My Version of दाल मखनी | Black Gram Lentils Simmered in Makhani Sauce | Gluten free

Hi.

As I have mentioned earlier too that on weekends I do not like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, with the temperature soaring high it is now becoming a regular feature. I abhor to stand in the kitchen sweating and cooking elaborate meals these days, instead I am looking out for one pot meals or a quick combo.

On Saturday morning I was thinking what I could make for the Sunday breakfast and lunch. I wanted something more wholesome for the BF and Lunch so that we could have a light dinner. So I made Masale wale parathe for the breakfast (the recipe I will surely post sometime) which I served with Mango pickle and curds and I made rice and Dal Makhani for the lunch.

The Dal Makhani I guess is loved by all Indians and my family is no different, they are in love with the preparation. I guess each food blog posts the recipe to this preparation and each of us claim that it’s tasty and I am sure it is. I am no different! I too claim that my preparation is good, in fact just not good it’s very good!!LOL.

I might laugh at myself to write such a statement where I am boasting about my culinary skills of making a tasty Dal Makhani but I have tasted many Dal Makhanis in the best of Restaurants who have won  gourmet award for this preparation (one of them is ITC too)  and S declared I make better than them. When S certifies me for anything I take it quite seriously as he is a well travelled person and being a connoisseur of food, I understand the authenticity of his comments.

Dal Makhani as we all know is a lentil preparation from Punjab. As the name suggests that loads of butter and calories go into it but I try to make this in less calories and still not compromising with the taste. I do not claim that this is a low calorie stuff but it surely has calories much less than what’s served in the hotels. The best way to cook this dal is to simmer it overnight which is mighty impossible for me in this heat but I did let it cook for an hour on low flame.

The dal did turn too good. My younger one who on a regular basis has one round of food asked for a second helping for lunch and wanted to have it again for dinner. As for the remaining three in the family, we are all gluttons when it comes to good food. LOL.

So here goes the recipe..

Ingredients

1 cup whole Urad dal

4 tbsp Kidney beans

7-8 medium sized garlic pods

an inch of ginger piece

2 kashmiri red chilies

2 tsp red chili pwd

3-4 tsp coriander pwd

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp nutmeg pwd

salt to taste

100ml cream

3-4 tbsp ghee/clarified butter for cooking

1/2 pack of readymade tomato puree or about 2-1/2-3 cups of tomatoes pureed

1/2 cup yogurt

Method

Grind together garlic, ginger and red chilies(GGR) to a paste.

Soak the urad dal and Rajma for 5-6 hrs. In a pressure cooker put the soaked lentils, Rajma, salt to taste, half of the GGR paste and a table spoon of ghee. After one whistle simmer and cook for about 30 mins. Let the pressure drop, mash the lentils properly.

Heat the remaining ghee and put the remaining GGR paste followed by the tomato puree. Saute till the oil separates. Now add salt, coriander pwd, red chili pwd and saute.

Remove from the fire and mix in the beaten curds.

Put back on flame and cook till oil separates. Put this gravy in the dal and cook it on low flame and cook for an hour.

Before removing from fire add the cream, garam masala and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly and serve it with steamed Basmati rice. The NUTMEG adds an excellent flavour to the dal, so do not miss that.