Dal Makhani, as the name suggests is overladen with cream and butter. This recipe of mine has a fraction of cream and butter without compromising on the taste. Dal Makhani has acquired a cult status. It is the heart of most dinner parties. Everyone has their take on it. Over the years I have also learnt through trials and tribulations to make my perfect Dal Makhani. All my friends and their kids ( all hardcore non vegetarians ) simply adore this preparation of mine. My son is just crazy about it. I personally like a day old Dal Makhani, so I always make it extra so that all of us can gorge on it the next day.
Ingredients : Whole black urad dal. 1/2 cup Rajma ( kidney beans). 3 tbsp Water 3 cups Oil. 2tbsp Butter 2+1 tbsp Onion. 1/4 cup chopped finely Tomato 1/3 cup grated Green Chilly 1 finely chopped Ginger paste. 2 tsp Garlic. 2 tsp crushed Yogurt 1/4 cup Milk 1/2 cup Cream 1/4 cup . Water 1/2cup Salt to taste Red chilly pd 1 tsp. Milk or cream 1 tsp. Spices : Cinnamon 1" piece Cloves 2 Peppercorn. 4 Green cardamom 5 Method:
Wash and soak overnight urad dal and Rajma in sufficient water.
Pressure cook them with little salt and 3cups of water for 4 whistles and then let it be on slow heat for 15 min.
Meanwhile heat oil and 2tbsp butter in a pan and add all the spices, stir .
Add onion, green chilly and garlic as soon as the spices start changing color.
Stir and cook onions on slow flame till they become soft and pink.
Now add tomato and ginger paste.
After a minute add red chilly pd. and cook this mixture till tomatoes look done i.e. oil separates.
Remove from fire and let it cool.
Grind it to a fine paste along with yogurt.
If the pressure has dropped, open the pressure cooker and check the dal. Crush a little bit of dal with the back of a ladle.
Add this masala paste and half cup of water to dal and bring it to a boil.
Whip milk and cream, add it to the dal, mix well, stir until a boil, simmer for 30 minutes
Taste and add salt accordingly. If you feel dal has thickened, you can add some more water.
All along take care to stir the dal to avoid it from sticking to the bottom of cooker.
In case your cooker is not heavy bottomed, place it on a tawa.
Just before serving add 1tbsp of butter. Mix.
Just before serving take a tsp. of milk or cream and make a swirl on dal.