Dal Makhani
Creamy, fragrant, and flavorful. Dal makhani is perhaps not quite as well known as other dishes but is easily one of the most delicious. Its characteristic creaminess comes from both the lentils themselves (which when thoroughly cooked lend a viscosity to the gravy) and the addition of cream. The butter and cream also give it a richness, and the flavors speak to themselves.
Active Time: 40 min
Total Time: 10 hr
Ingredients
> lentils (3/4 cup, dried)
> kidney beans (1/4 cup, dried)
> tomatoes (~250g)
> ginger (1 inch cube, minced)
> garlic (5 cloves, minced)
> onion (1/4 to 1/2, finely chopped)
> green chili (1)
> butter (3 tbsp)
> cumin seeds (1/2 tsp)
> cloves (4)
> green cardamom (3)
> black cardamom (1)
> cinnamon (1 inch)
> Indian bay leaf (1)
> smoked paprika (1 tsp)
> nutmeg (2-3 pinches, grated)
> heavy cream (2 tbsp)
> fenugreek powder (1/4 tsp)
> salt
Instructions
1. Soak the lentils and kidney beans in ample water for 8-9 hours, or overnight.
2. Drain the beans well, and rinse a couple of times in water.
3. Bring a pot with ~3 cups of water to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, and cook the lentils and kidney beans until fully cooked, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Roughly chop the tomatoes, then blend to a smooth puree in a blender. Set aside.
5. In a pot / deep pan, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add the whole spices (cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf) and saute for ~30s, or until the spices become aromatic.
6. Add the finely chopped onions, and saute for a few minutes, or until they become lightly golden.
7. Add the ginger, garlic, and chopped red chilis. Saute for ~1 min.
8. Add the prepared tomato puree and mix well. Add smoed paprika and grated nutmeg. Stir well and saute for a minute or two, until you see fat releasing from the sides.
9. Add the cooked lentils and kidney beans. Add about ~1 cup of water or as required. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on low heat, uncovered. Stir frequently and cook for ~25 minutes.
10. Once the gravy has thickened sufficiently, add heavy cream and fenugreek leaves. Mix very well quickly.
11. Turn off the heat, cover and serve with basmati rice, naan, roti, or paratha. Optionally, garnish with chopped cilantro.
Notes/Tips:
> It's important to soak the beans -- don't skip this step! Apparently, "soaking reduces the phytic acid in them (which causes indigestion and flatulence)." Soaking also helps the beans cook faster -- reducing the cooking time by ~25%.
> After the initial cooking, the lentils and kidney beans should be "fully cooked" -- they should not give any bite or resistance when eaten.
> If you don't have whole spices, feel free to substitute with an appropriate amount of ground spices. If you're missing some of the spices, you may want to substitute them with some appropriate amount of garam masala. It probably won't have the same level of fragrance, but it'll still be good!
> Traditionally, this dish is slow-cooked in a tandoori oven, which lends it a a light smokiness. You could smoke the dish, but to keep things simple I just added smoked paprika, which sort of gives a similar effect.
> Taste for seasoning / spices at the end! If you find that it needs a little more flavor, add a touch more garam masala (I ended up doing this)