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Printed at the current scale: 4 servings · US With Grams · front and back, more cards if it runs long

Dal Makhani

4 servings · 4 × 6 in
Cooked Lentils
7 oz whole black urad dal
2 oz red kidney beans (rajma)
4 cups fresh water, for cooking
4 cups water, for soaking
Dal Makhani
2 tbsp ghee
1 leaf bay leaf
2 pods green cardamom pods
1 pod black cardamom pod
2.25 oz onion (1 small to medium), finely chopped
0.75 oz ginger garlic paste
8 oz tomato puree or passata
1 tsp salt
¾ to 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 cups hot water, added in stages
1 tbsp kasuri methi
¼ to ⅓ cup heavy cream
1.5 oz unsalted butter, cultured if you can find it
Charcoal Smoking (Optional)
¼ to ½ tsp ghee, for the charcoal
forklet.co/r/oBJettp0?units=us · v1
  1. Cooked Lentils Put 7 oz whole black urad dal and 2 oz red kidney beans (rajma) in a large bowl and rinse them, rubbing well between your hands. Drain and repeat twice more. 5 min
  2. Cover with 4 cups water, for soaking and soak overnight. Drain, rinse again and drain. 8 h to 12 h
  3. Put the lentils in a pressure cooker with 4 cups fresh water, for cooking and cook over medium heat for about ten whistles (or 20 min at high pressure in an Instant Pot). Let the pressure drop by itself.
  4. If any rajma is still firm, add half a cup of hot water and cook for another three or four whistles. Keep all the cooking liquid.
  5. Dal Makhani Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add 1 leaf bay leaf, 2 pods green cardamom pods and 1 pod black cardamom pod and let them sizzle for 1 min.
  6. Add 2.25 oz onion (1 small to medium) and fry until golden, about 7 min. Stir in 0.75 oz ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 min.
  7. Pour in 8 oz tomato puree or passata and cook for 3 min to 4 min. Add 1 tsp salt, ¾ to 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder and 1 tsp garam masala and keep cooking, stirring, until thick.
  8. Lightly mash the cooked lentils and add them to the pot with all their cooking liquid and half of 2 cups hot water, added in stages. Stir well.
  9. Simmer on the lowest heat for about 1 h, stirring often and scraping the bottom so it does not catch.
  10. Add the rest of the hot water and keep simmering gently for another 30 min, or longer if you have time.
  11. Crush 1 tbsp kasuri methi between your palms over the pot and stir in ¼ to ⅓ cup heavy cream. Cook for 6 min to 8 min. Taste for salt and garam masala, then stir in 1.5 oz unsalted butter, cultured if you can find it.
  12. Charcoal Smoking (Optional) Set a small foil cup on the surface of the dal. Hold a small piece of natural wood charcoal over a gas flame with tongs until it glows red, then drop it in the cup. Pour ¼ to ½ tsp ghee, for the charcoal over the coal and immediately cover the pot. Leave for 3 min to 4 min; repeat once for a stronger flavour.
  13. Remove the cup and coal. Serve topped with extra butter or a swirl of cream, with basmati rice or naan.
  • Safety: Raw kidney beans contain a toxin destroyed only by thorough boiling. Never use slow-cooker or low-temperature methods for the beans until they have been pressure cooked or boiled hard and are completely soft. (The author)
  • Safety: For the optional smoking step, handle the burning charcoal with tongs, keep it on foil or in a metal cup, and do it away from anything flammable. (The author)
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