Dal Makhani Recipe: Step-by-Step at Home (and How to Fix Common Mistakes)

Dal makhani is the slow cook of the dal world. Whole black urad and a little rajma simmer for a long time until creamy, then get finished with butter or ghee and cream. It isn't difficult, but it rewards patience. This version serves 4.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup whole black urad dal (sabut urad)
• ¼ cup rajma (kidney beans)
• Water for soaking and cooking
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp butter or ghee, plus 1 tbsp to finish
• 1 tsp jeera
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (optional; many recipes skip it)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp kasuri methi, crushed
• 3 to 4 tbsp fresh cream

Method

1. Soak overnight. Wash the urad and rajma well and soak them in plenty of water for 8 to 10 hours.
2. Cook until very soft. Drain, add fresh water to cover by about 2 inches and salt, and pressure cook for 8 to 10 whistles or until the urad splits easily and the rajma mashes between your fingers. Rajma must be fully cooked; undercooked kidney beans aren't safe to eat.
3. Make the masala. Heat butter or ghee, add jeera, then the onion if using, and cook until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir for a minute. Add the tomato puree and chilli powder and cook until the masala thickens and the fat separates, about 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Combine and simmer. Add the cooked dal with its water and mash about a quarter of it against the pan. Simmer on low for at least 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often and adding hot water as needed. The longer it simmers, the creamier it gets.
5. Finish. Stir in garam masala, kasuri methi, cream and the last spoon of butter or ghee. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• The dal stays hard: it wasn't soaked long enough or the dal is old. Pressure cook a few whistles more before adding to the masala.
• The gravy is thin and watery: simmer it uncovered longer and mash a little more dal to thicken.
• It tastes raw or sharp: the tomato wasn't cooked long enough. Cook the masala until the fat separates.
• It isn't creamy: it needs more simmering time, not more cream. Low and slow is the trick.
• It sticks to the pan: use a heavy-bottomed pan and stir often, especially as it thickens.

The smoky dhaba touch

For a smoky flavour, place a small steel bowl in the dal, put a piece of hot coal in it, pour a few drops of ghee on the coal and cover the pot for 2 minutes. This is the dhungar method. Do it in a well-ventilated kitchen and remove the coal carefully.

Make it lighter

Use less butter and replace some of the cream with a little milk. It will still be delicious, just less rich.

Serve with

Jeera rice, butter naan, laccha paratha or simple phulkas, with sliced onion and lemon on the side.

From the PoshBhumi pantry

Finish your dal with PoshBhumi A2 Cow Ghee, colour it with Kashmiri Mirch and season with our Garam Masala. For an everyday dal, see our dal tadka recipe.