Indian
Dal Makhani
Whole black urad and kidney beans cook slowly into a glossy, buttery dal enriched with tomato, cream, ghee, and kasuri methi.
6 servings · 30 minutes prep · 240 minutes cook
Ingredients
Main
- 1 1/2 cups whole black urad dal
- 1/4 cup dried red kidney beans
- 9 cups water, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp kosher salt, for cooking legumes
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, for masala
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium red onion, finely grated
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 1/2 cups tomato puree
- 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chile powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kosher salt, for masala
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, for finishing
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp crushed kasuri methi
Directions
Method
- Rinse the whole black urad dal and red kidney beans and soak in plenty of water for 12 hours, then drain.
- Cook the soaked legumes with the water and first kosher salt until very soft, 35-40 minutes in a pressure cooker with natural release. Mash some dal against the pot.
- Melt the first unsalted butter with the ghee in a Dutch oven. Add the black cardamom pod and bay leaf and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the red onion and cook until deep golden, 12-15 minutes. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato puree, Kashmiri chile powder, garam masala, and final kosher salt. Cook until thick and the fat separates, about 15 minutes.
- Add the masala to the dal. Simmer uncovered over low heat, stirring often and adding hot water as needed, for 60 minutes.
- Stir in the final unsalted butter, heavy cream, and kasuri methi. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then rest for 15 minutes.
