Dal Makhni

Ingredients

• 1 cup Udat dal with chilka (skin)
• ¼ cup Channa Dal
• ¼ cup Rajma
• 50 g ginger
• 3 dry red chillies
• 5 flakes garlic
• 1 tin crushed tomatoes (or 4 or 5 tomatoes pureed in a food processor)
• 5 tbsp butter
• ½ cup cream
• 2 tsp dhania powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp kasoori methi
• 3 cloves
• 3 cardomoms
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• salt to taste

Method

1. Soak Udat dal, Chana dal and Rajma overnight in hot water. Cover the dals and add at least the same amount of water again.
2. Grind ginger, red chilli and garlic.
3. Pressure cook the soaked dals and the ginger-garlic paste. Once the pressure cooker is at full steam, reduce the heat to lowest and cook for at 45 minutes.
4. Heat butter until it melts and reduce heat. Wait for it to become ghee. Add cinnamon, cardomon, cloves and bay leaves. Stir for 30 seconds.
5. Add tomato puree and increase heat. Cook until all the water evaporates and the ghee rises. As this splutters a lot, reduce heat and cook with a lid until it dries up a lot.
6. Add garam masala, coriander powder and kasoori methi. Stir 1 minute.
7. Add boiled dal, cream and salt to taste. Cook for 30 mins on low heat. Alternatively, cook in a slow-cooker at low setting for 6 to 8 hrs. You might need to add a bit of water to avoid making it too dry.