Dal Makhani, 8 servings
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Cooked Lentils · Step 1 of 4
Put 400 g whole black urad dal and 110 g red kidney beans (rajma) in a large bowl and rinse them, rubbing well between your hands. Drain and repeat twice more.
rinsing water much clearer
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Cooked Lentils · Step 2 of 4
Cover with ≈ 945 g water, for soaking and soak overnight. Drain, rinse again and drain.
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Cooked Lentils · Step 3 of 4
Put the lentils in a pressure cooker with ≈ 1920 g 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.
both urad and rajma mash completely with the back of a spoon
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Cooked Lentils · Step 4 of 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.
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Dal Makhani · Step 1 of 7
Heat ≈ 53 g ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add ≈ 0.4 g bay leaf, ≈ 0.8 g green cardamom pods and ≈ 2.5 g black cardamom pod and let them sizzle for 1 min.
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Dal Makhani · Step 2 of 7
Add 130 g onion (1 small to medium) and fry until golden, about 7 min. Stir in 36 g ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 min.
onions golden
ginger and garlic smell cooked, not raw
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Dal Makhani · Step 3 of 7
Pour in 440 g tomato puree or passata and cook for 3 min to 4 min. Add ≈ 12 g salt, ≈ 3.5 to 7 g Kashmiri chili powder and 4 g garam masala and keep cooking, stirring, until thick.
masala thick and fragrant
ghee starts to separate at the edges
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Dal Makhani · Step 4 of 7
Lightly mash the cooked lentils and add them to the pot with all their cooking liquid and half of ≈ 960 g hot water, added in stages. Stir well.
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Dal Makhani · Step 5 of 7
Simmer on the lowest heat for about 1 h, stirring often and scraping the bottom so it does not catch.
dal thick and starting to turn creamy
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Dal Makhani · Step 6 of 7
Add the rest of the hot water and keep simmering gently for another 30 min, or longer if you have time.
urad broken down and creamy
thick enough to coat the ladle
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Dal Makhani · Step 7 of 7
Crush ≈ 3 g kasuri methi between your palms over the pot and stir in ≈ 120 to 160 g heavy cream. Cook for 6 min to 8 min. Taste for salt and garam masala, then stir in 84 g unsalted butter, cultured if you can find it.
thick, glossy and creamy
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Charcoal Smoking (Optional) · Step 1 of 2
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 ≈ 2 to 4.5 g 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.
thick smoke as soon as the ghee hits the coal
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Charcoal Smoking (Optional) · Step 2 of 2
Remove the cup and coal. Serve topped with extra butter or a swirl of cream, with basmati rice or naan.