Dal Makhani

Black Lentils • Butter • Slow Simmer — Punjab, India

Punjab's black-gold: whole black lentils simmered low and slow with tomato, butter and cream until they turn to velvet. The dhaba secret is time — and a final charcoal smoke if you want it.

Ingredients

• 200 g — Whole black lentils / urad dal, soaked overnight (1 cup)
• 50 g — Red kidney beans / rajma, soaked (¼ cup)
• 250 g — Tomato purée (1 cup)
• 45 g — Butter (3 Tbsp)
• 60 ml — Heavy cream (¼ cup)
• 18 g — Ginger-garlic paste (1 Tbsp)
• 4 g — Kashmiri chili powder (1 tsp)
• 4 g — Garam masala (1 tsp)
• 2 g — Dried fenugreek leaves / kasuri methi (1 tsp)

Step-by-Step Method

1. Cook the lentils soft. Pressure-cook or simmer the soaked lentils and kidney beans in plenty of water until completely soft and some lentils have burst — 45 minutes simmering or 8–10 pressure-cooker whistles.
2. Build the tomato base. Melt butter, fry ginger-garlic paste 1 minute, add tomato purée, chili powder and salt. Cook until the butter separates at the edges and the raw tomato smell is gone.
3. Simmer low and slow. Add the lentils with their cooking water. Simmer on the lowest heat 30–40 minutes, stirring and mashing a spoonful of lentils against the side — this natural mashing is what thickens dal makhani, never flour.
4. Finish like a dhaba. Crush kasuri methi between your palms, add garam masala and cream. Simmer 5 more minutes. Serve with a butter cube melting on top and garlic naan.

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