Rich, creamy, buttery, and smoky, Dal Makhani is a very popular North Indian lentil dish made using black lentils, lots of butter, and mild spices. Serve it with naan or jeera rice for an unforgettable meal!

Here are some more Indian lentil recipes that you can try: Yellow Dal Tadka, Navratan Dal, Whole Masoor Dal, and Shahi Dal.

About Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani is one of the most popular recipes of North Indian cuisine (especially Punjabi) and it literally translates to buttery lentils. You will definitely find this rich and creamy dal on the menu of every possible North Indian restaurant all over the world. It is also on the menu of dhabas (North Indian roadside eateries) and when served with crispy tandoori roti or jeera rice, it’s a flavor explosion in your mouth.

Dal Makhani is a delicious combination of whole black lentils (urad), Bengal gram, and red kidney beans cooked with a lot of butter, heavy cream, and mild spices.

Because of the rich ingredients used to make this dal, it is not your everyday lentil dish. Make it for special occasions or festivals and serve it with naan or jeera rice for an unforgettable meal.

Traditionally, dal makani was cooked on low flame for hours to get that ultimate creamy texture. But in today’s time, when life is so busy, who has all that time, right? But don’t get disheartened. My recipe for cooking this dal in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or an Instant Pot will get you the same result, if not better.

Ingredients

You will get all the ingredients to make this dish in an Indian grocery store. Some of them are available online too.

Lentil – You will need Whole Black Lentils (Kali Urad, Khadi Urad), Bengal gram (Chana Dal), and Red Kidney Beans (Rajma).

Adding Bengal gram is optional but it makes the dal very creamy. Not many people add it to their dal makani recipe but this is one thing that makes my recipe the BEST!

Tomato Puree – It adds a nice tang to the cooked dal. Use canned tomato puree instead of using homemade one as it is more concentrated and packed with flavors. You can also use tomato paste in place of tomato puree. Just use half the amount and the paste is even more concentrated than the puree.

Ghee(Clarified Butter), Butter, and Heavy Cream – Do not compromise on these ingredients because they add to the taste and richness of this dish. 

Other Ingredients – Other than the above-mentioned ingredients, you will also need fresh ginger, ginger garlic paste, onions, ground cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder, Kasuri methi, and salt. 

Instead of red chili powder, you can also use cayenne pepper, paprika, or smoked paprika (even better).

I sometimes like to add a little yogurt while making the masala of dal makhani. It gives a lovely tang to it and makes the lentils creamier. You can also add some roasted gram flour (besan) to make it creamier.

Smoky Flavor – To give this dal a restaurant-style smoky flavor, I give it a Dhungar using coal. You can use a piece of cinnamon stick in place of coal if it’s not easily available.

How To Make Dal Makhani

Preparation

The first step to making Dal Makhani is to soak the lentils. Soaking the lentils not only reduces the cooking time but also makes the lentils easily digestible.

Wash ½ cup whole black lentils (whole urad), 1 tablespoon Bengal gram (chana dal), and ¼ cup Red Kidney Beans (rajma) with water and soak them together or separately in 3-4 cups of water for 8-10 hours or overnight.

Cook The Lentils

The next step is to cook the lentils. You can either cook them in a traditional Indian pressure cooker or Instant Pot. I will not suggest cooking them in a pot over the stovetop as it takes a lot of time to cook them in the pot which is a waste of time and energy.

Cook The Lentils In An Instant Pot

Wash the soaked lentils once again and drain them well.

Add them to the instant pot along with 2 tablespoon ghee, 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, and 2 teaspoon salt.

Add 3 cups of water and close the lid.

Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 25 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE. The instant pot will take some time to build the pressure and the timer to start. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually by moving the vent to the venting position. Use a spoon to move the vent to prevent steam burn off the fingers.

Open the lid and mash the dal with the back of a ladle until creamy. Set aside.

Cook The Lentils In A Traditional Stove Top Pressure Cooker

Wash the soaked lentils once again and drain them well.

Add them to a pressure cooker along with 2 tablespoon ghee, 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, and 2 teaspoon salt.

Add 4 cups of water and close the lid.

Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 minutes.

Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Then open the lid.

Mash the dal with the back of a ladle or a potato masher until it is creamy. Set aside.

Temper The Cooked Lentils

Once the lentils are cooked, let’s temper them.

Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a skillet over high heat.

When the ghee is hot, add 1 cup grated onions and fry until lightly browned (8-10 minutes).

Add 6 tablespoon tomato puree to the skillet and fry for 2-3 minutes

Now add 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the cooked and mashed dal to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring regularly. Add some water if the dal is too thick and bring it to a boil.

Add 2 tablespoon butter and ¼ cup heavy cream and cook for 2 minutes.

Check for salt and add more if required.

Add 1 tablespoon crushed Kasuri methi and cook for another minute.

Garnish with heavy cream swirls and chopped cilantro, and serve!

Smoke The Lentils (Optional)

Once the dal is ready, you can serve it right away or give it a Dhungar, that is infusing it with a smoky flavor.

Heat a piece of coal or a cinnamon stick over direct flame until it is red hot. Keep a bowl in the center of the skillet with the dal and keep the hot coal in the bowl. Drizzle a few teaspoon of oil over the coal and immediately close the lid of the skillet. Let the dal absorb the smoke for 10 minutes. Open the lid, discard the coal and remove the bowl. Heat the dal once again and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

You can serve dal makhani with Phulka, Plain Tawa Paratha, Lachha Paratha, Naan, Tandoori Roti, or any other bread you prefer.

It also tastes great with Steamed Rice, Jeera Rice, or any slightly spiced pulao such as Peas Pulao or Ghee Rice. 

Dal Makani 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 flavor. I also serve Sirka Pyaz to perk up my Indian meals.

Storage Suggestions

Dal makhani can be stored in a clean and dry airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days. Reheat in a pan or microwave-safe bowl, until nice and hot.

In case it becomes a little thick after refrigerating, add a little hot water and adjust the consistency.

It is freezer-friendly too. 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.