….Dal Makhani by any other name would taste just as yummy and delicious. This Punjabi delicacy is another feather to Indian cuisine. Rich, creamy lentils cooked with assorted spices makes it one of the best warm and soul foods ever! Dal (lentil) Makhani (cream/butter) as the name insists is filled with calories and is a special treat – for people like me who have been good the whole week with their diet!! Yeah! That’s the longest I can deprive myself Since its been cloudy and rainy in my side of the world, I wanted to indulge myself with this dish.

There are couple of variations and I have tried them all. I have finally settled down to this recipe. The secret to best Dal makhani is the number of hours one cooks the lentils. Traditionally, the Dals are simmered overnight in Tandoor which enhances the taste. Otherwise, I find that soaking the lentils a little longer than norm also does the same. No scientific explanation – just experience. I usually soak it say evening when I need to make this dish for next day’s lunch. Otherwise you can use slow cooker if you have one.!

Method

Soak the lentils and kidney beans overnight. Cook until cooked, almost mushy. In a saucepan, add butter along with cloves, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, cumin-coriander powder,bay leaf, ginger-garlic paste, chillies and onions. Saute until aromatic and onions gets soft.

Add the Tomato puree, close the lid (unless you love being covered with tomato puree ) and cook for 5 min until the raw tomato smell leaves.

Now add the lentil mixture, reduce the heat to simmer, add salt close the lid and slow cook for 15-20 min. Stir occasionally to avoid the lentils from sticking to the bottom.

Add the fenugreek leaves along with cardamom powder, stir and then add the cream.

Cook for 5 more minutes and serve hot garnished with Naan/ Roti garnished with cilantro. I usually pair it with Roti/ Phulkas. Guess I am not too comfortable with too many rich dishes at the same time.

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