Dal makhani is celebration food in India. It’s rich. Creamy. Mildly spiced. Not an every day dish. I don’t think they even had a home cooked version originally. It originated in Punjab. In the north of India. But it has spread throughout India. Now it’s everywhere. All around the world. And now you can make it at home.
Vegetarian main course or side dish
Dal makhani is a seriously hearty dish. It’s big enough to stand alone as a main course in a vegetarian meal. I’m not vegetarian. Not remotely so. But this is satisfying in a way that will make even the most carnivorous palates smile. It’s incredible as a side dish too. Or part of a thali. But be sure to make your best main courses to go with it. Or it will steal the show.
Choice of lentils matter
I’m a big fan of lentils. All sorts. Beans in general. But dal makhani is about one or two specific lentils. Urad dal is the backbone. It’s also known as black gram or black lentils. Not that hard to find. Any Indian grocer will stock them. One thing to note. Urad dal takes forever to cook. I mean forever. Plan on it. Or use a pressure cooker. It’s amazing how long it takes these little lentils to soften. And you do want them soft. Toothy lentils are not good. The other lentil often seen in dal makhani is rajma or red kidney beans. I like them too but I left them out of this recipe. It’s not easy to get two types of lentils done perfectly at the same time. You could try cooking them separately if you really want both. But that is more work. And dal makhani is fantastic with just the black lentils. So I don’t usually bother.
Restaurant style dal makhani
This version is restaurant style. Invented by restaurants for restaurants. And served in Indian restaurants everywhere. My spin on it adds a bit of chili. Just a bit. Not traditional. But I like it. Makhani means with butter. Lentils with butter. Sound good? It is. Start with ghee. Stir in some butter to finish. Throw in a bit of whipping cream to enrich. Not diet food. Party food. Punjabi dal makhani may not be a dish you should have every day. Or every week. But when it’s time to feast you can do a lot worse.
