For Shru again...

Man...I feel like I should get paid for posting recipes :-p. Ever heard of restaurants giving away their prized recipes??


HMMM

Things I'd do for friends :-p

Disclaimer: Dal Makhani is made different ways by different people. Some people use whole masoor and use shortcuts...you'll find no shortcut here :)

Also - these are approximate quantities...use your intuition and go easy on the garam masala, a pinch goes a long way!

Dal Makhani/Maah ki Daal/Kaali Daal:

Rinse and Soak in water (overnight): 1 cup whole urad dal (black and beady) with a handful of red kidney beans (rajma, optional)

Chop fine or pulse in a food processor:

2 medium onions

1/4 inch piece of cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds

3-4 cloves

a few green chilies to taste



Pulse/puree separately (or after onions)
2 ripe tomatoes (medium - large)



Julienne: 1 inch piece of ginger

Oil to saute, salt to taste, red chili pwdr to taste, cream/yogurt - 1/4 cup, fresh coriander leaves to garnish, a pinch of garam masala pwdr (optional)

Method:

Pressure cook the dal with the julienned ginger. It should take about 3-4 whistles and then about 5-10 mins on low heat. Turn off the stove and let the pressure subside.



Heat oil in a heavy pan, if you prefer your garam masala (cinnamon, cloves) floating around, add them to the oil. Add onions and saute until an even golden brown. It's all in the onion-tomato gravy so make sure you cook the onions through. When brown, add the tomato puree and cook until the oil tends to separate. It's ok for this paste to stick to the pan, the caramelized tomato adds a depth of flavor.



At this point, add the boiled dal (with it's water and ginger in it). Combine well, season with salt to taste. Cover and boil and then simmer (so its still bubbling, stir occasionally or the dal settles to the bottom and sticks to the pan). Taste it about 15 mins later to check for seasoning and to see if the flavors have melded.



When it's at that point, add the optional garam masala, cream or beaten yogurt, mix well, adjust seasonings if necessary. Turn off the stove and garnish with coriander.
If you're adding cream, go easy...you don't want the dal to taste sweet. It's just supposed to make it a little silky and add that luscious buttery taste. Also, if it's cream you're adding...add it slowly towards the end and heat through. For the yogurt, just be mindful and beat it really well.



You can make this dish even more decadent by adding a touch of butter at the end and even making the gravy in ghee. It's upto you how makhani you want to make it!

Serve hot with naans, as a side dish, or with rice.