Homemade Creamy Dal Makhani Pakistani Food Recipe
Today I am going to introducing a very delicious and Homemade Creamy Dal Makhani Pakistani Food Recipe to you. It is very famous and popular in India and now it is also famous in Pakistan because it tastes very tasty and very yummy to eat that is why it is very common in India and Pakistan. Creamy and buttery Dal Makhani is one of India’s most loved dal! This dal has whole black lentils cooked with butter and cream and simmered on low heat for that unique flavor. It tastes best with garlic naan!
I share all my tips and tricks to make restaurant-style Dal Makhani at home with easy-to-follow steps. Lentils have been an integral part of my diet. In India, we pretty much eat lentils every day and in my house especially there was never a day when there was no Dal on the table.
About Dal Makhani:
The most common dal that mom used to make every day was obviously the split pigeon pea lentil. Then there was masoor dal (red lentils), chana dal, and moong dal which she also made once in a while. But one dal that was made only on special occasions was Dal Makhani.
Makhani means “buttery”, so for this recipe, whole black lentils (urad Sabit) are cooked with a lot of butter and cream. Along with urad Sabit, rajma (kidney beans) are also often added to this dal
It’s a rich dal and hence was made on special occasions only.
Sarvesh is kind of obsessed with it and of course since he’s Punjabi he has pretty high expectations from this dal as he has had his fair share of the best dal makhani in Delhi & Punjab!
How To Make Homemade Creamy Dal Makhani Pakistani Food Recipe Step By Step Instruction:
Ingredients:
To Pressure Cooker Ingredients:
- Urad Dal Sabit (whole black lentil) 3/4 cup
- Rajma (red kidney beans) 1/4 cup
- Salt to Taste
- Water 3.5 cups
Ingredients Masala For The Dal:
- Ghee or Cooking oil 1 tbsp
- Butter 3 tbsp
- White onion, (finely grated using a food processor) 1 medium
- Ginger & Garlic Paste 2 tbsp
- Tomato Puree 1/2 cup
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder 1/2 tbsp
- Garam Masala Powder 1/4 tsp
- Salt to Taste
- Water 1.5 cup, as needed
- Sugar 1/2 tsp
- Cream 1/4 cup
- More Butter (for serving)
- Piece of charcoal optional, for giving to Dal a smoky flavor
Procedure Of Cooking:
- Wash and rinse urad dal (whole black lentil) and rajma (kidney beans) in a large bowl. Soak in 3 cups water overnight.
- In the morning, drain the water in which the dal and rajma were soaked. Transfer the dal and rajma to a pressure cooker with 1 teaspoon salt.
- Add around 3.5 cups of water. Pressure cook on high-medium heat for 10 whistles, then lower the heat to low-medium and cook for another 10 minutes. In total around 15 to 20 whistles
- Let the pressure release naturally. The dal and rajma should be completely cooked and you should be able to mash them with your fingers.
- Mash some of the dal and rajma using a potato masher. Then turn on the heat to the lowest heat and let the dal simmer while you make the masala.
- To make the masala, in a large pot/pan, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon ghee on medium heat.
- Once the butter melts and is hot, add the finely grated onion.
- Cook the onion for around 6 to 7 minutes or until it turns light golden brown. Keep stirring it continuously so that it doesn’t burn and keep the heat on medium.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
- Add the tomato puree and mix.
- Cook for 2 minutes or until the puree mixes well with masala and oil starts oozing out from the sides.
- Add in the boiled dal (which had been simmering for around 10 to 15 mins you were making the masala) and mix. Add garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add 1/2 cup water, stir and set heat to low.
- Let it simmer on low heat uncovered for around 45 minutes. Stir often (every 10 minutes or so) else dal will stick to the bottom of the pot. You will also need to add water. I added a total of 1.5 cups of water as the dal was simmering.
- Add sugar and mix after the dal has simmered for 45 minutes.
- Also, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 cup cream. Mix well.
- You may serve the dal at this point or do the additional step of giving it a smokey flavor
This last step (dhungar method) is optional but recommended.
- For the smokey flavor, place a steel bowl on top of a trivet placed inside the dal. Then heat a piece of charcoal over direct heat until it’s red hot.
- Place hot charcoal in that steel bowl on top of the trivet. Pour melted ghee (around 1 tablespoon) on top of the charcoal.
- You will immediately see fumes coming out of charcoal.
- Immediately close the pan with a lid. Let it remain like this for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove the lid and remove the bowl from the dal.
The longer you keep the lid closed, the smokier dal will get and for dal makhani, I don’t like it very smokey so 2 minutes was good for me. You may do 5 minutes but don’t do more.
