Dal Makhani or Maa di Dal, is a delicacy of Punjab. It has a smooth & velvety texture & a wonderful flavor. Each Punjabi household has their own signature preparation. Every Punjabi restaurant & way side dhabas claim that they specialize in this delicacy & cook it to perfection but they use huge amounts of butter,cream & oil.
Dal Makhani is traditionally cooked on a low flame overnight & allowed to thicken. Pressure cooking helps to cook the dal in a jiffy & is beneficial to the home maker as well as working people.
Today’s recipe is simple & quick to prepare & you can control the use of oil, butter & cream as it is prepared in your sweet home. Enjoy this lip smacking dal in the comfort of your home with rotis, naans, rice or any Indian bread.
Ingredients :
- 1 cup whole Urad Dal
- 1med. Onion (peeled & finely chopped)
- 3 fresh Green Chillies (finely chopped)
- 3 tbsps. Rajma (Kidney Beans)
- 1 inch piece fresh Ginger (scraped & finely chopped)
- 1 tsp. Garlic paste
- 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
- ½ tsp. Coriander pwd.
- ½ tsp. Red Chilli pwd.
- ½ tsp. Garam Masala pwd.
- ½ tsp. Turmeric pwd.
- 1 fresh red Tomato (pureed)
- ½ cup Curds (whisked)
- ½ cup fresh Cream (whisked)
- 2 tbsps. Butter/ Vegetable Oil
- Salt to taste
Garnishing & Topping:
- Butter & Cream as per taste
- Few sprigs fresh Coriander (roughly chopped)
Procedure :
Pick & wash whole urad dal & kidney beans.
Soak kidney beans & urad dal overnight in water.
Drain & add 2 cups of water & pressure cook whole urad dal & kidney beans in sufficient water with a little salt for about 7 whistles or till the dals are over cooked.
Release steam & then open the cooker. Whisk till the dal is almost mashed.
Add cream & curds to the dal & stir.
Now heat oil/ butter in a pot/pan/wok/kadhai till hot.
Add cumin seeds & let it splutter.
Then add garlic paste & sauté till light brown.
Add onions& sauté till golden brown.
Add tomatoe puree, ginger & green chillies.
Fry till tomatoes turn soft.
Add turmeric pwd., coriander pwd., red chilli pwd. & a little salt.
Saute for a few mins. till the oil starts separating.
Reduce the flame to medium, add dal & stir well.
Let it come to a boil & then switch off the flame.
Add garam masala pwd & stir.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves & add a dash of butter & some cream. Serve hot with your favorite Indian bread or with steaming hot rice.
