Dal Makhani
Maya Lindqvist Demo- Makes
- 12 servings
- Active
- 40 min
- Total
- 10 h 10 min
You’ll Need pressure cooker (3 litres or larger) or Instant Pot or heavy pot with a lid, heavy-bottomed pot (for the long simmer), potato masher or ladle, small foil cup and a piece of natural wood charcoal (optional, for smoking)
Method
Cooked Lentils
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Put and in a large bowl and rinse them, rubbing well between your hands. Drain and repeat twice more.
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Cover with and soak overnight. Drain, rinse again and drain.
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Put the lentils in a pressure cooker with and cook over medium heat for about ten whistles (or 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[object Object]
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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
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Heat in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add , and and let them sizzle for .
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Add and fry until golden, about . Stir in and fry for .
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Pour in and cook for to . Add , and and keep cooking, stirring, until thick.
masala thick and fragrantghee starts to separate at the edges[object Object]
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Lightly mash the cooked lentils and add them to the pot with all their cooking liquid and half of . Stir well.
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Simmer on the lowest heat for about , stirring often and scraping the bottom so it does not catch.
dal thick and starting to turn creamy[object Object]
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Add the rest of the hot water and keep simmering gently for another , or longer if you have time.
urad broken down and creamythick enough to coat the ladleSafe to pause here[object Object]
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Crush between your palms over the pot and stir in . Cook for to . Taste for salt and garam masala, then stir in .
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Charcoal Smoking (Optional)
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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 over the coal and immediately cover the pot. Leave for to ; repeat once for a stronger flavour.
thick smoke as soon as the ghee hits the coal[object Object]
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Remove the cup and coal. Serve topped with extra butter or a swirl of cream, with basmati rice or naan.
From Maya Lindqvist
Restaurant dal makhani gets its velvet texture from time, not from a mountain of cream: the lentils are cooked completely soft, then simmered on the lowest heat for an hour and a half with the masala until they almost melt. Butter goes in at the end, and an optional burst of charcoal smoke (dhungar) gives it the tandoor flavour of a Punjabi dhaba.
Notes
- Buy fresh stock. Old urad and rajma can take much longer to soften. Both must mash easily between your fingers before they go into the masala.
- No pressure cooker? Simmer the soaked lentils in a heavy covered pot with plenty of water for 60 to 90 minutes, topping up with hot water, until completely soft.
- Low and slow. Cook on the lowest flame and stir often so it does not catch. For the most authentic taste you can keep it going for up to 3 hours, adding hot water as it thickens. A doubled batch needs longer.
- Tomato puree: bottled passata works, or blend a little over 1 cup chopped ripe tomatoes.
- Instant Pot: saute the masala on saute mode, add the soaked lentils and 3 cups water, cook 30 minutes on high pressure with natural release, then mash some of the urad and simmer on saute mode with 1 to 2 cups hot water for 12 to 30 minutes before finishing.
- Halve the recipe for 2 to 3 servings and simmer about 60 minutes.
Storage
Keeps 4 days in the fridge and tastes better the next day. Freezes for 3 months. It thickens as it sits; loosen with hot water when reheating.
Make Ahead
Soak the lentils the night before. The whole dal can be made a day ahead; add the cream and butter when you reheat it.
When to Start
Plan backwards from a time
Filed under Main · South Asia › India › Punjab · Legumes · Stew · Pressure Cooking · Slow Cooking · Holiday › Diwali · Weekend Project · Dal Makhani. Tags: #make-ahead, #slow cooked, #vegetarian.