The Pièce de résistance Dal Makhani

The slow cook , the rich ingredients and the pouring of love make this a Celebratory Dal Makhani that will be the highlight of the meal.

Dal Makhani is a popular and most loved North Indian dish (from West Punjab ) , it translates to Buttery lentils – already the name is a precursor to the glorious delectable dish to follow.

It is found on most restaurant menus and its extra indulgent ingredients make it the highlight or Pierre stance to your Diwali or special occasion.

You can mostly certainly cut back on the butter and cream – using yoghurt instead. I find the cooking method of slow and low braise and simmering adds to the building of the flavour. There are a few tricks below in the recipe that also add to building the flavour.

To top this all off … we used the Dhungar method to infuse the smoky flavor into the food. This is achieved by activating a charcoal and pouring ghee over the re hot coal to create smoke. The smoke is then immediately trapped in the pot . The smoky flavor takes this dish off the charts – it is out of this world and of course it will be the best Dal Makhani you have tasted comparable to any 5* restaurant. Really Good!!

This recipe is a culmination of a few versions over the years and my twist of things I’ve picked up researching Dal Makhani. The result is spectacular.

Ingredients

1 cup whole urad dal
¼ cup rajma – red kidney bean
3 cups water for pressure cooking

1 medium onion
1 or 2 green chilies – chopped
5/6 garlic cloves + 1-inch knob ginger – crushed
2 large tomatoes liquidised + 2 TBSP tomato puree

½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
2 to 3 cloves
2 to 3 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
1 small to medium bay leaf
½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
2 to 3 pinches of nutmeg

1 cup of water or add as required
¼ cup fresh cream
¼ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
3 tablespoon butter
salt as required

Now to get smoking… Dhungar method

1 small piece of charcoal
½ tsp ghee

Let’s Get Started…Preparation

Wash and soak beans overnight
Next morning rinse beans and get ready to boil them (Pressure cooker or stove top).
In the pressure cooker add the beans and top with enough water – around 3 cups water
Add the following whole spices in pressure cooker – stick cinnamon, bay leaf, black elachi , cloves , ginger and garlic – I removed these whole spices after
This step injects extra flavour to the beans. (I only do this for ‘special “days)
Pressure cook for 30min – or a bit more until both the urad dal and rajma have cooked. The Urad if pressed must be able to be mushed – i.e. give way easily. Set aside beans.
Blend tomatoes, chop onions, and make ginger garlic paste – set aside

Ready to Braise…

In a pot, heat 3 tbsp ghee.
Add fresh new whole spices ( i.e. not the ones you put n pressure cooker)- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 to 3 cloves, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 small to medium bay leaf.
Fry until the spices become aromatic, then add the onions allow to cook until golden
Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook down, stir in the green chilli
Add the tomatoes and dry spices (Chilli powder and nutmeg)
Cook gently, once the tomatoes are cooked (ghee surfaces to the top ) time to add the cooked beans /dal . Add all the cooking liquid too and a bit more water and allow to come to a boil.

Cook it Low and Slow…

Once Dal comes to a boil , lower the heat to the low flame and simmer.
Remember to stir often, as the dal sticks to the bottom of the pot.
Once the dal begins to thicken, add salt as required. Taste and adjust
Continue to simmer on a low flame, when simmering you can add more water if the gravy looks too thick , the longer you simmer, the more the flavours develop and intensify – the more amazing it tastes. I simmer around 45 min – an hour on a low flame stirring in between
I like to make this dish earlier in the day before guests arrive.
Once the gravy has thickened enough, then add the cream. Mix in the cream and switch the stove off.
A dal makhani is not too thick or too runny – it has a medium consistency.
Sprinkle the kasuri methi and stir in. Garnish with dhania and a sprinkling of garam masala – cover and set aside.

The Garnish:

When you ready to serve, heat up and garnish with drizzle of cream, a good knob of butter and fresh dhania.
You can also add thinly sliced ginger as the garnish.
Enjoy with Rice, Naan or tandoori roti.

If you are Smoking the Dal Makhani…

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.
Place the red-hot charcoal in a small bowl
Drizzle ghee on the charcoal, and immediately keep this bowl on top of the dal makhani.You may have to create a foil cushion to place boil on.
Cover for a few minutes and allow the charcoal to infuse its smoke in the dal makhni – 3minutes – the smoke dies down. Remove the little bowl / charcoal. Keep pot covered