There are some foods that always hit the spot, no matter what. Dal makhani is often considered a dish for more special occasions, but I was lucky to casually have it on weeknights and after-school playdates. Dal makhani features urad dal and kidney beans simmered with plenty of whole spices, aromatics, ground spices, and tomatoes. This version is my mother’s recipe, streamlined so you can have it ready in about an hour!
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What is Dal Makhani?
Dal makhani is a North Indian (more specifically, Punjabi) dish that is one of the most popular ways to eat lentils in India. It typically uses a mix of urad dal and kidney beans. Urad dal is a relative of moong dal. You can find them at any Indian grocery store or online. If you’re in a pinch, you can substitute with another black lentil like black beluga lentils. Black beluga lentils are not traditionally used for dal makhani and the cook time will be lower, so just be aware of that.
How to Make Dal Makhani
For any phenomenal Indian dish, you’re going to want layers of flavor. This recipe gets it from frying whole spices, aromatics, ground spices, and tomatoes.
You start with the whole spices, which include cinnamon, a bay leaf, cloves, and cumin seeds. Then proceed with the onion, ginger, and garlic. After the aromatics have cooked nicely, add the ground spices, the pressure-cooked dal, and water. We love it when dal makhani is a bit smoky and spicy, so we use coriander, red chili powder, garam masala, and kasoori methi. Garam masala and kasoori methi are known as finishing spices, so add them at the end! Kasoori methi is dried fenugreek leaves; it is optional, but really wonderful.
You’re going to want to soak the urad dal and kidney beans overnight to accelerate cooking time the next day. If you’re unable to soak overnight, you can soak for a shorter amount of time (3-4 hours or so) in boiling water. The urad dal and kidney beans need to be pressure cooked before adding them to the final pot, so I used an Instant Pot. In an Instant Pot, it took 30 minutes on high pressure and it should take a similar amount of time in a pressure cooker. You can also simmer the lentils on the stove until soft, but it will take at least an hour.
“Makhan” means butter, so dal makhani definitely has an indulgent, creamy component to it. Instead of using dairy to achieve that, I used cashew cream! It’s super quick to make and I usually just make it while the dal is simmering. You just need cashews, lemon juice, and salt. It helps to quick-soak the cashews on the stove, but if your processor is powerful enough, you won’t need to.
How to Make it SMOKY
I’ll be honest, I did not have the patience to bust out some charcoal to add the smoky flavor to this dal makhani, a technique called the dhungar method. But one time my mom made Nisha Vora’s dal makhani recipe and it has a nice breakdown of how to use the method!
Dal Makhani
Ingredients
- 1 cup urad dal
- ¼ cup kidney beans
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 tbsp avocado oil or another neutral oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 inches of ginger, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Indian red chili powder *significantly spicier than western red chili powder, so if substituting, keep that in mind
- 1 cup tomato paste (from 2 medium tomatoes) *diced tomatoes are also ok
- 3-4 cups water
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp kasoori methi *optional
- 1 tsp salt + more to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Cashew Cream
- ½ cup raw cashews *soaked overnight or for 15-30 minutes in hot water
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Soak the urad dal and kidney beans overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Pressure cook the urad dal and kidney beans. Drain the soaked dal. In an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot, cook the dal and kidney beans with 2.5 cups water and 1 tsp salt for 30 minutes on high pressure. Allow a natural pressure release.In a regular pressure cooker, it should take around the same total time. After the first whistle, reduce heat to low for 10-15 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, heat 1.5 tbsp avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the whole spices and mix them around the pan.
- Add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Let the onions cook for at least 7-8 minutes, slightly beyond the point when they start turning translucent.
- Add garlic and ginger. Stir for another minute before adding coriander and cumin. Stir frequently for a minute to make sure the spices adhere to the onion, ginger, and garlic rather than the bottom of the pan.
- Add the tomato paste or diced tomatoes. Increase the heat slightly and cook until the tomato juices have mostly evaporated. It should take 5-7 minutes.
- Add the pressure cooked lentils and any cooking water remaining in the pressure cookers. Add 1 cup water, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Finish with garam masala and kasoori methi. Stir in well and add cashew cream. Save some cashew cream for garnishing!
- At this point, add more water if necessary. While it should be cooked in 30 minutes, simmer for up to an hour for the flavors to really seep in. Finish with lemon juice and cilantro.
For more delicious dal recipes, check out…
Butternut Squash Red Lentil Curry
Thanks for the feedback Anastasia! It really is packed with flavor 🙂
Absolutely loved this!! So easy to make and SO PACKED with flavour!! I even managed to make it during my lunch break on a busy week! That easy!! 5/5