Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani: Easy, Restaurant Style Dal Makhani at home

Ingredients: 

Black gram – 1 cup 

Rajma – 1/2 cup 

Butter – 2 tbsp 

Cream – 1.5 tbsp 

Red tomatoes – 3 medium size, chopped 

Red Onion – 1 big size, 1/2 diced, 1/2 thinly sliced 

Garlic – 15 medium size 

Ginger – 2 inch 

Cloves – 3 

Cinnamon – 1 small piece 

Green cardamom – 1 

Bay leaf – 2 

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp 

Cashew nuts – 8 

Coriander powder – 1/2 tbsp 

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tbsp 

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp 

Garam masala – 1/2 tsp 

Orange food color – a pinch (optional) 

Green chillies – 3 medium size, slit open 

Coriander leaves – 1 small bunch for garnish 

Salt as per taste 

Oil for saute

Instructions:

      In a bowl, add black gram, rajma and wash thoroughly. Add sufficient water and soak the grains overnight. Then, add the soaked grains, salt, water and bay leaf into the pressure cooker and cook until the grains are soft. Once the cooker cools down, mash the grains coarsely using a masher. 

      In a kadai, add some oil and heat it. When the oil is hot enough add cumin seeds, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cashewnuts and stir fry them until the cashews slightly change the color to brown. Now, add diced onions, garlic, ginger and saute until the onions turn translucent. Then, add chopped tomatoes, salt and saute until the tomatoes get mushy. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chillie powder, garam masala and mix well. Let this mixture be cooked under low flame until the oil starts to separate out from the masala. This is an indicator that the masala is cooked well. Let this masala cool down and then blend it into a fine paste using a blender. 

      In the kadai, add butter and let it melt. Now, add sliced onions and slit chillies. Saute until the onions turn translucent. Add the masala paste, food color and mix well. Cook this for a minute and then add the mashed grains into the masala. Mix well and let it cook for a minute or 2. Lastly, add fresh cream and mix well. Taste the masala and adjust the salt if required. Cook for a minute and switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis, chapatis, puris, jeera rice, naan, kulcha etc. 

      All time favorite restaurant style Dal Makhani is ready! Enjoy with family and friends. Let me know how was your experience. Please subscribe and wait for my next recipe. Till then, have fun while cooking!  

NOTE: For the creamy texture, you may also add milk instead of cashewnuts. But, i prefer cooking with cashewnuts.