Daal Makhani

Few days back we went to a restaurant for a casual dinner and ordered pure vegetarian food. I have been raving about few dishes in my posts: Paneer Butter Masala and Malai Kofta. These are the two dishes we love to eat if we go for the vegetarian side. One more thing which we both love to order is Daal Makhani. As soon as the order arrived I thought why I haven't given a place to this very popular dish.

Daal Makhani can be best described as "Lentils in a Buttery Sauce". It is pure North Indian Dish which is very popular in Dhabas in Northern India. We both love to eat in Dhabas. We have tried few of the popular Dhabas in Kolkata. Undoubtably we loved the food but missed the ambience of Dhabas which can only be found at roadside Dhabas. 

In India we get the mixture of these lentils in every superstore. We usually buy them to make Daal Makhani. It's a mixture of many lentils including Chickpeas (Kabuli Chana) and Kidney beans (Rajma).

So, let's start with the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Lentil Mixture: 1 cup

2. Ginger: 5-6 cloves

3. Ginger: 1 inch

4. Onions: 1/2 cup

5. Ginger-Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp

6. Tomatoes (chopped): 1 cup

7. Red Chilli Powder: 1 tsp

8. Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp

9. Cumin Powder: 1 tsp

10. Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp

11. Cinnamon: 1 inch stick

12. Green Cardamoms: 3-4 

13. Kasuri Methi (crushed): 1 tsp  

14. Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tsp

15. Oil: as required

16. Cilantro: for garnishing

17. Green Chilies: 2-3

18. Cream: as required

19. Salt: as per taste

Method:

1. Soak the lentil mixture in water for 7-8 hours.

2. Boil the lentil mixture in pressure cooker with ginger, garlic and enough water. Don't throw away the water it can be used while cooking the daal.

3. In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil on medium heat and add green cardamoms and cinnamon. Take care not to burn them.

4. Add chopped onions and fry them until they become translucent. Once done add ginger-garlic paste and fry them until the raw smell is gone.

5. Once done add chopped tomatoes and cook them until they become mushy. 

6. Add the powdered spices and kasuri methi. Mix well until everything is well combined. Once done add the boiled lentils along with the water.

7. Let it simmer for 15-20 mins. Stir it occasionally to avoid burning. Check the consistency and add water if required.  

8. Before serving take out the daal in a serving bowl. Garnish it with fresh cream, butter, green chilies and cilantro.

9. Enjoy!!!

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