Dal Makhani

Ingredients

• ¾ cup whole black urad dal, soaked overnight
• ¼ cup rajma, soaked overnight
• 1 bay leaf (for cooking the dal)
• 1 black cardamom (for cooking the dal)
• salt
• 3–4 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tomatoes, puréed
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili
• ½ tsp garam masala
• finish: ¼ cup cream
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp kasuri methi
• (optional) smoked paprika, or a charcoal smoke (dhungar), for a smoky note

Steps

1. 1.Cook the pulses: pressure-cook the soaked urad and rajma with the bay leaf, black cardamom and salt until very soft.
2. 2.In butter + ghee, sauté the onion. Add ginger-garlic, then tomato purée + turmeric + Kashmiri chili; cook until the oil separates.
3. 3.Add the cooked dal with its cooking water. Simmer low 30–45 min, stirring, mashing some lentils against the pan, until thick and creamy.
4. 4.Stir in cream, the last knob of butter, garam masala, and crushed kasuri methi.
5. 5.Optional: add a smoky note with smoked paprika, or the charcoal-smoke trick.