Restaurant Style Dal Makhani is a creamy, rich, easy to make and flavorful lentil dish made using whole black lentil and mild spices. This makhani dal goes very well with rice or any Indian bread like Naan or Paratha. Here is how to make it.
If you are looking for Dal recipes to serve for your special meals, here are some – Dhaba Style Punjabi Dal Tadka, Navratan Dal, Whole Masoor Dal, Hyderabadi Khatti Dal, Amritsari Dal, and Malwa Dal.
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About This Recipe
Dal Makhani is a very famous Indian lentil preparation which literally translates to Buttery lentils and is made with the combination of Whole Urad Dal, Chana Dal, and Rajma.
It is a Punjabi recipe which is very delicious and flavourful and is loaded with clarified butter or ghee and regular butter.
This Dhaba Style Dal is still cooked on low flame over a wood fire for 8-10 hours to give it a nice creamy texture.
The dal is soaked overnight and then cooked till it is very soft and tender. A tadka of tomato puree with other spices is then added to the cooked dal. Cream and butter are added in the end, which gives it that rich and creamy texture, making it even more delicious.
In ancient times, this Makhani Dal was cooked overnight to give it a very creamy and rich texture. But to keep up with the modern times, the recipe has been modified and pressure cookers have come in the scene.
Ingredients
Dal – To make Dal Makhani, Kaali Dal or Whole Urad Dal is used. Along with it, a little quantity of chana dal and rajma are also used, which not only adds to its taste and creaminess but also to the nutrition in the Dal.
Tomato Puree – Tomato Puree along with other spices are used to temper this Dal and add more flavor and taste to the same. You can use canned tomato puree too.
I always make Homemade Tomato Puree and store it in the fridge for about a week, so that it comes in handy whenever I need the same. But for Dal Makhani, I prefer using the canned tomato puree, as it makes the Dal creamy and adds a nice restaurant-style taste to it.
Ghee, Butter, and Cream – Do not compromise on these ingredients if you are making a Dal Makhani, because they add to the taste and richness of this dish.
Other Ingredients – Other than the above, you will need ginger, ginger garlic paste, onion, cumin powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, Kasuri methi, and salt.
I sometimes like to add a little curd to make Dal Makhani. I have seen that it gives a lovely tang to it. You can choose to add or skip it.
Step by Step Recipe
Wash and soak rajma, urad dal and chana dal in enough water overnight or for 8-10 hours. Add rajma, urad, chana dal, salt, 2 tbsp ghee, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, and salt in a cooker.
Add 5 cups of water and cook till the dal is nicely done. Mash the dal with the back of a ladle until it is creamy with some.
In another pan, add the remaining ghee.
When the ghee is hot, add the cumin seeds.
When the cumin seeds starts to splatter, add onions.
Fry till they become translucent. Add tomato puree and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add grated ginger and garam masala. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Mix the dal in the pan.
Add butter and cream and cook for 2- minutes.
Add Kasuri methi and cook for another minute.
Garnish with fresh cream and coriander. Serve hot with naan.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make a vegan version of this dal by substituting ghee and butter with oil and curd and cream with cashew cream.
Just blend some cashew nuts with water to make a smooth paste. Use this paste in place of cream and you have a vegan dal makhani ready in no time.
In olden days, this dal used to be cooked overnight over wood on very low heat.
It gave the dal a very nice and smoky flavor and creamy texture.
In today’s time, due to lack of wood fires and so much time at hand, it’s preferred to cook it in a pressure cooker.
But if you have the means, go ahead and try this recipe on a wood fire. I have an alternate method to give that smoky flavor to this dal without cooking it over wood.
So do read along and get that secret ti
When I am making it for everyday meals, I try to avoid butter and cream in the last step. But whenever there is something special like some festivals or guests at home, I add cream and butter to it.
You can also experiment with both the flavors and decide for yourself. But definitely, the addition of butter and cream refines the flavor of this dish making it more creamy and rich.
The Dhaba version of Dal Makhani is made without adding cream to it. The dal is slow-cooked and the second tempering of ghee is given over the served dal.
You can definitely make Dal Makhani recipe with adding onion and garlic and the best part is that it comes out just as delicious.
I have a Jain Dal Makhani Recipe on the blog so do check it out.
Kesar Da Dhaba is a small joint in the city of Amritsar in Punjab. It’s famous for its vegetarian Punjabi food and people flock to this Dhaba to eat their fare.
Their Dal Makhani is very famous and we recently got a chance to eat it on our Amritsar trip.
The dal comes with ghee floating on top. There is hardly any cream in it but the amount of ghee and butter used to make it makes up for all the loss :).
The dal is slow-cooked overnight over the wood fire which gives it a creamy texture and a very earthy taste.
If you want to try something similar, go low on cream. Increase the amount of ghee to double and then pour some more while serving 🙂
Storage Suggestions
As you all know Dal Makhani tastes even better the second day, so try and make one day before.
You can store it an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days.
You can freeze it for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. Just thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for 3-4 hours over the counter, heat and serve.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve Dal Makhani with Indian Bread such as Phulka, Tawa Paratha, Laccha Paratha, Naan, Garlic Naan, Tandoori Roti or any other bread you prefer.
It also tastes great with plain Steamed Rice, Jeera Rice or any slightly spiced Pulao such as Matar Pulao or Ghee Rice.
Dal Makhani is best served the next day after it’s made. So try to make it a day before you want to serve it for the maximum flavour.
Instant Pot Dal Method
Ever since I have got myself an Instant Pot, I have tried many recipes using it. Instant pot Steel Cut Oats or Instant Pot Rice is my favorite recipe to cook in this gadget.
Instant Pot is a great gadget to make Dal Makhani as well. It’s one pot and no mess, plus the taste of the final dal is superb.
So here is how to make Dal Makhani Recipe in Instant pot.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Rajma / Kidney Beans
- 1/2 cup Whole Urad / Whole Black Lentil
- 1 tbsp Chana Dal / Bengal Gram
- 4 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 cup Onion Finely Chopped
- 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 6 tbsp Tomato Puree
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 cup Fresh Cream
- 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
Instructions:
- Wash and soak rajma, urad dal and chana dal in enough water overnight or for 8-10 hours.
- Press SAUTE button of Instant Pot and add ghee in the pot.
- When the ghee is hot, add the cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds start to splatter, add onions and ginger garlic paste.
- Fry till onion becomes translucent.
- Add tomato puree and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add rajma, urad, chana dal, red chilli powder, cumin powder and salt in the pot.
- Now add 3 cups of water and close the lid of the Instant pot.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 30 minutes.
- Let the timer go off and then let the pressure release automatically for 15 minutes.
- Move the valve to opening position and let the remaining pressure release.
- Open the lid of the Instant pot.
- Press the SAUTE mode once again.
- Mash the dal with the back of a ladle until it is creamy.
- Add butter and cream and cook for 2- minutes.
- Add kasuri methi and cook for another minute.
Recipe Card
Dal Makhani Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Whole Urad / Whole Black Lentil
- 1 tbsp Chana Dal / Bengal Gram
- 1/4 cup Rajma / Kidney Beans
- 4 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 cup Onion (Grated)
- 6 tbsp Tomato Puree
- 1 tsp Ginger (Grated)
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 cup Fresh Cream
- 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and soak rajma, urad dal and chana dal in enough water overnight or for 8-10 hours.
- Add rajma, urad, chana dal, 2 tbsp ghee, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, cumin powder and salt in a cooker.
- Add 5 cups of water and cook till the dal is nicely done.
- Mash the dal with the back of a ladle until it is creamy with some.
- In another pan, add the remaining ghee.
- When the ghee is hot, add the cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds starts to splatter, add onions.
- Fry till they become translucent.
- Add tomato puree in the pan.
- Fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add grated ginger and garam masala.
- Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Mix the dal in the pan.
- Add butter and cream and cook for 2- minutes.
- Add kasuri methi and cook for another minute.
- Garnish with fresh cream and coriander.
- Serve hot with naan.
Pallavi
Hi Neha, thanks for sharing your lovely recipes..it’s always a pleasure to visit your blog!
Shobhit Dilwaria
Bhabhi! Looking forward to make this @ home. Thanks for sharing the recipe..
Shibi Thomas
Neha, do you have to soak the urad and kidney beans over night? I love dal makhani, but never made this at home though. I want to give this recipe a try.
Neha
Hey Shibi. Thnx for noticing. Yes you have to soak the dal and kidney beans overnight. I have updated the recipe 🙂
preeti
Why do we add maida n curds?.once I added curds n it became very sour.
msnehamathur
Hi Preeti. Try to use curd that is fresh and not to sour. Maida is added to avoid curd from separating.
Kaustubh Sharma
I simply can’t explain the amount of water my tongue is releasing after seeing this tasty dal makhni. Please let me know if you have a youtube channel too which I can subscribe to stay tuned. Thanks
Neha Mathur
Thnx :). Here is the link to my channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ljm9wQRdcoRE6glkdvH5A/videos?view_as=subscriber
Lisa|Garlic & Zest
I absolutely love Indian cooking, but I admit to being a bit intimidated by it because of all the spices– I love them, but I have no idea where to source some of them. I’ve never even heard of Kasuri Methi, Curd and Maita. What are they? The only curd I’m familiar with is lemon curd — which I’m assuming is a completely different thing… How about you make it for me? I’ll bring the wine!
Deena
Kasuri methi is dried fenugreek leaves. You can skip it of you can’t find it. Curd is basically yoghurt. So just use plain unflavoured yoghurt. Maida is all purpose flour.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
First of all, loving this dish! It’s one of the dishes I always order. And I love how you have simplified it to match the modern lifestyle of no time and no wood fire. I love when recipe developers find ways to make food accessible and still, very delicious! Can’t wait to make this at home!
Neha Mathur
Do try this recipe Shadi. I am sure you will love it.
Amanda
I’ve never had this dish, but I absolutely love lentils, so I have to make it! This combination of spices sounds fantastic and must pair so well with the lentils and kidney beans. This looks perfect for the chilly weather we’re starting to have here.
Neha Mathur
You must try it Amanda. It’s delicious.
Sarah
I’ve had this in restaurants and love it! Unfortunately I don’t have a pressure cooker (I’m terrified of them), but maybe I can convince someone else to cook the first part for me LOL
Neha Mathur
Yeah. This recipe comes out fabulous. Do try it sometime.
Donna
This looks SO good!! I haven’t had this in so long, since college actually. My flatmate and I used to make a version all the time because we had no money and lentils were cheap 🙂 Now that I can afford to do a proper shop I need to try out a proper version, and this sounds just perfect!
Neha Mathur
Do give it a try. I am sure you will love it 🙂
Faisal habib
Very informative, loved the makhani daal
Neha Mathur
Thnx
Kris
Made this tonight and love it!
Neha Mathur
Thnx for trying Kris and leaving your feedback 🙂
Kavita jain
I made this and wow! just like from the restaurant Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe.
Neha Mathur
Thnx a lot for trying and leaving your feedback. It’s a fav recipe of mine too 🙂
Shikha rai
Hey Neha
I have made this recipe 5-6 times by now and my guests and family just loved it Thank you so.much for giving this authentic recipe.????????
Neha Mathur
Thnx a lot for trying. I am glad you liked it 🙂
Mayaw
The recipe indicates cumin powder but there is NO mention of cumin seeds used at the start of this recipe.
Neha Mathur
Hi Mayaw, Updated the recipe. I missed to mention it in the post.
Matt
You don’t list the Garam Masala in the recipe on the top of the post, only the bottom. Hence I completely missed adding it. I only realized this at the end while tasting after cooking it all day.
Neha Mathur
Hi Matt, I just checked the posts and it’s mentioned everywhere. Anyways, You can add garam masala at any point. Even when the dal is ready. Just add it and mix well.
Nandini
This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever made. Thank you!
Neha Mathur
So happy to hear this 🙂
Youmen
Hi..looks yummy..will do for sure..in the video there is curd added that is not mentioned in the recipe… thank you if any clarification …
Neha Mathur
Curd is optional. You can add it if you wish.
Radhika
Hi. The recipe and the video do not match. In the recipe u don’t mention anything about curd. Whereas in the video u have added curd to the onions ! It’s confusing what to follow !
Neha Mathur
Curd is optional. You can choose to skip or add it.