Satiate Your Hunger With The Punjabi Style Dal Makhani!

Learn how to make this luscious, creamy dal makhani at home!

dal makhani recipe must try main

There’s dal, and then there’s dal makhani! The buttery and creamy texture of this dal is what that makes it so popular across the Northern parts of India.

Basically, Dal Makhani is prepared with the combination of black urad dal and rajma beans with spices, ghee, and cream which add richness to this recipe.

The exciting part is that this absolute favorite recipe can easily be cooked to perfection at home. Don’t believe us?

We are going to tell you the easy recipe for making a delicious dal makhani which needs only a few ingredients. But remember, it does take time as the lentils need to be slow-cooked.

So, what are you waiting for? Learn the recipe of this authentic Punjabi dal and enjoy it with naan or paratha or accompany with some cooked rice.

How To Make?

  • Start by soaking the black whole urad dal and rajma overnight.
  • Rinse the lentils in running water and transfer them to the pressure cooker.
  • Add water, some salt, and put the lid on. Let the dal pressure cook for 30-45 minutes.
  • Next, make the masala by adding a tablespoon of ghee to a kadhai.
  • Once the ghee starts melting, add a bay leaf, finely chopped onions, and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté them.
  • Then, add chopped tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
  • While stirring the mixture, add turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, and salt as per your taste. Mix them well.
  • Once, you see the oil releasing from the mixture, add the cooked urad dal and rajma (kidney) beans. Stir well.
  • Cook the dal for another 15 minutes and then add fresh cream and coriander leaves.
  • For tempering, heat a tadka pan, add a tablespoon of ghee. Then, add chilli powder and garam masala.
  • Immediately pour the tempering over the dal and mix them well.
  • Serve Punjabi Dal Makhani garnished with chopped coriander leaves and a few teaspoons of cream and enjoy!
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Punjabi Style Dal Makhani Recipe Recipe Card

Learn how to make this luscious, creamy dal makhani at home!
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  • Total Time :80 min
  • Preparation Time : 20 min
  • Cooking Time : 60 min
  • Servings : 4
  • Cooking Level : High
  • Course: Main Course
  • Calories: 300
  • Cuisine: Indian
  • Author: Rashmeet Kaur

Ingredients

  • 3/4th cup whole black urad dal (sabut urad dal)
  • 1/4th cup kidney beans (rajma)
  • 4-5 cups of water (for pressure cooking and masala)
  • 3 tablespoons ghee (for masala and tempering)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 large tomatoes (finely chopped)
  • 1 large onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder (for masala and tempering)
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4th teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cream
  • few coriander leaves (chopped)

Step

  • Step 1 :

    Soak both 3/4th cup of black whole urad dal and 1/4th cup of rajma overnight in a large bowl with enough water for at least 8 hours.

  • Step 2 :

    Rinse the dal a couple of times in running water.

  • Step 3 :

    Drain the lentils and add them to a pressure cooker.

  • Step 4 :

    Then, add 3-4 cups of water and some salt to taste. Stir well.

  • Step 5 :

    Put on the lid and pressure cook on a medium flame for 1-2 whistles and then switch to low flame and let the dal pressure cook for 30-45 minutes.

  • Step 6 :

    Check if both the whole urad dal and rajma have been cooked thoroughly and softened. If not, then add about ½ cup water again and pressure cook for 5-10 minutes more. 

  • Step 7 :

    Next, for making the masala, take a kadhai and add a tablespoon of ghee.

  • Step 8 :

    Once the ghee starts melting, add a bay leaf and sauté it for half a minute.

  • Step 9 :

    After that, add finely chopped onions and sauté them till they change in colour to light golden.

  • Step 10 :

    Then, add in 1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste. Sauté it for a minute or till the raw aroma goes away.

  • Step 11 :

    Next, add chopped tomatoes (you can also add tomato puree) and cook till they are soft.

  • Step 12 :

    While stirring the mixture, add turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, and salt as per your taste. Mix them well.

  • Step 13 :

    Sauté this mixture on low to medium heat, till you see fat releasing from the sides. This process takes about 3-4 minutes on this heat.

  • Step 14 :

    Then, add the cooked urad dal and rajma (kidney) beans. Stir well. Check the consistency, and if required then add 1 cup of water or more.

  • Step 15 :

    Mix very well and simmer the dal for about 15 minutes or till the dal starts turning thick.

  • Step 16 :

    You can also add fresh cream to get the perfect creamy texture and the, top it up with fresh coriander leaves.

  • Step 17 :

    Next, heat a tadka pan, add a tablespoon of ghee.

  • Step 18 :

    Once the ghee starts melting, add chilli powder and garam masala. Fry them for a maximum of 3-4 seconds.

  • Step 19 :

    Immediately pour the tempering over the dal and mix them very well to get a bright colour and delectable flavour.

  • Step 20 :

    Serve Punjabi Dal Makhani garnished with chopped coriander leaves and a few teaspoons of cream with naan, paratha, or steamed rice. Enjoy!