Go Back
Dal Makhani Recipe | Creamy Black Lentil Dal

Dal Makhani

A creamy, slow-simmered North Indian curry made with whole black lentils and kidney beans.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Soaking Time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients
  

For Boiling the Lentils
  • 1 cup whole black urad dal rinsed and soaked overnight
  • 1/4 cup rajma red kidney beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
  • 4 cups water for pressure cooking
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
For the Curry
  • 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil neutral oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1 cup tomato purée fresh or canned
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder for color and mild heat
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream plus extra for drizzling
  • 1 tablespoon kasuri methi dried fenugreek leaves

Equipment

  • 1 Pressure cooker or heavy-bottomed pot Used for boiling the soaked lentils until soft.
  • 1 Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven Used for simmering the dal with the tomato masala.

Method
 

  1. Drain the soaked urad dal and rajma. Place them in a pressure cooker with 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 6 to 8 whistles on medium heat, or until the lentils are completely soft and easily mashed between your fingers.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute until the raw aroma disappears.
  3. Pour in the tomato purée and Kashmiri red chili powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and oil begins to separate at the edges of the pan.
  4. Add the boiled lentils along with their cooking liquid to the tomato masala. Stir well, mashing some of the lentils against the side of the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. Stir in the heavy cream and crushed kasuri methi. Simmer for another 10 minutes until the dal is velvety and cohesive. Adjust salt if needed and serve hot.

Notes

For best results, let the dal simmer on very low heat for an extra 15 minutes; longer simmering yields a richer texture.