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Dal Makhani — AI-generated food illustration

Dal Makhani

Whole black urad and a small amount of rajma cook slowly into a rich, creamy dal. Gentle simmering develops body before butter and cream are added.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Resting / soaking / chilling 8 hours
Total Time 10 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 200 g whole black urad dal
  • 50 g dried kidney beans
  • 1.5 litres water plus extra for simmering
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 30 g butter
  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 250 g tomatoes pureed
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 0.5 tsp garam masala
  • 75 ml cream

Method
 

  1. Soak
    Rinse urad and rajma. Soak in plenty of water 8 hours, then discard soaking water.
  2. Boil beans
    Put both in a large pot with 1.5 litres fresh water. Bring to a vigorous boil for at least 30 minutes before reducing heat.
  3. Cook tender
    Add salt and simmer covered 45–60 minutes until beans are completely tender, adding hot water as needed.
  4. Make base
    Melt butter in another pan. Cook ginger garlic paste 1 minute, add tomatoes and chilli and cook 10 minutes.
  5. Slow simmer
    Combine with the dal. Simmer 20–30 minutes, stirring and lightly mashing some beans. Add water to keep it creamy.
  6. Finish
    Stir in cream and garam masala. Simmer gently 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.

Notes

Do not cook raw kidney beans solely in a slow cooker. The initial vigorous boil is important. The dal thickens as it cools; loosen with hot water when reheating.