Dal Makhni

This recipe is from Aunty M. Every time she visited, we would ask her to make this in a large batch. She would freeze the dal in a couple of Ziploc bags and we would enjoy this dish for the next month or two. This dish and Bhein (Lotus root) were her signature dishes.

Generally Rajma (kidney beans) is added to the dal makhni but Aunty M would make it only with Sabut (Whole) urad dal. Without further ado, here is the recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup sabut urad dal, washed, picked and soaked overnight
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 chopped garlic
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste/puree
1 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste
Milk (if using 2 cups water to cook the dal, use 1 1/2 cup milk)
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

In a pressure cooker, add urad dal, onion, garlic, ginger, powders: cumin, cayenne, coriander, garam masala, tomato paste, salt, ghee and 2 cups water. Cook till dal is done. Remove from heat, stir the dal well, set aside and let it cool.



Once the dal mixture has cooled, add 1 1/2 cups of milk (do not use Fat free milk). cook the dal for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly till the dal thickens. Add the coriander leaves, cook for a minute and remove from heat. Serve hot with Rice/ Roti or Paratha. Enjoy !!