Dal makhani
Preparation Time
20 minutes
Cooking Time
60 minutes
Difficulty Level
moderate
Meal Type
Dinner
Serves 4
Key Ingredients
- Black urad split (urad dal)
About This Recipe
Dal makhani is the rich black dal of North Indian tables, and the rajma urad dal combination is what sets it apart from a plain urad dal: the urad gives the creamy, earthy body and the rajma adds its own soft bite, while the whole pot simmers low and long until the lentils melt into the sauce. The urad dal used for dal makhani is black urad split, the dal with its skin on, split; whole black urad works the same way and just takes a little longer to soften.
This recipe uses 3/4 cup (150 g) of black urad split and 1/4 cup (50 g) of rajma, soaked together overnight, about 12 hours, and pressure cooked for 6 to 8 whistles. The cooked lentils go into a tomato and ginger masala tempered in ghee, and the dal simmers for 20 to 30 minutes, with a ladle of lentils mashed against the side of the pot for body. The dal itself is on the urad dal hub, and the split versus whole choice is in the whole urad dal guide.
Restaurant dal makhani is usually finished with butter and cream. This home recipe finishes with ghee only, the same slow technique with a lighter taste; stir in a spoon of fresh cream at the end if you want the full diner finish.
Ingredient List
Serving Size:
1x
2x
3x
Dal
- Black urad split (urad dal) — 3/4 cup
- Rajma (red kidney beans) — 1/4 cup
- Water for cooking — 4 cups
Masala
- Ghee — 3 tbsp
- Cumin Seeds — 1 tsp
- Hing (asafoetida) — 1/4 tsp
- Ginger paste — 1 tbsp
- Red chilli powder — 1 tsp
- Tomato puree — 1 cup
- Salt — 1 tsp
Finish
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) — 1 tbsp
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Serving Suggestions
Serve the dal hot in a bowl with jeera rice, or mop it up with roti or naan. A side of sliced onion, green chilli and a squeeze of lime cuts the richness. For a diner-style plate, top each bowl with a spoon of cream and a little extra ghee.
Tips for Cooking Dal makhani
Soak the rajma the full 12 hours; it is the one that stays hard if rushed. Let the pressure release on its own, and the lentils keep their shape instead of bursting. Mash a ladle of the cooked lentils against the pot before the long simmer, which is what thickens the dal without cream. Keep the simmer low and stir often, since the dal catches at the bottom as it thickens.
Chef’s Note
The dal is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of the ladle and the ghee has risen to the surface. Rub the kasuri methi between your palms as you add it, and it releases its aroma into the hot dal. A bowl comes to about 260 kcal with 11.1 g of protein and 6.5 g of fibre, most of the protein from the urad and the rajma.
Per serving (approx.): 260 kcal, protein 11 g, carbs 25 g, fat 12 g, fibre 6.5 g. Computed from IFCT 2017 / USDA values for the listed quantities. Measures: 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml.
Happy Cooking
!!
ByCOWBERRY
Jun 27, 2026
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