Dal Makhani Recipe With Vegan Notes Tasty Creamy Lentil Recipe

I just finished off reading the weather warning issued by the Meteorology Department of UAE and really happy. They are expecting a sudden drop in temperature due to strong northwesterly winds. Maybe now our light woolens can come out of the boxes for a few days. I can see thick clouds over the magnificent Burj Khalifa from my window and today the wind is also cold so, I believe the prediction of the Meteorology department is correct. To celebrate this precious news I am sharing the recipe of one of the most popular Indian lentils– Dal Makhani which means buttery lentil (Dal means lentil and Makkhan means butter). However, for my vegan readers, I will share the vegan notes too so that they can also enjoy this amazing recipe.

Origin of Dal Makhani

This recipe is originally from the Punjab region but is very popular in the entire India and also some other countries of the Indian subcontinent. It’s said that Kundan Lal Gujral, the founder of a very popular chain of Indian restaurants-Moti Mahal, invented this dish. Though Urad dal was eaten before that too, Kundan Lal Gujral added the combination of tomatoes and cream to it which completely transformed the dal. You will find this dal in almost every Indian buffet.

Traditional method of cooking

Traditionally, this dal was cooked for hours to get that perfect texture and creaminess. Some good restaurants and people living in the villages still follow that process. My mother remembers how her grandmother used to put huge pots of dal on clay oven (chulha) in the morning itself when she wanted to make it for dinner. The dal used to simmer the whole day. In the evening their family used to enjoy it together with hot chapatis and lots of ghee (clarified butter), sitting around the fire. We don’t have that luxury in the current time so most people use a pressure cooker or instant pot to make dal makhani.

Which lentil is used in this dish?

This dish is made with two main lentils – whole black lentil (urad dal) and red kidney bean (rajma) which are cooked with onions, tomatoes, garlic, spices and lots of butter and cream. Avoid making this dish with canned lentils and the authentic taste comes only if you soak dried lentils and beans overnight and then cook them together on low flame for a long period.

How to serve?

The most popular way of enjoying this lentil is with Naan. However, it goes really well with Jeera rice too. You can also serve it with roti or any other Indian bread or a rice dish.