Restaurant Style Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani is one of the most popular lentil recipes from the North Indian Punjabi cuisine made with Whole Black Lentils (known as Urad dal or Kaali Dal in Hindi) and Kidney Beans (known as Rajma in Hindi).

For this recipe, I have used a pressure cooker to cook the lentils, but I have explained the method of cooking the lentils in a pan or pot in the notes section of the recipe card.

Why this recipe works

Before I list out and explain to you the beauty of this recipe, let me tell you that this Dal Makhani recipe is one of our most reviewed and loved recipe on the blog.

It has been made by many of our readers and they have loved it. It also happens to be my most shared recipe on social media.

So what makes this recipe so good and why is it one of the best Dal Makhani recipe.

Whole spices

Fragrant and aromatic whole spices make this Dal Makhani more flavorful.

In my experimentation with this dish earlier, I remember making dal makhani without whole spices many times and hoping to get restaurant like taste and flavors in the lentils. But it never matched and my experiments continued.

When we were residing in Goa, we used to have dal makhani in a restaurant (and it was one of their best dish) at the quiet and serene Benaulim beach.

I once found a black cardamom and clove in their dal makhni. I thought may be it is the black cardamom and clove giving that lovely aroma and flavor.

Thereafter I tested dal makhani many times adding whole spices and realized that they do add a good flavor and faint aroma to the dish. But I still felt something was lacking.

Butter and cream

Cream and butter make a big difference.

Thus I kept on experimenting and when I was testing the recipe of Dal Bukhara, I realized it was the cream and butter giving a rich taste, apart from the slow cooking.

The richness in the dish comes from the fats in the butter and cream. The amount of butter and cream added is not copious and just enough to lift the dish in its richness.

You could still make dal makhani with less butter and cream. Just remember to slow cook it for longer periods of time, to get the real deal.

Slow cooking

The more slow cooked dal makhani is the better it tastes.

In most Indian restaurants specializing in authentic North Indian food, Dal Makhani is simmered overnight or for many hours.

Basically you can call it slow cooking of the lentils. This slow cooking makes a world of difference to the consistency of the lentils.

The lentils are slow cooked in a tandoor. The tandoor is a cylindrical shaped oven made of clay. The fire in the tandoor comes from lit charcoal or wood.

Overnight simmering of the dal makhani gives some smokiness in the dish from the charcoal or wood.

In most Indian homes you will not find tandoor. But you will easily find a pressure cooker.

The fastest way to cook the lentils are in a pressure cooker. In this post, I have used a stove-top pressure cooker, but you can cook the lentils in an Instant Pot too.

I have cooked the lentils & beans in a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes. Later I have slow cooked them on a low heat for 25 minutes.

You can slow cook for more time than what I have done. Slow cooking makes the lentils viscous, creamy and the end result is a finger-licking dal makhani.

Smoky flavors

For that restaurant style taste smoky aroma and flavor is the key.

Like I mentioned above the smoky aroma in the dal makhani comes from slow simmering and cooking dal makhani on wooden or charcoal fires or embers.

To replicate this smokiness in the dish, I have two tried and tested methods for you.

1. Charcoal infused smoke: This is also called as Dhungar in Hindi language. It is a charcoal smoking technique. It works fabulously for any recipe where you need some smoky flavor.

The dal makhani smoked with this method tastes exactly like the restaurant one. The dhungar smoking technique is optional and you can just skip if you cannot get charcoal.

2. Use smoked paprika: Using smoked paprika is the easiest method and especially great when you cannot get charcoal.

Just replace the red chilli powder in the recipe with smoked paprika. I have added smoked paprika so many times to dal makhani to get that smoky flavor.

Dal Makhani

This Dal Makhani recipe is a restaurant style version with subtle smoky flavors and creaminess of the lentils. Dal Makhani is one of the most popular lentil recipes from the North Indian cuisine made with whole urad dal (black gram) and kidney beans.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• ¾ cup whole urad dal , 140 grams (whole black gram)
• ¼ cup rajma , 40 grams (kidney beans)
• 3 cups water for pressure cooking , 750 ml water
• ½ cup finely chopped onions , 50 grams onion or 1 medium sized onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies or serrano peppers or 1 to 2 green chillies
• 2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste or 6 to 7 small to medium-sized garlic + 1 inch ginger – crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
• 2 large tomatoes , 200 grams tomatoes – pureed or 1 cup tomato puree
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 to 3 cloves
• 2 to 3 green cardamoms
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper or smoked paprika
• 2 to 3 pinches grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg powder
• 1 cup water or add as required
• ¼ to ⅓ cup low fat cream or half and half or 2 tablespoons heavy cream or
• ¼ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – optional
• 3 tablespoon Butter – salted or unsalted
• salt as required

For Dhungar Method (Optional)

• 1 small piece of charcoal
• ½ to ⅔ teaspoon oil – any neutral tasting oil

For Garnish

• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
• ½ tablespoon low fat cream or half and half for garnish – optional
• 1 inch ginger julienne – optional

Cook Mode

Instructions

Preparation

1. Soak both the whole urad dal and rajma overnight in enough water for 8 to 9 hours or overnight. Later drain them well.
2. Rinse both the lentils a couple of times in water.
3. Drain again and then add them in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Add water and stir well.
4. Pressure cook for 18 to 20 whistles on a high flame, till both the urad dal and rajma have cooked thoroughly and softened. If they are not cooked, then add about ½ cup water again and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles more.
5. The urad dal should melt in the mouth and should not give any bite or resistance when eaten. You can also just mash the urad dal with a spoon or with your fingers to check the doneness. The same rule applies for rajma too. Keep the cooked beans aside.
6. In a blender or mixer jar, take chopped tomatoes and blend to a smooth puree. Set aside.
7. You can also add ready 1 cup tomato puree instead of blending the tomatoes. No need to blanch the tomatoes while pureeing.

Making Dal Makhani

1. In a pan, now heat butter. You can use salted butter or unsalted butter.
2. Add the whole spices – cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 small to medium tej patta.
3. Fry for some seconds till the spices sputter and become aromatic.
4. Add finely chopped onions.
5. Stir and sauté the onions on a low or medium-low heat often till they become light golden.
6. Add the ginger garlic paste. Stir again and sauté for some seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
7. Add the chopped green chilies and sauté for a minute.
8. Add the prepared tomato puree and mix well.
9. Add red chili powder and 2 to 3 pinches of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.
10. Stir very well and sauté this mixture on a low to medium flame, till you see fat releasing from the sides.
11. Then add the cooked urad dal and rajma beans along with the stock. Also add 1 cup water or as required.

Slow Cooking

1. Stir very well and simmer the dal makhani uncovered on a low flame.
2. Keep on stirring often, so that the lentils don’t stuck to the bottom of the pan.
3. Once it has begun to thicken, add salt as required.
4. Stir very well and continue to simmer on a low flame. Keep on stirring when the lentils are simmered on low heat.
5. When simmering you can add more water if the gravy looks thick or dry. The longer you keep dal makhani to simmer, the better it tastes.
6. I kept it for about an overall 25 minutes on a low flame. Do keep on stirring at intervals.
7. When the gravy has thickened enough, then add cream. Dal makhani is not too thick or too thin. It has a medium consistency.
8. Mix the cream very well. Then switch off the heat.
9. Add crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Mix again.
10. Cover and set dal makhani aside, if you are proceeding to the dhungar method. Or else you can serve dal makhni straight away.

Dhungar Method

1. Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes red hot. With the help of tongs, keep on turning the charcoal piece so that it evenly burns.
2. Keep the red hot charcoal in a small bowl.
3. Pour ½ teaspoon oil on the hot charcoal.
4. Immediately keep this bowl on top of the dal makhani.
5. Cover for a minute and allow the charcoal to infuse its smoke in the dal makhni. Remove the bowl. Stir again.

Serve punjabi dal makhani garnished with chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and a few teaspoons of cream with naan, roti, paratha or steamed rice.