Kali dal (Dal makhani)
Dal Makhani is a popular dish from northern India, where the food is less spicy.
It is called makhani because it contains a lot of butter or sour cream.
It is recommended for people with good Agni, such as people of body type Pitta. It is also good for Vata Prakruti because of its high nutritional value.
How to prepeare kali dal (dal makhani)?
Prep time
8 h.
Calories amount per serving
350 kcal.
Cooking time
1 h.
Total fat
19 g.
Total time
9 h.
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 140 g urad dal (black lentils)
- 40 g rajma (red kidney beans)
- 750 ml water for cooking under pressure
- 50 g finely chopped onion
- 1-2 finely chopped green hot peppers
- 10 g (2 tablespoons) ginger-garlic paste
- 200 g tomatoes or 1 cup tomato puree
- 4 g cumin seeds
- 2-3 clove seeds
- 2-3 cardamom seeds
- 1 grain black cardamom
- 1 small Indian bay leaf
- 3 g hot red pepper
- 2-3 pinches of nutmeg powder
- 1 cup water to mix the spices
- Use ¼ cup of cream
- 1 tbsp. cream for garnish
- 18. 5 g (¼ tsp.) Crushed kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 15-20 g unsalted butter
- You will need about 5 g of salt.
Preparation
- Soak both – urad and rajma in sufficient water overnight.
- Drain them well.
- Wash them and put them in a pressure cooker.
- Add 3 cups of water and mix well.
- Cook at high pressure until tender (18-20 whistles), then add 1 more cup of water. After 4-5 whistles the legumes should be ready.
- Melt the butter (3 tablespoons) in a pan and add the cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom and black cardamom, cinnamon and Indian bay leaf.
- Fry until the aroma of the spices comes out.
- Then add ½ a cup of chopped onion and stir over low heat until it turns golden.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir again.
- Add the finely chopped hot peppers and stir for 1 minute.
11. Then add the tomato puree (or pre-mashed tomatoes) and stir again.
12. Add hot red pepper and nutmeg.
13. Stir well and sauté the mixture over low to moderate heat until the oil start to separate.
14. Leave for 2-3 minutes on low heat.
15. Then add the prepared dal and rajma with the rest of the water, to the mixture and stir well over low heat.
16. Be careful not to burn the dal mixture.
17. Whenthe mixture is thickened, add 4-5 g salt /or to taste.
18. Continue to stir.
19. When the sauce is thick enough, add a cup of ¼ cream.
20. Stir until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
21. Then add ¼ teaspoon of crushed kasoori methi.
12. Add hot red pepper and nutmeg.
13. Stir well and sauté the mixture over low to moderate heat until the oil start to separate.
14. Leave for 2-3 minutes on low heat.
15. Then add the prepared dal and rajma with the rest of the water, to the mixture and stir well over low heat.
16. Be careful not to burn the dal mixture.
17. Whenthe mixture is thickened, add 4-5 g salt /or to taste.
18. Continue to stir.
19. When the sauce is thick enough, add a cup of ¼ cream.
20. Stir until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
21. Then add ¼ teaspoon of crushed kasoori methi.
It can be served with naan, roti, paratha, kulcha, phulkas, jeera rice, etc.