Slow-Simmered Dal Makhani with Black Lentils and Butter

What you need

• 150 g (3/4 cup) whole black urad dal, skin on
• 40 g (1/4 cup) dried red kidney beans
• 60 g (4 tbsp) butter, plus a little extra for serving
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 Indian bay leaf
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 250 g (9 oz) ripe tomatoes, blended to a puree
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) heavy cream, plus extra for serving
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, kasuri methi
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Rinse the urad dal and kidney beans in several changes of water until it runs clear.

2. 2

   Cover them with plenty of fresh water and soak for 8 hours or overnight.

3. 3

   Drain, put them in a pressure cooker with 1 l (4 cups) water and cook at high pressure for 30 min. Let the pressure drop on its own.

4. 4

   Check that a lentil crushes to a paste between two fingers and the beans are soft. If not, cook under pressure 5-10 min more. On the stove in a covered pot this stage takes 1.5-2 h.

5. 5

   Melt the butter in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom and green cardamom and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

6. 6

   Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until light golden, 8-10 min.

7. 7

   Stir in the ginger, garlic and chilli and cook until the raw smell fades, 1-2 min.

8. 8

   Add the tomato puree, chilli powder and garam masala. Cook, stirring, until the paste thickens and butter shines at the edges, 8-10 min.

9. 9

   Tip in the cooked dal and beans with their cooking liquid and the salt. Mash about a quarter of the lentils against the side of the pot to thicken the dal.

10. 10

    Simmer uncovered on very low heat for 45-60 min, stirring often so nothing catches. Add a splash of hot water whenever it gets thicker than a pouring soup.

11. 11

    Stir in the cream and simmer 5 min more.

12. 12

    Crush the fenugreek between your palms over the pot, stir and turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the salt.

13. 13

    Serve hot, topped with a swirl of cream, a little butter and the coriander, with naan, roti or rice.

Imported from vegrecipesofindia.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.