Punjabi Dal Makhani Recipe

Dal Makhani is the hearty, creamy, mildly flavored Indian dal recipe. It’s buttery texture simply melts in the mouth. Hence, it is just perfect to dip naan or serve as a main-dish with jeera rice. This dal makhani recipe is simple, easy to follow and 100% gluten-free.

Over the years, Dal Makhani has become an inseparable part of Indian Cuisine. It is the most common lentil dish cooked in India.

In the western countries in the midst of hot dogs and pancakes, this brown lentil curry is recognized as the flag bearer of the curry nation. The slightly dark brown thick dal loaded with tons of butter and cream to provide a superficial smooth texture, making it appealing for the commercial viability of the restaurant menus.

But in reality, maa ki dal has much more depth and flavors then being tagged as the no substance brown curry.

To be honest there are no remarkable imprints of Dal Makhani in my food memoirs of childhood. In our Kumaoni household, it was considered a fancy Punjabi delicacy prepared once in a blue moon in the honor of some exquisite guests.

Or one of my aunt, settled in Delhi, would take pride in cooking and serving makhani dal, whenever we visit her over the holidays. But her Dal Makhani has also not left much of a long-lasting tales in my taste buds. That was my brief introduction to this most popular Indian dal.

Then marriage into the Sikh family presented a whole new perspective about maa ki dal and rajma masala. The balance of spices, the creamy texture and the whole fuss about the slow cooking process are the key steps in making a true Punjabi style maa ki dal.

But if you would ask me, ‘ which is the better food between rajma and dal makhani?’ They both compete for the top slot in my favourite comfort food list. Any day I can trade fancy gourmet meal to enjoy a blissful meal of dal and rajma.

Which Dal Is Used In Dal Makhani?

The whole black lentil (sabut urad dal) is used in dal makhani. In Punjabi style maa ki dal, a combination of rajma (red kidney beans) and chana dal is also used. And for us, it is difficult to imagine maa ki dal without either of these two lentils.

Usually, the ideal proportion of these three lentils in a perfect makhani dal is  1: 0.25: 0.25 i.e 1 Cup of whole black urad dal and 1/4 Cup of each rajma and chana dal.

How To Make Dal Makhani At Home?

First of all, you don’t need a plethora of ingredients to make the best makhani dal at home. Though the dish is the literal transition of the word – buttery lentils. A ton of butter and cream are not required to get the desired creamy and buttery texture of the dal. The best result is achieved by simmering the dal over low heat. 

The recipe as said is fuss-free and no tomato puree/butter/cream/ are used to make it flavorsome.

Makhani dal is not a 30-minute meal. Traditionally, it is slow-cooked overnight over the wooden fire. However, using a pressure cooker to cook the dal reduces the cooking time to almost half the original time suggested in conventional recipes.

Therefore, I don’t plan maa ki dal on busy weekdays for dinner. It is a kind of leisure meal in our house. That requires time both to cook and relish.

More Indian Dal Recipes For You:

Spinach Chana Dal

Shahi Urad Dal

Punjabi Sookhi Urad Dal

Panchmel Dal

Arhar (Toor) Dal Fry

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