Servings: 2-3
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 2 hours
Dal Makhani translates to lentils cooked in butter, and to be honest, what could possibly sound better than that? This buttery and creamy dish may be one of the most popular Indian dishes, or types of dal. This dish pairs great with naan and basmati rice.
Ingredients
Prep
6 tbs whole black lentils
2 tbs red kidney beans
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups water
Masala for the Dal
3 tbs unsalted butter
½ medium white onion, finely grated using a food processor
1 tsp ginger garlic mix (¼ inch grated ginger, 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped & smashed)
¼ cup tomato puree, store bought
¼ tsp red chili powder
⅛ tsp garam masala
¼ tsp salt, or to taste
¾ cups water, as needed
¼ tsp sugar
⅛ cup cream
Instructions
Wash and rinse the whole black lentils and kidney beans in a large bowl. Soak in 3 cups of water overnight.
Drain the water and transfer into a medium pot. Add the soaked lentils & beans, water and let it cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes on medium heat. They should be completely cooked, and ready to mash.
Using a potato masher, mash some of the lentils and beans, and turn the heat to low.
In another large pot, heat half of the butter over medium heat. Add in the chopped onions until they are golden brown. Next add in the ginger-garlic mix and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Throw in the tomato paste and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add in the dal, garam masala, red chili powder, salt and mix well.
Add in ¼ cup water, stir and seat the heat to low. Let the dal simmer on low heat for an additional 40-45 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes or so, to make sure that it doesn’t burn. Add more water as needed, 1 tbs at a time.
After the full 40-45 min, add in the sugar, butter, and heavy cream. Mix well.
Simmer for an additional 10 minutes on low, then you’re done.
Service the dal with more cream, some chopped cilantro, and/or butter, or whatever your preference may be. Enjoy!