Indian Dal Food

DAL MAKHANI RECIPE (INSTANT POT & STOVETOP)

Steps:

• Add urad dal and rajma to a large pot and rinse them well a few times. Drain the water and soak them in 3 to 4 cups of water for 7 to 8 hours. To reduce the soaking time, you may soak them in boiling hot water for 4 to 5 hours.
• Later drain the water and rinse them well.
• Pour 4 cups fresh water and pressure cook for 10 whistles on a medium heat. You can also cook in a pot until soft and tender adding more water whenever needed. If cooking in instant pot, pressure cook on high pressure for 20 mins.
• Both urad dal and rajma must cook to very soft. When mashed with a spoon the dal and rajma must be soft and get mashed well easily. If not then pour another half cup hot water and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 whistles on a medium heat.
• Heat a heavy bottom pot with butter & ghee. If using whole spices, add them and saute for half a minute. Then add onions and fry until they turn golden.
• Stir in ginger garlic paste and saute for 1 minute until the raw smell goes away.
• Then transfer tomato puree and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until thick.
• Add salt, chilli powder & garam masala. Saute well until the masala smells good and turns thick.
• Mash the cooked urad dal slightly and pour it along with the stock. Pour another 1 cup hot boiling water & mix.
• Cook on a low flame until the dal thickens stirring often in between to prevent burning the bottom. After 60 mins, the dal thickens.
• Add another ½ to 1 cup hot boiling water and continue to cook until thick. This takes another 30 mins. Totally cook for about 90 mins from the time you added the cooked dal to the pot.
• Then add kasuri methi and pour cream. Stir and cook again for 6 to 8 mins until it becomes thick and creamy.
• Taste and add more salt if needed. Add butter and mix well.
• Place a small piece of foil or a tall steel cup on the dal makhani. Hold 1 to 2 inch piece of natural wood charcoal with a tong and burn it on direct fire until red hot. Then place it on the foil kept over dal or in the steel cup.
• Quickly pour ¼ tsp ghee on the hot coal. Immediately cover the pot and allow to smoke for 3 to 4 mins. For stronger flavor, add another ¼ tsp ghee on the coal and repeat the smoking.
• Garnish dal makhani with butter or cream & serve with naan.
• Press SAUTE button on the Instant pot. Add ghee and butter to the steel insert.
• Once the butter melts, add onions and saute until transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds.
• Pour the tomato puree, red chilli powder & garam masala. Saute for 3 to 5 mins.
• Drain the water from the lentils and add them. Pour 3 cups water and deglaze the pot by scrubbing the bottom with a wooden spatula.
• Press CANCEL button. Secure the Instant pot with the lid. Position the steam release handle to sealing.
• Press PRESSURE COOK button and set the timer to 30 mins.
• When the IP finishes it will beep. Wait for the pressure to release naturally.
• Open the lid. You will see the dal being runny at this stage. Add salt & slightly mash the urad dal, not rajma.
• Press SAUTE button. Adjust the setting to LOW by pressing the saute button twice.
• Cook further stirring often until thick. When most of the moisture evaporates, dal turns thicker. Optional - I prefer to add 1 more cup of hot water in 2 batches, ½ cup each time. Cook further until really creamy and thick.
• Then add cream and kasuri methi. Continue to cook until creamy.
• Stir in the butter and garnish dal makhani with cream.

INDIAN DAL

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add cumin, cardamom, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add lentils, broth, tomatoes, cilantro, turmeric, salt and jalapeño and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer, stirring often, until lentils are soft, about 15 minutes.
• Ladle into bowls and serve.

DAL MAKHANI

Steps:

• Soak both the whole urad dal and rajma overnight in enough water for 8 to 9 hours or overnight. Later drain them well.
• Rinse both the lentils a couple of times in water.
• Drain again and then add them in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Add water and stir well.
• Pressure cook for 18 to 20 whistles on a high flame, till both the urad dal and rajma have cooked thoroughly and softened. If they are not cooked, then add about ½ cup water again and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles more.
• The urad dal should melt in the mouth and should not give any bite or resistance when eaten. You can also just mash the urad dal with a spoon or with your fingers to check the doneness. The same rule applies for rajma too. Keep the cooked beans aside.
• In a blender or mixer jar, take chopped tomatoes and blend to a smooth puree. Set aside.
• You can also add ready 1 cup tomato puree instead of blending the tomatoes. No need to blanch the tomatoes while pureeing.
• In a pan, now heat butter. You can use salted butter or unsalted butter.
• Add the whole spices - cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 small to medium tej patta.
• Fry for some seconds till the spices sputter and become aromatic.
• Add finely chopped onions.
• Stir and sauté the onions on a low or medium-low heat often till they become light golden.
• Add the ginger garlic paste. Stir again and sauté for some seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
• Add the chopped green chilies and sauté for a minute.
• Add the prepared tomato puree and mix well.
• Add red chili powder and 2 to 3 pinches of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.
• Stir very well and sauté this mixture on a low to medium flame, till you see fat releasing from the sides.
• Then add the cooked urad dal and rajma beans along with the stock. Also add 1 cup water or as required.
• Stir very well and simmer the dal makhani uncovered on a low flame.
• Keep on stirring often, so that the lentils don't stuck to the bottom of the pan.
• Once it has begun to thicken, add salt as required.
• Stir very well and continue to simmer on a low flame. Keep on stirring when the lentils are simmered on low heat.
• When simmering you can add more water if the gravy looks thick or dry. The longer you keep dal makhani to simmer, the better it tastes.
• I kept it for about an overall 25 minutes on a low flame. Do keep on stirring at intervals.
• When the gravy has thickened enough, then add cream. Dal makhani is not too thick or too thin. It has a medium consistency.
• Mix the cream very well. Then switch off the heat.
• Add crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Mix again.
• Cover and set dal makhani aside, if you are proceeding to the dhungar method. Or else you can serve dal makhni straight away.
• Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes red hot. With the help of tongs, keep on turning the charcoal piece so that it evenly burns.
• Keep the red hot charcoal in a small bowl.
• Pour ½ teaspoon oil on the hot charcoal.
• Immediately keep this bowl on top of the dal makhani.
• Cover for a minute and allow the charcoal to infuse its smoke in the dal makhni. Remove the bowl. Stir again.
• Serve punjabi dal makhani garnished with chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and a few teaspoons of cream with naan, roti, paratha or steamed rice.

LENTIL DAL

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add onion, ginger, cumin, turmeric, red peppers, and garlic.
• Saute 2 minutes.
• Add cauliflower and tomatoes; saute 1 minute.
• Stir in water and lentils; bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until lentils are tender.
• Stir in lime juice, cilantro, and salt.
• Serve 1 cup lentil mixture with 1 cup rice.

SPICY INDIAN DAHL

Steps:

• Cook the lentils by boiling or pressure cooking until lentils are soft. (Pressure cooking is faster.)
• In a skillet heat the oil and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begin to flutter, add onions, ginger, jalapeno peppers, and garlic. Saute until the onions and garlic are golden brown. Add coriander and cumin. Add chopped tomatoes. Saute the mixture well until tomatoes are well cooked.
• Add water. Boil 6 minutes. Add cooked lentils, stirring well. Add salt to taste, stirring well. Add finely chopped cilantro and remove from heat. Serve hot.

INDIAN LENTIL SOUP (DAL SHORVA)

Steps:

• Rinse the beans or lentils.
• Bring to a boil with the stock, turmeric, Cayenne, cumin, cardamom and curry/bay leaves.
• Let simmer until the beans or lentils are very soft (ca 30 minutes).
• If using bay leaves, remove them now. Curry leaves can be left in the soup.
• Run the soup quickly in a blender to a not too smooth consistency (or mash the lentils/beans with a ladle).
• Sautee the garlic and mustard seeds lightly in the fat and add to the soup.
• Let simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Add salt, pepper and squeezed lemon to taste.
• Serve hot with pita or paratha bread.

DAL RECIPE (INDIAN RED LENTIL CURRY)

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils well until the water is clear and drain in colander. Tip: If using other yellow lentils instead of red lentils, then soaking in water for about an hour will help.
• In a medium cooking pot take the drained red lentils, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, sliced garlic, turmeric, water and bring it to a boil.
• Lower the heat and cook it for about 30 minutes. Add salt to taste and continue to cook until most lentils start breaking down, become a bit mushy and turn into a thick sauce like consistency.
• Cook the dal until it reaches a consistency that is thinner than what is desired, because it will thicken further after cooking.

DAL MAKHANI (INDIAN LENTILS)

Steps:

• Place lentils and kidney beans in a large bowl; cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain.
• Cook lentils, kidney beans, 5 cups water, and salt in a pot over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and set aside. Keep the lentils, kidney beans, and any excess cooking water in the pot.
• Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook cumin seeds in the hot oil until they begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and cloves; cook until bay leaves turn brown, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Stir to coat.
• Stir tomato puree into spice mixture; cook over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, coriander, and butter; cook and stir until butter is melted.
• Stir lentils, kidney beans and any leftover cooking water into tomato mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Stir fenugreek into lentil mixture. Cover saucepan and simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Add cream and cook until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes.

INDIAN DAL

Steps:

• To a large saucepan add the lentils, turmeric and water. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are broken down.
• While the lentils cook. Add the butter over to a separate pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, mustard powder, garam masala and tomato. Stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes stirring. Add the cooked lentils, salt and cilantro, mix well and remove from heat.. Taste for seasoning, add more salt if needed.
• Serve warm.

DAL

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the ghee and stir-fry the onions just until wilted, do not brown. Add the garlic, jalapeno, cumin, lentils, ginger, curry powder, salt, pepper, sugar and bay leaf. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes, until the herbs and spices bloom (aromatic). Add the tomatoes and deglaze with the vinegar. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning with cumin, salt, pepper and sugar.
• In a large saute pan, combine the black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, and dried red chiles. Over medium heat, cook just until slightly toasted, stirring constantly. Turn off heat and stir in the grated nutmeg.
• Transfer to a food processor and grind to a fine powder. Pass through a fine strainer. Allow to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight jar. Use as needed.

DAL (INDIAN LENTIL CURRY)

Steps:

• Soak Lentils: Rinse lentils and leave to soak in plenty of water for 1 hour. Drain in colander.
• Heat ghee/oil in a heavy based saucepan over high heat. Add green chillies and fry for a minute until starting to blister.
• Add onions and fry until softened.
• Lower heat to medium, add garlic, ginger and curry leaves. Cook for 1 minute until garlic starts to turn golden and smells amazing.
• Add tomatoes and cumin, cook until tomatoes start to break down and thicken to a paste - about 2 minutes.
• Add lentils, water, tumeric and salt. Stir, bring to simmer, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. Stir two or three times during the hour.
• Remove lid and simmer gently for 30 minutes to thicken, stirring every now and then. The dal is ready when it has a consistency like porridge - some lentils should be intact but some have broken down to thicken the sauce.
• Stir through garam masala at the end. Adjust salt if desired.
• Pour over Tadka, if using, and stir through.
• Serve Dal over rice, garnished with a sprig of coriander if desired.