It has been years since I last visited North India, but my memories are just as fresh as if it was just yesterday. The kitchen smells so aromatic with all the luscious whole spices fried in rich homemade ghee and a generous amount of butter. I just can’t get over the all the eating but also the process of making this lusciously creamy Dal Makhani.
What is Dal Makhani?
Dal Makhani is an Indian Dal made with using Whole Black Urad Dal and Rajma. This dal is rich and creamy in texture with an extra tadka of ghee and butter on the top while served with some cream and cilantro or Kasuri methi. This dal is slow cooked for about 50-60 mins and results in scrumptiously creamy texture. This dal is served with Plain Rice, Jeera Rice, Phulka Rotis, Tandoori Rotis,Naan or Laccha Paratha.
Can We Make Healthy Dal Makhani?
The good news is we can make a healthy version of Dal Makhani. Because cutting down the amount of ghee, butter and cream helps us eliminate all the saturated carbs and the extra load of fat. My recipe is a healthyish version of Dal Makhani, and it is just as creamy and deliciously rich in texture as you get them in restaurants.
Ingredients to Make Dal Makhni
Beans and Lentils - You want to use high quality ingredients to make this dal taste like restuarant style. We will be using black lentils and red kidney beans to make this dal. Butter and Ghee - We will be using butter and ghee for the fat. This will add to the creaminess of the dal and enhance it to taste richer. Whole Spices - It is important to use good quality of spices. I am using Dried rec Chili, Bay Leaf, and a cinnamon stick. You can also add cumin seeds if you like. Aromatics - Use yellow onion if possible, it is perfect for cooking and gives a beautiful sweet caramelized taste. you will also need to make ginger garlic and green chili paste. So you will need about 5-6 cloves of garlic, ½ inch ginger, and 1 green chili, pulse it in a small food processor, and be done. Tomato Paste - The tomato paste or the canned tomato puree will give this recipe the smokey umami it needs to taste restaurant-style, so I highly recommend using store-bought tomato paste. Yogurt - Yogurt will bring out the creaminess of the delicious lentils rendering it a beautiful flavor. Ground Spices - My recipe only calls for red chili powder and garam masala. I like to use Kashmiri Red Chili Powder as it gives this dal a beautiful color and is not spicy. Garnishes - We will be using cream, cilantro, and kasuri methi for garnishing!
Can we make Vegan Dal Makhani?
You can make Vegan Dal Makhani and it is very simple. Just follow the recipe. Substitute Butter+ and Ghee with any neutral Oil/ coconut oil. You can substitute yogurt with cashew yogurt and cream with coconut cream!
Expert Tips To Make Dal Makhni
It is really important to rinse the beans and lentils before soaking them. Soak the beans and lentils for at least 10-12 hours. You want to cook the beans and lentils thoroughly to attain the creamiest texture to the dal. I highly recommend you use canned tomato puree or tomato paste, to achieve the beautiful umami-rich flavor in the dal. You can smoke the dal which enhances the flavor of this dal, but it is completely optional.
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