Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani, also known as "Maa ki Dal" is a Punjabi delicacy and served in most Indian restaurants in this area. The dal consists of a combination of urad dal (whole black lentils) and rajma (red kidney beans) and has a rich creamy texture, hence the name "makhani", which literally means "butter." It may not be the healthiest option, but we are determined to tweak the traditional recipe to make it a healthy and common item in our kitchen menu. Here goes ...

1/2 cup whole black lentils, soaked overnight
Fistful of rajma beans, soaked overnight (you can use canned)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp green chili paste
3 tomatoes, pureed
1/2 tsp red chili powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp Catch Dal Makhani masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp ghee
1/2 cup heavy cream or milk (optional)
Pinch of asafeotida powd
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Soak the lentils overnight. Then, boil them in a pressure cooker with about 2-3 cups of water until cooked.
2. Heat ghee in pan. Add the cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Then add the asafoetida powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, green chili paste and onions. Sautee onions until translucent.
3. Next, add the pureed tomatoes and allow the tomatoes to cook down and reduce in volume. At this time, you can also add the salt, dal makhani masala, turmeric powder and red chili powder. The tomatoes will take about 8-10 minutes.
4. Add the boiled lentils along with another cup of water to pot and mix well. (Before adding to pot, I mashed half of the mixture.)
5. You may also add 1/2 cup of heavy cream or plain milk. We skipped this step completely as I had already used 2 tbsp ghee! Typically, heavy cream is added to maintain a creamy texture.
6. Simmer the dal makhani for another 8-10 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
7. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with Peas Pulao or flatbread (naan).

Because of the cream used, the dal is meant to be low key in the spice department. We served this Dal Makhani with Peas Pulao and a side of cool cucumber raita tonight for one Sunday's lunch, and it was delicious!

For a light dinner, we transformed the dal makhani into a soup by pureeing some of the dal with 1/2 cup water. We served it with Bhavnesh's homemade spicy Peri Peri sauce and a few Triscuit Rosemary and Olive Oil flavored crackers. How great is that- two meals in one!