Satiate Your Hunger With The Punjabi Style Dal Makhani!

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

1. 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.

2. Step 2:

   Rinse the dal a couple of times in running water.

3. Step 3:

   Drain the lentils and add them to a pressure cooker.

4. Step 4:

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

5. 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.

6. 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. 

7. Step 7:

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

8. Step 8:

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

9. Step 9:

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

10. Step 10:

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

11. Step 11:

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

12. Step 12:

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

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. Step 15:

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

16. Step 16:

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

17. Step 17:

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

18. Step 18:

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

19. Step 19:

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

20. Step 20:

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