Dal Makhani
Fantastic Indian lentil dish by a Michelin Starred chef. I prefer mine with a looser consistency almost like lentil soup, but this is varied easily by how much water you add.
I have doubled the spices in the original recipe because my girlfriend’s family cooked this dish and found that it needed more flavour. I try to freshly grind my spices and make my own garam masala for this recipe which gives a much stronger flavour than pre-ground spices. If you are using pre-ground, stick to the recipe. If you are using freshly ground, use your judgment as to how much is necessary. Can there be too much flavour?
Original recipe by Atul Kochhar, transcribed from YouTube video with little measurement. Video: Click Here
Time: 3.5 hrs (30 mins active time)
Difficulty: 2/5
Tested: YES
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
Lentil Boil
3 inches fresh ginger, skin on, cut into 6 pieces
1 green chili, split in half
1 cup black lentils, rinsed
1 tsp salt
Masala
¼ cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable)
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 tbsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp garam masala
¼ cup cold butter, cubed
¼ cup cream or coffee cream
1 lemon, in wedges
Fresh cilantro for serving
Method
Lentil Boil: In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed lentils, ginger, green chili, salt, and enough water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, turn to medium low and simmer for 90 minutes stirring occasionally. If too thick or sticking, add more water. Remove ginger and green chili after simmering.
Masala: With 15 minutes remaining on the lentils, heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering add cumin seeds. Let fry until fragrant but not burn (about 1 minute) then add onion. Fry onion until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add coriander, chili powder, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir and fry for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes begin to disintegrate (about 10 minutes).
At this point, the lentils should have completed cooking. Add the tomato and onion mixture to the lentils (the lentils will still have their liquid). Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and simmer gently for 30-45 minutes. The mixture will thicken in this period, so if you would like a more soup-like consistency, add enough water to make it slightly less thick than your desired consistency. If you want it thicker, do not add water unless necessary.
After simmering, add the garam masala, stir and cook another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the cold butter and stir to combine and emulsify. Add the cream and combine.
Serve in a bowl with chopped fresh cilantro, wedge of lemon, and naan.
Note: For a healthier version, you can omit the butter and cream and substitute with 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. I would not recommend decreasing the neutral oil or you will likely run into issues with onions and tomatoes burning, sticking, and not getting the flavour of the cumin seeds.