Best 6 Makhani Dal Butter Dal Mogul Style Recipes

DAL MAKHANI

Steps:

• Soak both the whole urad dal and rajma overnight in enough water for 8 to 9 hours or overnight. Later drain them well.
• Rinse both the lentils a couple of times in water.
• Drain again and then add them in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Add water and stir well.
• Pressure cook for 18 to 20 whistles on a high flame, till both the urad dal and rajma have cooked thoroughly and softened. If they are not cooked, then add about ½ cup water again and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles more.
• The urad dal should melt in the mouth and should not give any bite or resistance when eaten. You can also just mash the urad dal with a spoon or with your fingers to check the doneness. The same rule applies for rajma too. Keep the cooked beans aside.
• In a blender or mixer jar, take chopped tomatoes and blend to a smooth puree. Set aside.
• You can also add ready 1 cup tomato puree instead of blending the tomatoes. No need to blanch the tomatoes while pureeing.
• In a pan, now heat butter. You can use salted butter or unsalted butter.
• Add the whole spices - cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 small to medium tej patta.
• Fry for some seconds till the spices sputter and become aromatic.
• Add finely chopped onions.
• Stir and sauté the onions on a low or medium-low heat often till they become light golden.
• Add the ginger garlic paste. Stir again and sauté for some seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
• Add the chopped green chilies and sauté for a minute.
• Add the prepared tomato puree and mix well.
• Add red chili powder and 2 to 3 pinches of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.
• Stir very well and sauté this mixture on a low to medium flame, till you see fat releasing from the sides.
• Then add the cooked urad dal and rajma beans along with the stock. Also add 1 cup water or as required.
• Stir very well and simmer the dal makhani uncovered on a low flame.
• Keep on stirring often, so that the lentils don't stuck to the bottom of the pan.
• Once it has begun to thicken, add salt as required.
• Stir very well and continue to simmer on a low flame. Keep on stirring when the lentils are simmered on low heat.
• When simmering you can add more water if the gravy looks thick or dry. The longer you keep dal makhani to simmer, the better it tastes.
• I kept it for about an overall 25 minutes on a low flame. Do keep on stirring at intervals.
• When the gravy has thickened enough, then add cream. Dal makhani is not too thick or too thin. It has a medium consistency.
• Mix the cream very well. Then switch off the heat.
• Add crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Mix again.
• Cover and set dal makhani aside, if you are proceeding to the dhungar method. Or else you can serve dal makhni straight away.
• Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes red hot. With the help of tongs, keep on turning the charcoal piece so that it evenly burns.
• Keep the red hot charcoal in a small bowl.
• Pour ½ teaspoon oil on the hot charcoal.
• Immediately keep this bowl on top of the dal makhani.
• Cover for a minute and allow the charcoal to infuse its smoke in the dal makhni. Remove the bowl. Stir again.
• Serve punjabi dal makhani garnished with chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and a few teaspoons of cream with naan, roti, paratha or steamed rice.

DAL MAKHANI RECIPE (INSTANT POT & STOVETOP)

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.

MAKHANI DAL (BUTTER DAL), MOGUL-STYLE

Steps:

• Combine the legumes with 4 cups water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pot; let the legumes soak for 2 hours.
• Add the whole-milk yogurt, 1 cup onions, tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, paprika, chili and salt to the pot and bring to a boil once more. Cook, partly covered, over low heat for 90 minutes, or until the dal is very soft. Turn off the heat and use an Indian mathani (see related article) to purée the dal for about 1 minute; it should be saucy but not soupy.
• To make the tadka, heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the remaining cup of onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until medium brown. Turn off the heat and stir in the cumin and garam masala.
• Transfer the dal to a large bowl and cover with the low-fat yogurt; top with tadka, stir gently and serve.

CHICKEN MAKHANI (INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.
• Mix together cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

NEXT LEVEL DHAL MAKHANI

Steps:

• Tip the dhal into a sieve and rinse under cold water several times until the water runs clear. Put in a large bowl or pot and cover in double their volume of warm water. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and leave to soak at room temperature for at least 12 hrs.
• Drain the dhal (but don't rinse), tip into a pan and cover with 1.5 litres water. Add the sliced ginger, whole chilli and turmeric, then bring to the boil, skim off any scum that rises to the top and reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered for 1 hr until very tender, or cook in a pressure cooker for 20 mins. Remove the ginger and chilli.
• Heat the butter in a separate pan over a medium-high heat until it has foamed up and turned nut-brown. Pour half into a small container and set aside. Return the pan and remaining butter to the heat and add the cumin seeds, fenugreek leaves, ground coriander, garlic, grated ginger and tomato purée and cook for 2 mins more. Stir the spice mixture into the cooked dhal, then add the kidney beans along with the liquid from the can and season generously with salt.
• Roughly mash the dhal mixture with a potato masher until some of the pulses are crushed. Cook, stirring, over a very low heat for 15-20 mins until the dhal is thick and creamy. Stir through most of the reserved brown butter, the garam marsala and half the cream. Tip the dhal into a serving dish and drizzle over the remaining cream and brown butter. Scatter over the chopped chilli and ginger matchsticks and serve.

SPLIT GREEN MUNG BEANS, MUMBAI-STYLE

Steps:

• Combine the dal, turmeric, garlic, chili, onions, tomatoes, brown sugar, salt and 4 cups water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently, and cook, covered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Partly uncover and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, until the dal is tender; turn off the heat. Use an Indian mathani (see related article) to purée the dal for about 1 minute; the dal should be saucy but not soupy.
• To make the tadka, heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and cover the pan; let the seeds pop and sizzle. When the popping begins to subside, add the ginger and cook until lightly browned, about 15 seconds, and add the curry leaves, if you're using them. Turn off the heat and stir in the cumin.
• Pour the tadka into the dal; stir gently to combine. Garnish with cilantro and serve.