Dal Makhani
April 18th, 2008 filed under Dal (Lentils)
Dal Makhani is a popular north Indian dish; it is rich and hearty. Dal Makhani is a combination of whole urad and red kidney beans. It goes great with Naan or Tandoori Roti.
Serves 2 to3.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup whole urad dal
- 1/8 cup red kidney beans (Rajma)
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 minced green pepper or adjust to taste (Hari Mirch)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (Haldi)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mango powder (Amchoor)
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 cup cream
- 2 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (Jeera)
- Pinch of asafetida (Hing)
- 3 to 4 whole red chilies (Sabut Lal Mirch)
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder optional (Lal Mirch)
For garnish:
- 1/2 tablespoon shredded ginger
Method:
- Wash urad dal and kidney beans well and soak dal in about 6 cups of water for about 8 hours. After soaking dal will be about 2 1/2 times the volume of the original.
- In pressure cooker add dal with four cups of water, salt, turmeric, ginger and green pepper, cook on medium high heat.
- As pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 25 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker. Dal and Kidney beans should be soft and tender.
- Lightly mash the dal and kidney beans, cook for another 5 minutes on low medium heat.
- Add cream, garam masala, and amchoor powder and let it cook for about 10 minutes on low heat.
- Heat the ghee in a small saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away the oil is ready.
- Add cumin seeds, and as the cumin seeds crack add asafetida, red chilies and red chili powder and stir for a few seconds.
- Add 1 teaspoon of water to keep the spices from burning. Pour spiced ghee over dal.
- Garnish with shredded ginger.
Hi Manjula Aunty,
Hats off to you…trust me ur recipes are too good m living abroad since two yrs n we dnt get khoya n all here but i tried ur recipes n it came out so gud tht evry one loved itt..
thanku so much.
The mango powder is hard to get (I found it at indiablend.com online), but it is critical to the flavor of this recipe. I’ve made it twice. Once before I had amchoor, and it was good, and the second time after I’d got the amchoor and it was fantastic.
Auntji,
Excellent recipe I loved it. Thanks
Hi Manjula,
What is the cream name and where can I buy that?
Hi Sarada,
any brand cream will work.
Love your recipes… thanks
Hi Manjula, just discovered your website while looking for a recipe for Dal Makhani, I have only ever had it in a fast food chain Tiffin Bites in London, but you have encouraged me to try cooking it tomorrow!
Hello Manjulaji,
What can I use as a substitute for cream?
Hello Kavita,
I have tried this making without cream, does not taste good only other way to add lot of butter.
Hi Manjula aunty, I like all your recipes. I have also tried some and it had come out very well. Aunty can i use split urad dal instead of the whole ones because we don’t get whole ones here…. i have searched most of the supermarkets in Dubai.
I like all your recipes. I don’t miss even a single one. But my question about this recipe for Dal Makhni Is: Where to get cream from since we don’t get “malai “in US? what cream to use?
Also if you can include in your every recpie where to buy kind of instructions, this will make some of your viewers like me really
task easy. Rest I will say you really ROCK Aunty…This is a gr8 show and fabulous job that you are doing…
I’ve found hard to get spices and other non-perishables at http://www.indianblend.com/.
you can use heavy whipping cream.
You Can use fresh cream ..u can easily get in any supermarket.
Thank you Manjula,
I made Makhani Dal tonight and it was really good. I use your site often to get ideas, and it always sparks great ideas.
However I would also like to take this time in correcting Mahua and few of the other’s comments. Working women are not the only one’s using Manjula’s site. Men like myself whom love to cook also use the site aswell.