Ingredients

For boiling

1. Whole black urad dal – 1/2 cup
2. Rajma – 2 1/2 tbsp
3. Water – 3 cups
4. Kashmiri chilli powder – 1 tsp
5. Ginger (chopped) – 2 tsp

For curry

6. Oil – 1 tbsp
7. Butter – 4 tbsp
8. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
9. Onion (medium) – 1
10. Green chilli – 1
11. Tomato puree – 1 (bug tomato)
12. Tomato puree (thick, double concentrated) – 4 tbsp
13. Water – 1 cup
14. Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
15. Ginger (chopped) – 1 1/2 tsp
16. Garlic (chopped) – 1 tsp
17. Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
18. Garam masala – 1 1/2 tsp
19. Water – 5 cups
20. Again butter – 40 gms or 4 tbsp
21. Single cream – 100 mls or 1/2 cup

For garnishing

22. Butter – as required or 2 tbsp
23. Single cream – as required or 1/3 cup

Method

Boiling dal and rajma

1. Rinse and soak the lentils in enough water overnight.
2. Drain the whole black urad dal and rajma and then add them in a pressure cooker.
3. Add ginger and Kashmiri chilli powder, add 3 cups water and pressure cook on medium flame for 12-15 whistles or until urad dal and rajma are cooked well.
4. When the pressure settles down, remove the lid.
5. Check whether rajma is cooked or not, as it takes more time than black urad dal, cook for few minutes, until rajma is soft.
6. Keep the cooked urad dal and rajma aside.

Cooking curry for the dal makahani

7. For making curry I have used dal store bought tomato puri and also one big fresh tomato, which I have puree it in a mixer. Keep it ready.
8. Heat oil and butter in a kadai (wider vessel), add cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter, add onion and sauté till light golden colour comes.
9. Add chopped ginger and garlic, suate for 10 seconds, add green chillies, fresh tomato puree (homely made) and kashmiri chilli powder sauté on high heat or medium heat for 2 minutes.
10. Add the thick tomato puree (store bought, thick double concentrated), mix well and sauté for few minutes on medium flame, until it starts leaving oil. It will not take much time.
11. Add water 1cup, boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes by closing the lid, until it leaves oil, becomes like curry consistency.
12. Add the cooked dal and rajma along with the cooking liquor.
13. Add 2 cups of water, at this stage, garam masala powder 1 tsp, single cream 1/3 cup or 50 mls, butter 20 gms or 1 1/2 tbsp, mix well. Let it boil and then simmer the flame and cook for 45 minutes with the lid closed.
14. After 45 minutes, you can see that good dark and oil has left on top.
15. Mash some lentils with the back of a spoon to thicken the dal, the lentils should become so soft, that they should melt in your mouth.
16. Now after tasting the curry I added, salt, tomato puree 2 tbsp again (store bought, thick double concentrated), garam masala 1/2 tsp, water 2 cups (or as per the consistency required), butter 20 gms or 1 1/2 tbsp, cream 1/3 cup, again simmer and cook for 1 hour.
17. In between stir the dal makhani , by cooking slowly on a low flame, you will get the restaurant or dhabha style dal makhani, smooth, silky, velvety consistency melts in your mouth.
18. You can see the dal colour has changed to darker and the glaze, the oil which has left on top is from cream and butter.
19. Serve the dal makhani topped with some more cream as garnish.
20. I have served dal makhani with rotis or naan, and jeera rice.

Notes

1. The tomato puree (store bought) which I have used is double concentrated, thick paste.
2. You can reduce the butter and cream as per your taste.
3. Instead of cream, you can add milk and cook, but the taste will differ.
4. The consistency of dal makhani can be easily adjusted by adding more or less water.
5. If you want your dal makhani to be spicy, can add more green chillies and Kashmiri chilli powder.
6. For the quicker version, just boil the dal and rajma and mix with the onion and tomato curry and just cook for 30minutes, without adding butter and cream, for healthy option.
7. In restaurants while serving dal makhani, they drizzle cream, butter and ginger julinne on top, and serve. You can serve as per your taste.