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Dal Makhani Restaurant Style Recipe, Dal Makhani Recipe Video
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Dal Makhani Restaurant Style | Punjabi Dal Makhani Recipe

Dal Makhani Restaurant Style Recipe, a creamy - buttery lentil stew made of black whole urad dal and kidney beans, slow cooked and simmered to get a delicious rich dal.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course / Side dish, Side Dish / Curry, Side dish for main course
Cuisine: Indian (North Indian), North Indian ( Punjabi )
Keyword: Dal makhani, Dal Makhani Restaurant Style, dal makhani recipe, punjabi dal makhani recipe,
Servings: 6
Calories: 315kcal
Author: Padma Veeranki

Ingredients

To Pressure Cook:

  • 1 Cup Whole Black Gram Urad Dal
  • ¼ Cup Red Kidney Beans Rajma
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 5 Cups Water

Masala for the Dal:

  • 1 Tbsp Ghee
  • 2 Tbsp Butter + 1Tbsp, for later Optional
  • 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
  • 3 Cloves
  • 2 Black Cardamom Badi Elaichi
  • 1 Large Onion finely chopped
  • 2 Green Chillies slit lengthwise
  • 1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 3/4 Cup Tomato Puree
  • 1/2 tsp Concentrated Tomato Paste Optional
  • 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  • 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder Or as per taste
  • ¼ Garam Masala Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Sugar
  • Salt To Taste
  • 2 Cups Water or as needed
  • ¼ Cup Fresh Cream Or ½ Cup Whole Milk
  • 2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
  • A Piece of charcoal to giv dal a smoky flavour (Optional)

For Serving:

  • Fresh Cream Nut Cream For Vegan Version
  • Coriander Leaves

Instructions

Pressure Cooking Lentils:

  • Wash and rinse urad dal (whole black gram dal) and rajma (kidney beans) a couple of times in a large bowl. Soak in enough water (until covered) for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
  • Then, rinse and drain the water. Transfer the lentils to a pressure cooker. Add 1 teaspoon salt and water enough to cover the dal.
  • Pressure cook for about 10-12 minutes on medium high heat for about 8-10 whistles. Simmer and cook on low heat for another 10-12 minutes. Basically, cook until they are soft and almost mushy.
  • Let the pressure release naturally. Once the pressure subsides, open the lid to see if the rajma is totally soft. Mash the dals with the back of a ladle. In case you feel that the dal is not cooked, then you might need to pressure cook again for few more whistles.
  • Transfer cooked lentils to a bowl and set aside for later use.

Preparing Gravy:

  • In a pan, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon ghee and 2 tablespoons butter. Once it is hot, add all of the whole spices – cumin seeds, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick.
  • Once you get a nice aroma, add in finely chopped onion and 2 slit green chillies.
  • Sauté until the onions become translucent.  Add Ginger Garlic Paste and sauté until the raw smell goes away.
  • Now, add tomato puree and the concentrated tomato paste. Sauté until the raw smell from the tomato goes away. This may take about about 10 -12  minutes.
  • Now, add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, salt and sugar.
  • Mix well and fry them for a couple of minutes until the oil separates and the masala is almost dried.
  • Now, add the cooked dal and mix well until combined.
  • Add 1.5 to 2 cups of water. Keep stirring and mash some of the lentils with the back of the ladle. This helps in thickening the gravy a bit and also gives that creamy texture to the dal.
  • Keep the heat low and simmer it for about 20 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally to make sure that dals don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Also mash in between and add water as and when needed if you think dal is too thick.
  • Add in half of the cream and mix well. As you keep stirring it becomes creamy and thick. Check for salt and adjust. Then, add 1/2 tablespoon butter and stir well. Simmer it for another 5 minutes.
  • Finally before turning off the heat, add the cream and kasuri methi. Crush the kasuri methi between you palms before adding.
  • Turn off the heat, garnish with coriander leaves and some more cream.
  • Serve with naan, roti, Jeera rice or you can also enjoy with plain steamed rice.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Soak the lentils for a minimum 6 to 8 hours to get the best texture.
  • The lentils must be well cooked and almost mashed. This is key in achieving a creamy texture. 
  • You can also make this Dal Makhani in an Instant Pot, crock pot or slow cooker.
  • Don’t skimp on adding butter or ghee (oil for vegan).
  • Swap butter/ghee with vegetable oil. Use nut butter, cashew cream or almond cream instead of milk cream for vegan version.
  • You may use 1 cup urad dal only in case you don't have or like kidney beans in your dal. You can also add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chana dal if you wish to.
  • If you don’t want to use or can't find store bought tomato puree, you may blanch 2 large tomatoes, remove skin, puree it and use in the recipe. But in that case do not skip to add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to give it that rich flavour.
  • Simmering the dal on low heat is the key to a good dal makhani. The dish gets its richness and flavour from simmering it for a long time. The more you simmer, the tastier it is. I highly recommend simmering for about an hour or at least a minimum of 30 minutes.
  •  If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can cook the dal on stove top. Add soaked lentil to a pan, add water and let it cook on medium heat for 1 hour. It might take even longer. Once cooked, lentil should be really soft.
  • Use Kashmiri red chilli powder as it is very mild and will not make the dal too spicy. At the same time it gives a nice colour to the dal.
  • Use Dungar method to give a smoky flavour to the dal. Refer to detailed recipe.
  • As different pressure cookers have different cooking time, adjust accordingly.  
  • As soon as you add cream and kasuri methi, remove from heat. Do not keep it for a longer time. 
  • This Dal Makhani is even more delicious the next day, so it is perfect meal prep for the week.