Dal Makhani Express

Soak overnight

Rinse the urad dal and rajma until the water runs clear, then cover with cold water, about 2-3 in (5-8 cm) above the beans. Soak at room temperature overnight, at least 8 hours; this softens them and shortens the cooking time.

• 1 cup urad dal
• 1/4 cup rajma
• 6 cups water for soaking

Cook until very soft

Drain and rinse, then put the lentils and beans in a pressure cooker with 4 cups fresh water. Cook on medium heat about 35-40 minutes (10 whistles) and let the pressure drop on its own; in an Instant Pot use 20 minutes on high pressure, or simmer covered 45-60 minutes in a regular pot.

• 1 cup soaked urad dal
• 1/4 cup soaked rajma
• 4 cups water

✅ Done when: a lentil mashes completely between your fingers

Mash some of the lentils

Mash about one third of the cooked lentils with a potato masher or the back of a spoon, leaving the rest whole. Keep all the cooking liquid; it makes the dal creamy later.

• about 1/3 of the batch cooked lentils and beans with their liquid, from step 2

Fry the whole spices

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (about 4 qt / 4 L, big enough to hold everything for over an hour of simmering), heat the ghee over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, and fry 30-60 seconds.

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamom
• 3 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick

✅ Done when: spices sizzle and smell fragrant

Cook the onion

Add the chopped onion and cook on low-medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring now and then. Stop while it is light golden; dark brown onion will make the dal taste bitter.

• 1/2 cup onion

✅ Done when: onion turns light golden

Add the ginger-garlic paste

Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir for 1-2 minutes.

• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

✅ Done when: it no longer smells raw

Make the tomato sauce

Add the tomato purée, Kashmiri chili powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, 1 tsp garam masala and the nutmeg. Cook 4-6 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is thick, darker, and oil shows at the edges; do not skip this or the spices will taste raw.

• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 pinches nutmeg

✅ Done when: sauce thickens, darkens, and oil separates at the edges

Add the lentils

Add the lentils and all their cooking liquid to the pot and stir well. Add 1-2 cups hot water; the mixture should look a bit thin now, since it will thicken as it cooks.

• all cooked lentils and beans with their liquid, from step 3
• 1-2 cups hot water

Cook slowly for 90 minutes

Bring to a gentle boil, then turn the heat as low as it goes and cook uncovered for at least 90 minutes, stirring every 3-5 minutes so it doesn't stick or burn. If it gets too thick, add hot water half a cup at a time; the longer it cooks, the creamier it gets.

• as needed hot water

✅ Done when: dal is thick, creamy, and lentils are fully broken down

Add salt

Once the dal is thick and creamy, stir in the salt and the last 1/2 tsp garam masala. Taste and adjust; adding salt earlier can keep the beans hard.

• to taste salt
• 1/2 tsp garam masala

Add fenugreek, cream and butter

Turn the heat very low. Crush the kasuri methi between your palms and stir it in, pour in the cream, and cook 5-10 more minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the butter until melted, then top with a swirl of cream, a little butter, cilantro and ginger strips.

• 1 tbsp kasuri methi
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp butter
• to taste cilantro, cream, ginger

✅ Done when: butter is melted and the sauce looks glossy

Smoke it (optional)

Hold a small piece of charcoal with tongs over a gas flame 3-4 minutes until it glows red, then set it in a small metal cup or foil bowl on top of the dal. Pour the ghee over the coal, cover the pot tightly for 1-3 minutes while it smokes, then remove the cup and stir. No charcoal? Use smoked paprika instead of the chili powder in step 7.

• 1 piece charcoal
• 1/2 tsp ghee

✅ Done when: smoke fills the covered pot