King of Lentils : Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani is a King of Lentils and a favourite of restaurateurs and gourmets to the extent that the menus would not be complete without its inclusion. The recipe also varies from region to region and restaurant to restaurant. This type of dal is cooked very slowly on low heat for hours before the flavor burst and develops into intricate blend of taste coming from lentil, tomatoes and butter. They also, surprisingly taste a lot better on the second day as the flavor keeps on developing.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup whole urad (whole black lentils)
3 tbsp rajma (kidney beans)
Salt
1tbsp ginger-garlic paste of equal ginger and garlic
½ cup tomato puree (tinned)
1 tsp red chili powder
½ cup white unsalted butter
½ cup cream

Method:
Thoroughly wash black lentil and kidney bean separately until the water runs clear. Soak overnight preferably or 5-6 hours to facilitate even cooking of each individual grain. If you are pressure cooking lentils, cook them for 3-4 whistles on medium heat. Alternatively, put the drained lentil and kidney bean in a suitably large steel pan, add approximately 7 cups of water. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer until the grains are cooked and 2/3 rd of water is used up. Crush the lentils with the back of a wooden spoon.

In a pan heat half the butter, add ginger-garlic paste and cook until raw aroma has subsided. Add tomato puree and cook for another 5minutes on medium heat until the colour of the tomato has darkened to pronounced red. Add chili powder and cook for another minute.

Add this mixture to lentil along with rest of the butter until mixed well and cook for another 10-15 minutes until lentil has thickened and colour has become light brown. Finally add the cream and stir for another 2-3minutes. Check seasoning and serve hot with butter naan or rice.

- Kuntal

Tags: chettinad, idli, tandoori, chana, lentil, indian food, indian curry, sambhar, kebab, bhatura