I started the 2020 goal of eating more vegetarian meals a little early. I just love Indian food and this Dal Makhani has so much flavor and texture.
Indian food might be the best food to make to help me, you, with the 2020 goal of more veggies. Indian food has so much flavor and the sauces are so good. As GUY FIERI says, a flip flop would taste good with an Indian sauce. Providing some examples of super flavorful Indian sauces I have made include this RED CURRY SAUCE used in this tofu pasta dish. Or this YELLOW CURRY SAUCE used with these lentils. One last example is this TANDOORI CURRY made for a nice piece of fish.
Dal Makhani
The Indian Dal is Makhani is made in three steps. I began with dried lentils and beans. You can use a Dutch oven to cook them but that will take a long time. If you have a pressure cooker, as I do, the beans and lentil can cook in a reasonable time. The beans and lentils are cooked with lots of good spices and a gravy is created with the liquid left in the pressure cooker. A second step is the tomato onion mixture. I learned a new technique making my own crushed tomatoes. First, the tomatoes are boiled so the skins can be peeled off. Then, using a cheese grater, the tomatoes are run along the big grates.
The tomato onion mixture is kicked up with some serrano peppers. This mixture is added to the beans, lentils and gravy in a big pot. The final piece of the dish is the addition of some more spices. I added fat-free plain yogurt but if you want to keep this recipe vegan, you can skip this step.
The lentils and beans.
Lentils and Beans
The cast of characters.
Ingredients
The Indian Dal Makhani plated.
Dal Makhani plated
Dal Makhani
Dal Makhani is a hearty Indian dish made with kidney beans and lentils. The dish has great spices and a sauce, gravy, that if full of flavor.
Ingredients
Lentil/Bean Preparation
- 2 Cups Red Kidney Beans
- 1 Cup Kala Hanna
- 1 Cup Lentils
- 2 Inches Fresh Ginger minced
- 3 Whole Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
- 2 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Coriander
- 3 Cups Water
Tomato & Onion Mixture
- 3 Whole Tomatoes grated
- 1 Whole Onion diced
- 1 Whole Serrano chili diced
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tsp Cumin Seeds
Final Assembly
- 1 Tbsp Fenugreek Seeds
- 3 Cups Water
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1/4 Cup Plain Fat Free Yogurt
Instructions
Lentil/Bean Preparation
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Begin the night before soaking the lentils and beans for 5 hours. Drain.
Begin the cooking by adding all the beans and lentils to the pressure cooker. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and 3 cups of water. Mix well and turn on your pressure cooker to high and set for 1 hour.
Tomato & Onion Mixture
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In a pot of boiling water, add the tomatoes and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Once cool, peel the outer skin. Then, using the large side of a cheese grater, grate the tomatoes. Set aside.
In a pan, melt the butter on medium heat. Once melted, add the cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute. Next, add in the onions and soften for about 5 minutes. Now, add in the grated tomatoes and cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Finish, by adding in the serrano and cook for 1 minute.
Final Assembly
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Add the cooked beans and lentils to a pot. Add 3 cups of water and turn on to medium heat. The beans will simmer for 2 hours. Add the onions and tomato mixture after the first 30 minutes of cooking. Then, add the spices and butter about an hour in to the cooking. Keep your eye on the pot. You want enough water to make a gravy. If the water has cooked off, add a cup at a time.
An optional final step is to drop in yogurt. Serve with white rice. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Indian Healthy Recipes - https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/dal-makhani-recipe/
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