Dal Makhni Recipe is so easy to cook but if you go through Internet and you realise that there are a lot of people who actually don’t know how to cook authentic “Dal Makhni”. When I felt this, I thought, Let us give you my version of “Dal Makhni” which I have learned in my time. The story of Dal Makhni Recipe is actually about three friends, and the credit should actually go to them. Whose names were “Thakur Dass Maggu”, “Kundan Laal Jaggi,” and “Kundan Lal Gujral”.
These three friends were working in “Lahore” at a restaurant, making “roti”, cooking food and grinding masala and after the partition of India and Pakistan, they got separated. After the separation, they suddenly met again while roaming in a refugee camp, and then they decided if they were going back to “Delhi” and becoming refugees again and wanted to start some business, then let’s do the same as they were doing in “Lahore”. Then they decided to open a “restaurant,” and in that restaurant they cooked the same dishes as earlier. They Restaurant was named as “Moti Mahal” and the dish which they prepared in their restaurant which is till now is your and mine conversation is “Dal Makhni”.
Dal Makhni is a popular North Indian Dish which consist of mainly three Ingredients the whole black lentils (urad dal), Kidney beans and the butter with some aromatic spices together.
So let’s start the journey to prepare the true and original “Dal Makhni Recipe”. Which is actually a result of friends getting together after the partition. It is the story of “Moti Mahal”.
Dal Makhni
Ingredients for Dal Makhni Recipe
- 100 gms butter
- 200 gms soaked black lentil (whole urad dal)
- 20 gms kidney beans
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1/2 cup ghee
- water as required
- 1 tbsp degi red chilli powder (easily available in Indian Grocery Stores)
- 2 cups tomato puree
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tbsp Dried fenugreek leaves
- 1/2 tbsp fresh cream for tempering
- 1/2 tbsp fresh cream (for garnish)
Instructions for Dal Makhni Recipe
- First scrub and wash the black lentil and kidney beans with water properly and soak it for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
- Now we need to cook the soaked dal (lentil) with water and chopped garlic for long period of time(at least an hour and a half ) on low heat.
- It is important to regularly remove all the scum (dirt) coming on the top of dal again and again.
- Now the dal has started to breakdown, once dal is breakdown add 1 tbsp butter, from here the actual steps for making “Dal Makhni” begins.
- While your dal is cooking put half cup ghee in a pan once the oil is on moderate heat add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste.
- Now, add one tbsp degi mirch (degi red chilli powder) for color and not for the spiciness.
- Now, take it off the heat as soon as color come add little water so that the color of degi mirch should not get discolored and then put it on the heat again and add tomato puree (you can use canned tomato puree) and salt to taste.
- Saute till the tomato puree is well cooked. once the puree is cooked add it to the boiling dal.
- With the help on any wooden spoon or “Mathni”. Traditionally, grind it like how it should be ground.
- If you want very nice taste mash the dal as you can.
- Add 1 tbsp butter, 1/2 tbsp fresh cream and salt according to the taste and cook it until well combined.
- Heat ghee in a pan, add crushed dried fenugreek leaves, degi mirch (degi red chilli powder) and a llittle water.
- Add tempering to the dal, add butter and give it to a boil.
- Serve hot in a serving bowl and garnish with fresh cream and butter cube and serve with hot roti or Jeera Rice.
- I love to have this with Garlic Naan.
Notes :
- Wash and Scrub the dal nicely before soaking and ensure all the dirt is removed.
- Use wooden spoon to mash the dal.
- You can use the variations according to your choice but this is the Authentic Dal Makhni Recipe.
- You can use Kashmiri Red Chilli powder instead of degi red chilli powder both have same qualities.
