A bread basket with a tightly wrapped cotton towel, a delicious pudina paratha nestled warm within it’s folds, a bowl of creamy, dark as the night, Dal Makhani and a smaller bowl of the, stark white dotted with bobbling bits of crisp yellow, boondi raita on a large tray….this was one of the things I looked forward to once a year when we stayed at a hotel and room service was allowed!
A bread basket with a tightly wrapped cotton towel, a delicious pudina paratha nestled warm within it’s folds, a bowl of creamy, dark as the night, Dal Makhani and a smaller bowl of the, stark white dotted with bobbling bits of crisp yellow, boondi raita on a large tray….this was one of the things I looked forward to once a year when we stayed at a hotel and room service was allowed!
If we were to form a Dal Makhani fan club, I am certain it would be spilling over with entrants by the end of the day ! Such are the emotions brought on when eating this creamy, slow cooked concoction comprising primarily of black gram. In India it is called urad in Hindi and karuppu ullunthu in Tamil.
We have always been grateful for the many facets of the Indian kitchen. From herbal elixirs to highly complex gourmet meals, it contains all what one’s heart desires.
A well stocked Indian kitchen and pantry can be stretched to feed an army. This is why the store room shelves and cupboards were replenished ,back in the day,on a 3 tier basis. Ingredients like Tamarind, lentils and dried pulses, spices were bought once a year. Rice and other grains once or twice depending on the area, the green ingredients were procured daily or several times a week in the absence of refrigeration.
I have never been more grateful for this practice than during this lockdown period. India has more varieties of lentils, pulses and grams than we could ever think possible. A small variety of the more familiar ones are what we tend to buy and that in itself comes handy to mix and match and come up with so many dishes.
When we had a shortage of green groceries I was honestly reminded of the folks who live in the desert regions of the country who make dishes out of dried beans and grains using spice powders . After having cooked with the pigeon pea lentils (thuvar), green gram, Bengal gram, chick pea and rajma, I turned my attention to the large glass jar of black urad which sits on my concrete shelf. We do use a little each week to make the dosa batter but otherwise except for being added to a podi (spice mix), it is rarely celebrated as much as the others.
Members of my family love the Dal Makhani. I am sure we aren’t alone in this craving that obsesses us to always order this dish at any restaurant serving the slightest hint of Punjabi food. In Coimbatore we love the Dal Makhani made at ‘On the Go’ restaurant as well as the one served at ‘The Fab Café’, both situated at Race Course.
Since we were anyway trying our hand at making bread, it seemed but natural to add the Dal Makhani to our list of lockdown culinary try outs. The dish does use a combination of the rust/maroon coloured rajma beans in a smaller ratio to the black gram. Not only do these need to be soaked overnight in an adequate quantitiy of water but it’s a dish which needs attention and can in no way be hurried.
The tomato pulp added here is what forms the foundation of rich flavours which then build up to include whole garam masala, ginger, garlic, onion, butter, cream and a final dusting of the kasuri methi.
The Dal Makhani apparently has it’s origins in Punjab and the story goes that with the partition and people migrating to different parts of the country, the recipe too got scattered and different versions are available in almost every restaurant serving choice North Indian fare.
The butter is necessary not only to add creaminess but also to aid the absorption of the protein from the black gram. This is similar to adding ghee to thuvar dal or gingelly oil to horse gram. It is food science which tends to get lost in new health age health discourses and then sadly we speak of flatulence, bloating and the rest of it all the while blaming the ingredient and not the omission in the cooking process.
The quantity of butter or cream added is completely left to each one’s discretion. For the generous pan of Dal Makhani in the picture we added only a tablespoon of butter and half a tablespoon of cream at the end. Yet in no way did it diminish from the flavour.
The country tomato with it’s sour edge when cooked down releases some of it’s inherent sweetness. Taking the time to pay attention to each ingredient really pays off when making this gravy dish.
Another thing which I could not help but notice was that no Dal Makhani recipe is made in small quantities. It is made so that each family member can have large helpings of this comforting bowl of deliciousness and then sit back and savour that feeling of togetherness.
We have friends who have dropped off containers of this delicious Dal at the most unexpected of times. That was the main reason we didn’t really need to make the effort of cooking this ourselves. The time in seclusion allows immense gratitude for such people and their thoughtfulness. This recipe for Dal Makhani is an ode to that memory, from our kitchen to yours.
Recipe for Dal Makhani
Dal Makhani recipe- serves 6
Ingredients
Black urad dal- 3/4 C
Rajma -1/4 C
Soak overnight in enough water for the beans to swell.
Tomatoes- large-10
Onion -big-1
Garlic-1 clove
Puree' together with very little water and set aside.
Onion-2 big finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp
Water- 3 1/2 c +1 C
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp +1 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder-2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder -1 tsp
Ghee /oil -1 Tbsp
Butter - 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
Cream skimmed from the top of milk- 1 Tbsp
Ginger-1 inch piece thinly sliced
Kasuri methi- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Method
After soaking overnight, drain the soaking liquid (instead of pouring it down the drain, use it for a plant)
Put the urad dal and rajma in a pressure cooker, add 3 1/2 C water, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tsp garam masala powder, cumin powder, a little salt and let cook on medium heat for 10 whistles.
Then turn the heat down to low and cook it for another 10 whistles.
Take off the fire and allow the pressure to release on its own.
After opening check if the rajma is well cooked.
Take a deep bottomed vessel for cooking.
Add ghee or oil and set on low heat.
Add the chopped onions and saute' on low heat until soft.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute' well.
Add the tomato puree and let it cook until the raw smell goes and it changes in colour and consistency.
Add the remaining chilli powder and garam masala and mix. Add a half tablespoon of butter.
Add the cooked dals reserving the water from the cooking.
Mix well. Add salt.
Add half tbsp of butter, a little of the dal water and keep stirring on a very low simmer.
Allow it to cook on gentle heat for about half an hour stirring constantly so that it does not stick to the bottom of the vessel.
Keep adding a little of the cooking liquid as it thickens because this allows the lentils to break down and get a creamy texture.
Taste and check seasoning. Adjust salt and spice as necessary.
Add the last tsp of butter. Crush the kasuri methi on the top.
Just before serving swirl the cream into the dal and garnish with fresh ginger julienne (thin slices).
Serve with rice or bread (naan/chappathi) of choice.
This was originally a dish that was cooked overnight or on an open fire for many hours. Modern appliances and cooking techniques have helped reduce the time in cooking the Dal Makhani. This recipe is made with the ingredients in a proportion where it is healthy and less fattening. Enjoy making it and let us know if you did.