Dal Makhani

Tender black lentils in a creamy sauce, bound by fragrant brown butter. The texture is velvety, perfectly coating the spoon, with a deep aroma of toasted spices.

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 120 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 551
• Protein: 21 g
• Carbs: 58 g
• Fat: 27 g

Ingredients

• 250 g urad dal ( soaked 12h )
• 50 g Red bean ( soaked 12h )
• 50 g ghee
• 1 piece Onion ( finely chopped )
• 3 piece Garlic ( pressed )
• 3 piece Round tomato ( minced into small cubes )
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp kashmiri chili
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 100 ml Cream
• 30 g Minimum butter sweet
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 20 g Fresh ginger ( grated )
• 1 tbsp Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) ( crushed between palms )

Instructions

1. Cooking the legumes

   Place the pre-soaked urad dal and kidney beans in a large pot of water. Cook over medium heat until the grains crush easily between your fingers. Drain, keeping some of the cooking water.

2. Aromatic base

   In a sauté pan, heat the ghee. Add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle. Add the chopped onion, pressed garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté until the onion is translucent and starts to brown.

3. Tomato reduction

   Add the finely chopped round tomatoes, Kashmiri chili, turmeric, and salt. Simmer over low heat until the fat separates from the tomato pulp and rises to the surface.

4. Slow simmering

   Pour the lentils and beans into the sauté pan. Add a little cooking water to achieve a flexible consistency. Simmer for a long time over very low heat, crushing a few grains against the sides to thicken the sauce.

5. Final liaison

   Stir in the garam masala, butter, cream, and kasuri methi crushed between your hands. Mix gently until the butter is melted and the sauce becomes glossy and smooth. Remove from heat as soon as the mixture coats the spoon.

Chef's tips

• The longer the dal simmers, the better it gets; don't be afraid to let it cook for 2 hours on very low heat.
• The secret to the texture lies in partially mashing the lentils against the sides of the pot to release the starch.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator. Flavors develop even more the next day. Reheat gently with a splash of water.