Dal Makhani

This is one of my very oldest recipes, concocted long before I had the first thought of writing a cookbook. This recipe became a mainstay for me back in my college days, when I was super, super broke. There have been a few tweaks to the recipe as my knowledge and skill have grown over time, but mostly it is that same old dish that I would use to wow friends back when everyone was broke and none of us really knew how to cook.

Dal Makhani is the sort of dish that you can put together for a few dollars and impress a whole dinner party. Paired with some homemade chapati or flatbreads (naan), both recipes that you will also find in the cookbook, it’s a real winner, especially when times are lean.

It’s a simple recipe, really, just lentils in a tomato and cream sauce flavored with ginger, garlic, and a bit of garam masala. But, like many Indian dishes, the finished product is much greater than the sum of its parts. Together, these humble ingredients make a meal that you’d be happy to eat three nights a week. Simple and delicious.

Dal Makhani

A simple recipe of lentils simmered in a tomato cream sauce flavored with garlic, ginger, and garam masala, this dal makhani is the sort of meal that is much more than the sum of its parts. It is healthy comfort food, easy to make and delicious enough to eat three nights a week.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup dried brown lentils
• 4 tbsp butter
• ½ onion finely diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup cream
• salt to taste

Instructions

 

• Cook the lentils in plenty of water until they are nice and tender, then drain.
• In a pot or saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then fry the onions, spices, ginger, and garlic for 2-3 minutes, until wonderfully fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes and half of the lentils, and puree with an immersion blender until nice and smooth.
• Add the rest of the lentils and cook over low heat for around 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in the cream. Add salt to taste.
• Serve with basmati rice and flatbread or chapati.

In addition to this wonderful Dal Makhani recipe, the Indian section of The Buslife Kitchen Vol. 2 includes:

Aloo Gobi
Chapati
Cheeky Lamb Biryani
Chicken Tikka
Chicken Vindaloo
Indian Huevos Rancheros
Mango Lassi
Milk Fudge/Burfi
Palak Paneer
Raita
Refried Lentils

So, hop on over to the Kickstarter page and pre-order yourself a copy already.