+BUTTERED LENTILS CURRY / DAL MAKHANI RECIPE:

Post Title: BUTTERED LENTILS CURRY / DAAL MAKHANI RECIPE:

A very versatile North Indian Curry,also known as Maa Ki Daal or Daal Makhani famously. A great curry which goes well with Rice, Pulao's or Roti's of any sort! Though we are originally North Indian's I guess living in the south for Generations sort of made us adapt to a lot of recipes from the south and so we never made daal Makhani at home, though it's my favourite and most ordered curry when I go to a restaurant. I didn't have any idea on how to cook this until I decided to give it a try, as I was falling short of options for dinner curries which is usually roti or wheat dosa's regularly! 

I picked this recipe from cookingnme and voila! It turned out great of course I did make minor adjustments to suit the taste of my family....:).

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2

What Goes Inside:

• 1/2 Cup of Black Urad Dal, Soaked Overnight,
• 1 Fist Full Rajma/Red Kidney Beans, Soaked Overnight,
• 1 big Cinnamon Stick,
• 2-3 Cloves,
• 2 onions( Medium sized) minced/ground,
• 1 tomato, pureed,
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste or sauce( I used paste),
• 2 tbsp of butter or oil(I used butter),
• 1 tbsp of minced garlic,
• 1 tsp of minced green chillies(optional),
• 2 tbsp of minced ginger,
• 2 tsp of coriander powder,
• 1 tsp of chilli powder (use Kashmiri chilli powder for better results),
• 1 tsp of Jeera/roasted cumin powder,
• 1 tsp of Garam Masala,
• 1 large pinch of kasoori methi/dried fenugreek leaves,
• 1 Cup of milk,
• 2 tbsp of cream or pureed cashew paste (soak and grind cashew nuts, I used half n half of both),
• 1-2 tsp salt (to taste),
• 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder,
• Few springs of coriander leaves for garnish,

  

How to Make Dal Makhani:

• Wash, Clean and Cook the Urad dal ,and Rajma well along with 1 tspn ginger, garlic, onions and turmeric, salt,cloves and cinnamon stick.
• Pick out the cloves and cinnamon stick and dispose once you finish pressure cooking the Daals,Lightly mash with a spatula after straining the water.
• Grind half the onions, ginger n garlic before mincing the rest and set aside.
• Heat the butter in a fresh pan and add the minced onions, Fry until golden brown. 
• Add the ground onion, ginger and garlic and allow it to turn light brown (do not let it burn or turn dark in color).
• Now add the minced ginger, garlic, coriander powder, kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Fry for a few minutes until fragrant.
• Add the puree of one tomato and then follow it up by tomato paste or tomato sauce (I used paste) and cook for 3-4 mins until the mixture forms bubbles uniformly.
• Throw in the minced green chillies fry well,add milk, and then add the cooked and mashed lentils, without excess water if remaining after preassure cooking(set aside the excess water separately) Cook covered for 8-10 mins until the dal absorbs the flavours well. Check the dal a couple of times in between and give the curry a stir.
• Keep the flame/heat on simmer,(this is the well kept secret of a great tasting Dal Makhani, cook on simmer in a thick bottomed pan preferably and mash with spatula this thickens the gravy gradually).
• When the dal is cooked well, open the lid and cook for a further few minutes.
• If the gravy turns too thick and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, add some water at this stage to correct the consistency.
• When done, add the garam Masala, jeera powder and the cream or cashew paste(I added a little bit of both). Give it a good stir, but don't allow it to boil.
• Now throw in a generous amount of kasoori methi,allow the curry to absorb the flavours well.
• Adjust salt, garnish with the coriander leaves, and remove from fire.
• Serve hot with rotis, phulkas,paranthas, naan, pulaos, or plain/jeera rice.

Notes:

1. You must always soak the dals overnight before cooking it or at least for 3-4 hours before cooking it.
2. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe for Dal Makhani as given above. Saves time..!!
3. If you do not like your Dal Makhani spicy then omit the minced green chillies.
4. Cook on simmer in a thick bottomed pan preferably and mash with spatula this thickens the gravy gradually, this is the well kept secret of a great tasting Dal Makhani