This iconic yet easy restaurant style Dal Makhani recipe represents North India on global front. It has taken the world of Indian food by the storm. Did you know that it is not an age-old, traditional recipe of Northern India but an invention of one person!! YESSS, you read it right- one person- Mr. Kundan Lal Gujral from the Moti Mahal Restaurant- is the mastermind behind this classic international dish.
Ideally the ratio of Whole Black lentils (Urad Dal) to Red Kidney beans (Rajma) is 3/4: 1/4, this means for every 3 cups of Urad Dal, Rajma is 1 cup. I like taking them in equal quantity. Don’t let the long ingredient list deter you from trying it. I have marked this recipe as an easy one as the only skill that it requires is- collecting the ingredients and stirring often, lol! This is definitely a simple and quick recipe to recreate the flavor of your favorite restaurant Dal Makhani recipe.
About the preparation of this easy-peasy restaurant style Dal Makhani
The steps are basically soaking the lentils overnight and pressure cooking them in morning. Thereafter, you make an onion-tomato gravy and cook it along with dairy items. I use curd, cream (Malai) and full fat milk to add richness to this simple recipe.
Whole spices add complexity to the flavors and depth to this amazing dish. So, you may wish to add the whole spices into a spice bag and discard it later. Anyways, who wants to be interrupted to look for whole spices in this straightforward Makhani dal and let alone in mouth. This reminds me to purchase it!!
Simmering or slow cooking is highly recommended for a minimum for 1 hour. Do for 2 hour if you have spare time. Just check and stir the contents every 15-20 minutes. You wonder how do we manage the time? Well, I start cooking the dal in the morning and keep it simmering to make this glorious, rich and creamy, heavenly bowl of goodness.
So you think its a long duration to make or simmer, c’mon, there are outlets which simmer their dal makhani overnight, we can atleast manage 2 hours. Can’t we?
Now, you would say that where do dried fenugreek leaves or kasoori methi comes into picture! My favourite restaurant doesn’t add it. Agreed, fully, you are right. Trust QuirkyCook on this, kasoori methi is a game changer and it is THE quirky twist. Try it once and let me know your reviews!
I highly recommend you to make this easy, crunchy onion salad (lachha pyaaz) with it. If you like a kick of spicy to go along with this rich, creamy recipe, then go for our Quick Chilli Pickle which we fondly call Chaunk wali mirch at our home.
Shop the Ingredients:
- Pressure Cooker
- Thick Bottomed Pan
- Measuring Cups and Spoons (I use and recommend this Combo)
- Whole Black Lentils (Urad Dal)
- Red Kidney Beans (Rajma)
- Water
- Turmeric
- Salt
- Clarified Butter (Ghee)
- Asafoetida (hing)
- Cumin (Jeera)
- Cloves (Laung)
- Black Peppercorns (Kali Mirch)
- Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
- Star Anise (Dagad Phool)
- Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
- Cinnamon
- Cream (Malai)
- Curry Powder (Garam Masala)
- Dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi)
Butter Lentils (Dal Makhani)
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Thick Bottomed Pan
Ingredients
Soaking and Pressure cook
- ½ Cup Whole Black Lentils (Urad Dal)
- ½ Cup Red Kidney Beans (Rajma)
- 1 Tsp Turmeric (Haldi)
- Salt To taste (swadanusar)
- 3 Cup Water
Puree for gravy
- 2 Medium Onion
- 4 Medium Tomato
- 1 no Green Chilli
- 1 Inch Ginger
- 2 cloves Garlic (modify quantity as per taste or omit it)
Gravy Tempering
- 1 Tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
- A Pinch Asafoetida
- 1 Tsp Cumin (Jeera)
- 4 Cloves (Laung)
- 8 Black Peppercorns (Kali Mirch)
- 1 Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
- 1 Star Anise (Dagad Phool)
- 2 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
- 1 Cinnamon
Rich Creamy Items
- 1 Tbsp Curd
- ⅓ Cup Cream (Malai)
- ⅓ Cup Full cream Milk
- ½ Tbsp Curry Powder (Garam Masala)
- Water
- 1 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi)
Instructions
- Soak both dal overnight in enough water½ Cup Whole Black Lentils (Urad Dal), ½ Cup Red Kidney Beans (Rajma)
- In morning, if water of soaked lentils is frothy, discard it. Else take the soaked dal along with Turmeric, salt and water and pressure cook for 1 whistle on high flame. Let it cook for another ½ hour on low flame.½ Cup Whole Black Lentils (Urad Dal), ½ Cup Red Kidney Beans (Rajma), 1 Tsp Turmeric (Haldi), Salt To taste (swadanusar), 3 Cup Water
- Puree everything in a mixer.2 Medium Onion, 4 Medium Tomato, 1 no Green Chilli, 1 Inch Ginger, 2 cloves Garlic
- For the gravy, add tempering and let it crackle. Add the pureed items from above step and saute it well1 Tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee), A Pinch Asafoetida, 1 Tsp Cumin (Jeera), 4 Cloves (Laung), 8 Black Peppercorns (Kali Mirch), 1 Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi), 1 Star Anise (Dagad Phool), 2 Bay leaf (Tej Patta), 1 Cinnamon
- When the moisture is evaporated, add curd and saute it again1 Tbsp Curd
- Add malai and saute again.⅓ Cup Cream (Malai)
- The mixture should leave the sides of the pan and come together. See the attached video for reference
- Add Garam Masala and the boiled dal (Step 2) along with water to make it a flowing consistency (I added around 2 cups of water).½ Tbsp Curry Powder (Garam Masala), Water
- After the first boil, add full cream milk. Let it come to a boil and lower the flame to minimum.⅓ Cup Full cream Milk
- Now let it simmer for 1-2 hours (I keep it for 2 hours). Keep stirring the dal every 15-20 mins. The sides of the pan are an indication of how much the dal has been cooked (see the pic)
- Add Kasoori methi at the end. Top with dollops of butter before serving!1 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi)
Notes
- Prep Time is soaking time for the lentils- overnight or 8 hours, as a thumb rule.
- May reduce the malai to 1 Tbsp, if you wish.
- Simmering or slow cooking is highly recommended for a minimum for 1 hour. Do for 2 hour if you have spare time. Just check and stir the contents every 15-20 minutes.
- You may need to add more water while simmering so as to maintain the desired consistency.
Below segment gives an approximate of the nutrition facts (using a third party calculator) of the recipe.
