Dal Makhani (Vegetarian)

Dal Makhani is a traditional North Indian recipe, which is a favorite in most Indian restaurants. Made with lentils, red kidney beans, cream, butter and spices, this recipe will become one of your family’s favorites. The secret to making the kidney beans and lentils more tender is to simply soak them overnight and boil them separately with a pinch of salt. You can also use canned kidney beans and add them in the last stage of cooking.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp dried red kidney beans (or 1 can)
1/2 cup black lentils (urad dal)
1 tsp chili powder
4 Tbsp butter (unsalted if you wish to control salt yourself)
2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste (dice 1 Tbsp ginger and 4 cloves of diced garlic, place in food processor with 1/2 tsp oil and blend until smooth)
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp cumin powder
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup tomato sauce (unseasoned)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp garam masala
2 serrano peppers, diced (seeds and veins removed for less spicy results)
1/2 tsp kosher sea salt
1 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS :

Soak kidney beans and black lentils (urad dal) overnight in 3 cups of water.
Rinse and drain beans the following morning
In a Dutch oven (or heavy deep skillet) heat the 1 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter) over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and stir until they start to crackle and pop, then add diced onion and diced Serrano peppers. Stir occasionally until the onions become translucent.
Add ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder, chili powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper, kosher salt and ground pepper. Stir until you have a paste-like consistency.
Now add the tomato sauce and rinsed beans & lentils, then sauté until the sauce is heated.
Pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and stir sauce until blended
Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer about a couple of hours or when beans are tender. If the mixture gets too thick, simply add 1/2 cup of water whenever necessary.