Dal Makhani is a delicacy from Punjab in India. Traditionally this dal is cooked on a slow flame for hours on the charcoal. This is basically done to get a creamy texture and enhance the flavors of the dish. Dal Makhaniis prepared with lentils and beans combined with cream (malai) or fresh butter. Makhani means cream or butter.
Dal makhani is a treasured staple food from the cuisine of Punjab, North India. Apart from Punjab,Dal Makhani is popular all over the world because of its richness in taste and nutrition. It is type of Dal made of boiled lentils or other dried legume/ pulses eaten in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and the Bhojpuri area of Bihar and Pakistan.
Dal Makhani goes well with naan, roti, chapatti or rice. Dal Makhani is one of the signature dishes of Punjabi cuisine, and is high in proteinwhich is an important attribute in primarily vegetarian cultures. Normally when cooked at home these days, moderate amounts of cream or butter are used. When prepared in restaurants, it is cooked slowly on low heat and often has a large amount of cream and butter added.
To prepare the Dal Makhani, firstly wash and soak the black urad dal (black grams), Bengal gram and Kidney beans (rajma) overnight or for few hours. Pressure cook the soaked dal and rajma till till becomes mashable consistency. In a heavy bottomed pan, add oil. When the oil get heated add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add whole garam masala (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves), ginger garlic paste, onions (is optional) and mix well. Add turmeric powder, add tomato puree and cook the puree on slow flame for 5 mins till it boils. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and mix. Cover with lid and allow to cook. Add butter and mix well.
Add the dal water and cook for another few minutes. Once it gets boiled, add the mashed dals and mix well. Reduce the flame and cook on low heat. Add crushed kasuri methi. This gives a nice flavor and taste to the dish. Cook for about 30 minutes. Add cream and mix well. The dal would be soft and creamy. Cover and simmer it for another 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.
The Dal Makhani is ready. Remember that soaking the beans overnight reduces cooking time. You can make it in cooker but make sure that you boil it briskly in a pan for the last 10 minutes, to neutralise the toxins in kidney beans/ Rajma. Also remember to substitute garam masala with cumin-coriander powder and cream with sour cream or low fat yogurt if you are calorie conscious.
This dal is rich in starch and minerals, it is also considered heavy for digestion, however ginger solves this problem and makes it easy to digest. Use olive oil instead of ghee or butter and omit cream. As this dish is rich in proteins and fiber, it would also be the healthiest meal at your home too. Rajmaand whole urad provide proteinand calcium which are extremely important for maintenance of your body cells and healthy bones. Cooking the dal in tomato purée adds a little sharpness to this dish and also enriches it with folic acid and vitaminA.
Thoroughly wash black grams, bengal grams and kidney beans. Then soak it in water (2 glasses) for about few hours . and cook till dal is cooked to mashable consistency 2heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. 3. add cumin ,garam masala(optional) ,you can skip garam masala and add little garam masala pdr at last . 5. Add ginger-garlic paste ,turmeric and add tomato puree and cook well for 10 min in medium flame covered 6. Add chilli powder, and salt. Cook until the mixture thickens into pulpy sauce (about 3 mins). 7. Then add cooked grams and kidney beans to the mixture. Heat for 4-5 minutes. You can add a little water if you find it too thick. 8. Add the remaining butter and cream and cook for 10 minutes. Dal Makhni is ready to serve. you can increase the dal to tomato ratio if you want .
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