to blanch the tomatoes while pureeing.
- In a pan, now heat 3 tbsp butter. You
can use salted butter or unsalted butter.
- Add the whole spices - ½ tsp cumin
seeds, 2 to 3 cloves, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch
cinnamon, 1 small to medium tej patta/bay leaf.
- Sauté till the spices become aromatic.
- Then add ½ cup finely chopped onions.
- Stir and saute the onions on a low
flame often till they become light golden.
- Then add 2 tsp ginger garlic paste. Stir
again and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Add 1 tsp chopped green chilies and
stir for a minute.
- Then add the tomato puree and stir
again.
- Add ½ tsp red chili powder and 2 to 3
pinches of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.
- Stir very well and saute this mixture
on a low to medium flame, till you see fat releasing from the sides.
- Then add the cooked urad dal and rajma
beans along with the stock. Also add 1 cup water or as required.
- Stir very well and simmer the dal
makhani uncovered on a low flame.
- Keep on stirring often, so that the
lentils don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the dal makhani has begun to
thicken, add salt as required.
- Stir very well and continue to simmer
on a low flame. When simmering you can add more water if the gravy looks thick
or dry. The longer you keep dal makhani to simmer, the better it tastes. Keep on
a low flame for about 25 minutes. Do keep stirring at intervals.
- When the gravy has thickened enough,
then add ¼ to ⅓ cup cream. Dal makhani must be of a medium consistency.
- Stir the cream very well. Then switch
off the flame.
- Now add ¼ tsp kasuri methi, crushed. Stir
again. Cover and keep the dal makhani aside, if you are proceeding to the
dhungar method. Or else you can serve dal makhani straight away.
Dhungar
method:
- Heat a small piece of charcoal on
flame till it becomes red hot. With the help of tongs, keep on turning the
charcoal piece so that it evenly burns.
- Keep the red hot charcoal in a small
bowl.
- Pour ½ tsp oil on the charcoal.
- Immediately keep this bowl on top of
the dal makhani.
- Cover for a minute and allow the
charcoal to infuse its smoke in the dal makhani. The more you keep the pan
covered, the more the dal makhani gets the smoky flavor.
- Serve dal makhani garnished with
chopped coriander leaves and a few teaspoons of cream with naan, tandoori roti,
chapatis or steamed rice.
Source: www.vegrecipesofindia.com
