Dal Makhani

I have cooked lentil in a lot of ways but had never made the authentic Dal Makhani that you get in the restaurants. I found this Dal Makhani recipe online and with a few modifications I found that it tastes pretty close to the authentic taste. One major change in my recipe from the original is that I have not added Rajma (Red kidney Bean) along with the lentil. For those who like your Dal with the beans you can add about 1/3 cup of the Rajma to the recipe.

I think its a recipe I will make every now and then if I just remember to soak the lentil beforehand :)

Ingredients

1 cup black whole Urad Dhal (Black Lentil)
1 onion
2 tomatoes
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 inch Fresh Ginger
1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Red Chilly Powder
½ cup fresh cream or milk
3 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
Salt to Taste

Preparation

Wash and soak the lentil overnight or for about 12 hours.
Wash, peel and finely chop the ginger.
Cook the soaked lentil with 4 cups of water, salt, red chilly powder and chopped ginger in a pressure cooker till the lentil is well cooked.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Wash and finely chop the tomatoes.

Putting Together

Heat the butter and oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds pop and become slightly brown add the chopped onions.
Fry the chopped onion till it becomes golden brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they are well cooked and mashed.
Add the cooked lentil and the garam masala and let it boil on low flame for about 10 minutes.
Add the cream/milk and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
Serve with any Indian bread or Rice.