**Dal Makhani: A Culinary Journey into the Heart of North Indian Cuisine**
Dal Makhani, a crown jewel of North Indian cuisine, is an enticing dish that captivates taste buds with its rich, creamy texture, aromatic spices, and the perfect balance of flavors. This culinary masterpiece, originating from the vibrant streets of Delhi and the majestic kitchens of Punjab, has become an iconic dish, relished by food enthusiasts worldwide. Dal Makhani, meaning "black lentil dish," is a symphony of textures and flavors, where soft, velvety lentils intertwine with tender kidney beans, enveloped in a luscious tomato-based gravy infused with a harmonious blend of spices. This delectable dish is often accentuated with a generous dollop of fresh cream, a touch of butter, and a sprinkle of freshly chopped cilantro, elevating it to a gastronomic experience like no other.
**Unveiling the Culinary Delights:**
1. **Classic Dal Makhani:** Embark on a culinary voyage with this traditional recipe, where whole black lentils and kidney beans are simmered in a melange of aromatic spices, creating a symphony of flavors that will transport you to the bustling streets of Old Delhi.
2. **Restaurant-Style Dal Makhani:** Indulge in the secrets of restaurant-style cooking with this recipe, featuring a tantalizing blend of spices, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and cream, resulting in a rich and creamy masterpiece that will leave you craving for more.
3. **Dal Makhani in a Slow Cooker:** Discover the convenience of slow cooking with this effortless recipe. Simply combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker and let it work its magic, filling your home with an enticing aroma as the lentils and spices meld together to create a hearty and comforting dish.
4. **Instant Pot Dal Makhani:** Embrace the speed and efficiency of the Instant Pot with this recipe, which delivers a flavorful and authentic Dal Makhani in a fraction of the time. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners, this recipe combines the convenience of modern technology with the timeless flavors of traditional Indian cooking.
5. **Dal Makhani with Tadka:** Elevate your Dal Makhani experience with the addition of a flavorful tadka, a sizzling tempering of spices in hot oil. This aromatic infusion adds an extra layer of depth and complexity to the dish, tantalizing your senses with every bite.
DAL MAKHANI RECIPE (INSTANT POT & STOVETOP)
Dal makhani is a delicious, rich & creamy dish made with black lentils, spices, butter and cream. Instructions included for stovetop and instant pot.
Provided by Swasthi
Categories Side
Time 10h10m
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Add urad dal and rajma to a large pot and rinse them well a few times. Drain the water and soak them in 3 to 4 cups of water for 7 to 8 hours. To reduce the soaking time, you may soak them in boiling hot water for 4 to 5 hours.
- Later drain the water and rinse them well.
- Pour 4 cups fresh water and pressure cook for 10 whistles on a medium heat. You can also cook in a pot until soft and tender adding more water whenever needed. If cooking in instant pot, pressure cook on high pressure for 20 mins.
- Both urad dal and rajma must cook to very soft. When mashed with a spoon the dal and rajma must be soft and get mashed well easily. If not then pour another half cup hot water and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 whistles on a medium heat.
- Heat a heavy bottom pot with butter & ghee. If using whole spices, add them and saute for half a minute. Then add onions and fry until they turn golden.
- Stir in ginger garlic paste and saute for 1 minute until the raw smell goes away.
- Then transfer tomato puree and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until thick.
- Add salt, chilli powder & garam masala. Saute well until the masala smells good and turns thick.
- Mash the cooked urad dal slightly and pour it along with the stock. Pour another 1 cup hot boiling water & mix.
- Cook on a low flame until the dal thickens stirring often in between to prevent burning the bottom. After 60 mins, the dal thickens.
- Add another ½ to 1 cup hot boiling water and continue to cook until thick. This takes another 30 mins. Totally cook for about 90 mins from the time you added the cooked dal to the pot.
- Then add kasuri methi and pour cream. Stir and cook again for 6 to 8 mins until it becomes thick and creamy.
- Taste and add more salt if needed. Add butter and mix well.
- Place a small piece of foil or a tall steel cup on the dal makhani. Hold 1 to 2 inch piece of natural wood charcoal with a tong and burn it on direct fire until red hot. Then place it on the foil kept over dal or in the steel cup.
- Quickly pour ¼ tsp ghee on the hot coal. Immediately cover the pot and allow to smoke for 3 to 4 mins. For stronger flavor, add another ¼ tsp ghee on the coal and repeat the smoking.
- Garnish dal makhani with butter or cream & serve with naan.
- Press SAUTE button on the Instant pot. Add ghee and butter to the steel insert.
- Once the butter melts, add onions and saute until transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds.
- Pour the tomato puree, red chilli powder & garam masala. Saute for 3 to 5 mins.
- Drain the water from the lentils and add them. Pour 3 cups water and deglaze the pot by scrubbing the bottom with a wooden spatula.
- Press CANCEL button. Secure the Instant pot with the lid. Position the steam release handle to sealing.
- Press PRESSURE COOK button and set the timer to 30 mins.
- When the IP finishes it will beep. Wait for the pressure to release naturally.
- Open the lid. You will see the dal being runny at this stage. Add salt & slightly mash the urad dal, not rajma.
- Press SAUTE button. Adjust the setting to LOW by pressing the saute button twice.
- Cook further stirring often until thick. When most of the moisture evaporates, dal turns thicker. Optional - I prefer to add 1 more cup of hot water in 2 batches, ½ cup each time. Cook further until really creamy and thick.
- Then add cream and kasuri methi. Continue to cook until creamy.
- Stir in the butter and garnish dal makhani with cream.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 410 kcal, Carbohydrate 37 g, Protein 15 g, Fat 22 g, SaturatedFat 13 g, Cholesterol 59 mg, Sodium 1217 mg, Fiber 16 g, Sugar 4 g, ServingSize 1 serving
DAL MAKHANI (INDIAN BROWN LENTILS)
Steps:
- Place lentils and kidney beans in a large bowl; cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain.
- Cook lentils, 5 cups water, and salt in a pot over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally, about 1/2 hour. Remove from heat and set aside. Keep the lentils and any excess cooking water in the pot.
- Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook cumin seeds in the hot oil until they begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and cloves; cook until bay leaves turn brown, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; add ginger, garlic, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Stir to coat.
- Stir tomato puree into spice mixture; cook over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, coriander, and butter; cook and stir until butter is melted.
- Stir tomato mixture into the lentils, keeping any leftover cooking water from the lentils; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Stir fenugreek into lentil mixture. Cover saucepan and simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally with the lid off, about 45 minutes. Add cream and cook until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes.
DAL MAKHANI (INDIAN LENTILS)
Ever go to an Indian restaurant and wonder how they make those lentils? I hated lentils before I discovered Indian food. Then I scoured the internet to figure out how they achieved them, and through mixing and matching recipes and methods on videos, I've arrived at this recipe, which I think is pretty close. This version is very rich, but you can leave out the cream to make it lighter. Kasuri methi (fenugreek leaves) is almost impossible to find in the U.S., even in NYC, but it gives this dish something very special.
Provided by SOGOLONDJATA
Categories Side Dish Beans and Peas
Time 4h15m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Place lentils and kidney beans in a large bowl; cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain.
- Cook lentils, kidney beans, 5 cups water, and salt in a pot over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and set aside. Keep the lentils, kidney beans, and any excess cooking water in the pot.
- Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook cumin seeds in the hot oil until they begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and cloves; cook until bay leaves turn brown, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Stir to coat.
- Stir tomato puree into spice mixture; cook over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, coriander, and butter; cook and stir until butter is melted.
- Stir lentils, kidney beans and any leftover cooking water into tomato mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Stir fenugreek into lentil mixture. Cover saucepan and simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Add cream and cook until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 389.6 calories, Carbohydrate 37.1 g, Cholesterol 47.5 mg, Fat 21.5 g, Fiber 15.6 g, Protein 13.2 g, SaturatedFat 10.4 g, Sodium 420.2 mg, Sugar 3 g
- Choosing the right lentils: Use whole black urad dal (split black lentils) and whole brown masoor dal (split brown lentils).
- Soaking the lentils: Soaking the lentils overnight or for at least 4 hours helps reduce cooking time and makes them more digestible.
- Sautéing the onions: Sauté the onions until they are golden brown. This adds a rich flavor to the dal makhani.
- Using homemade ginger-garlic paste: Freshly made ginger-garlic paste adds a lot of flavor to the dal makhani. If you don't have homemade paste, you can use store-bought ginger-garlic paste.
- Adding tomatoes: Tomatoes add a tangy flavor to the dal makhani. You can use fresh or canned tomatoes.
- Using whole spices: Whole spices like bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon sticks add a lot of flavor to the dal makhani. Make sure to remove them before serving.
- Adding garam masala: Garam masala is a spice blend that is commonly used in Indian cooking. It adds a warm and aromatic flavor to the dal makhani.
- Simmering the dal makhani: Simmering the dal makhani for a long time on low heat helps the flavors to develop and the lentils to become soft and creamy.
- Garnishing the dal makhani: Garnish the dal makhani with fresh cilantro and a dollop of yogurt before serving.
Conclusion
Dal makhani is a delicious and hearty dish that is perfect for a special occasion or a simple weeknight meal. With its rich and creamy texture, tangy flavor, and aromatic spices, dal makhani is sure to please everyone at the table. So next time you're looking for a flavorful and satisfying vegetarian dish, give dal makhani a try!
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