DAL MAKHANI

Experience authentic Punjabi flavors with this exquisite rich and creamy Dal Makhani!!

Robust with various spices, Dal Makhani is cooked with the aroma of asafoetida, cardamom, bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon. This delectable buttery Punjabi dish of lentils has a rich and creamy texture. A staple in Punjabi cuisine, Dal Makhani taste the best with butter naan, lacha parantha or jeera rice. It's my top comfort food that's incredibly authentic.

Dal Makhani is the most popular dish originated from Punjab region. It's the combination of black lentils and red kidney beans. It was hugely popularized by the migrating Punjabi community within India and around the world. It's a dish that almost all Punjabis swear by, it's that exotic!

This dal is mainly served in dinner parties as it takes long time to cook. So you require a lot of love and patience to prepare it. The best thing about this dal is, it tastes even better on the next day. Try making these lentils in a large quantity, reheat it on the second day and serve them for breakfast. You'll truly love it!

There are different ways to cook Dal Makhani. After experimenting with all of them I'll share my best method. This is my Mom's style of preparation. She uses some unusual techniques in her cooking. She often makes this recipe cuz it's loved by everyone in our family!

About the recipe, we haven't soaked the lentils here, we directly pressure cooked it. This process will take 20-25 more minutes. This method will give you perfect flavors and creamy texture. It's rich, warm and super satisfying. Always remember, the longer you keep Dal Makhani to simmer flame, the better it tastes.

DAL MAKHANI

                                                        

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 2-2.5 hours
Serves: 6 people
Author: The Food Root

INGREDIENTS

For Cooking Lentils:
1 cup or 200 grams - black lentils (kali urad)
2 tablespoons - red kidney beans (rajma)
4 cups of water for pressure cooking
1 tablespoon of Salt or as per taste
1/2 teaspoon - Turmeric powder 
Pinch of Asafoetida
3 Green Cardamoms 
2  Bay leaves
4 cloves 
One inch cinnamon 

For Tempering :
4 tablespoon - Clarified Butter/Ghee
2 medium size onions, chopped
3 medium size tomatoes, chopped
2 Green chillis, chopped
1 piece or one inch long - ginger, peeled, grated
6-7 garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon - Red chili powder
1 teaspoon - Coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon - Garam Masala
1/2 cup - yogurt
2 teaspoon - Fresh cream (optional)

For Garnishing :
Coriander leaves
Fresh Cream

METHOD

I haven't soaked the lentils, this process will take 20-25 more minutes

1. Wash the lentils and mix them in the pressure cooker - Wash 1 cup of black lentils and 2 tbs of red kidney beans, under the running water. Drain it completely and add it into the pressure cooker. Next, add 4 cups of water and pressure cook it for 2 whistles on high flame. After 2 whistles, turn off the heat and wait for the pressure to release completely before opening the cooker.

2. Add spices and pressure cook the Dal for 5-6 whistles - Open the pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water and the spices: salt, turmeric powder, green cardamoms, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and pinch of asafoetida. Stir it well. Pressure cook it for 5-6 whistles on high flame.

3. Open the lid and keep the cooker on the low flame for 25-30 minutes - Open the lid and let the lentils cook for 25-30 minutes on low flame till it get thickened and get a creamy texture.  Keep stirring occasionally. Remember, the lentils should be soft and melt in mouth, you should not get any any bite while eating.

4. Sauté onions and ginger garlic paste in a pan - Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoon of clarified butter in a pan and add chopped onions and sauté it on a low flame till they become light brown. Then add ginger garlic paste and stir it till it's aroma goes away.

5. Prepare the tomato puree tempering - Add chopped tomatoes, chopped green chillis and sauté it for around 5 minutes on low medium flame. Next, add red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala in the pan. Sir it well. Let the mixture cook till the oil separates. You can also add half cup of yogurt. It will give a lot of creaminess.

6. Add the cooked dal in the pan. - Then, add the cooked dal in the pan. Add some hot water, if needed for consistency and stir it for next 4-5 minutes till Dal Makhani is nicely cooked and gives a lovely creamy texture. Add plenty of fresh cream and mix it well, sauté it for 2-3 minutes . Turn off the heat and remove it. 

7. Garnish and Serve - Garnish it with coriander leaves or fresh cream. The Dal Makhani is ready to serve!!! Serve with Naan, Parantha or Jeera Rice.

Notes

1. You can save your time by soaking the lentils overnight and skip the step 1
2. Add yogurt while tempering tomatoes, it will give a lot of creaminess.
3. The longer you keep Dal Makhani on flame, the better it taste.
4. Make a lot of Dal Makhani and reheat it, it tastes better on the next day!
5. Serve it with lacha parantha, butter naan or jeera rice.

Rainbow Buddha bowl is a healthy, filling and a delicious wholesome meal. It's a colorful bowl composed of vegetables proteins, healthy grains and nutrients.

Rainbow in my bowl!!

Rainbow Buddha bowl is a satisfying bowl of goodness, filled with cooked rice, boiled red kidney beans, blanched broccoli, roasted bell peppers and sliced cucumber. I combined this with almond butter lime dressing to give it a touch of sweetness and it just turned out perfect! Buddha bowl is a simple way where you can also use your leftover food which is sitting in refrigerator. 

I had the most indulgent weekend ever. I had lots of chocolates and yummy treats, so I decided to make Buddha bowl for lunch. I picked up these gorgeous broccoli and colorful bell peppers at the farmer’s market this past weekend. Luckily, I had enough cooked rice and beans in my refrigerator to make this power-packed meal.

While each portion of this plate has its own individuality and uniqueness. Red kidney beans are full of protein, fiber, vitamin and nutrients. Though rice doesn’t offer much in terms of nutrients but is a good source of carbs. You can always switch white rice with brown rice since it has more nutrients and is relatively low in calories. I totally love the combination of broccoli and bell peppers as they add crunch, color and sweet flavor to the meal. Broccoli is one of my favorite cruciferous vegetable. It is rich in dietary fiber, minerals, nutrients and antioxidants and bell peppers are rich in antioxidants and other vitamins.

Buddha bowl is a versatile meal. To make this, obviously you'd have to make rice and beans ahead of time. I always try to make it differently, depending on what is available at my home. Follow these few simple steps to make a this beautiful Rainbow Buddha Bowl that I have listed below. 

RAINBOW BUDDHA BOWL

Serves: 2 People

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes 

Author: The Food Root

INGREDIENTS

Red Kidney Beans:

3/4 cup red kidney beans

2 cups water

3/4 tablespoon salt or as per taste

Rice:

1 cup rice

2 cups water

3/4 tablespoon salt or as per taste

Broccoli:

1 head broccoli

2 cups water

1/2 tablespoon salt or as per taste

Roast Veggies:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon chili flakes

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 tablespoon salt or as per taste

Chop Raw Veggies

1 cucumber, finely sliced

Dressing

1/4 cup Almond butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

2 tablespoons water

Salt and pepper as per taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare Red Kidney Beans: Wash 3/4 cup red kidney beans, under the running water. Drain and soak them overnight or in the morning for at least 4-5 hours. After soaking the beans, rinse them with fresh water. Now place a pressure cooker, add beans with enough water and pressure cook them for at least 40 minutes on medium-low flame. After 40 minutes, turn off the heat and wait for the pressure to release completely. Add salt and stir it for few more minutes till it's properly cooked. Drain the water off the cooked beans and let it cool for some time.

2. Boil Rice: Rinse 1 cup basmati rice with cold water, soak it for about 30 minutes. Place a saucepan with double amount of water to boil. Add salt and loosely cover the pan. Reduce the heat and cook the rice for about 10 minutes. Stir it once and turn off the flame. Let the rice sit for about 5-7 minutes. Drain the rice using a colander or a strainer. Let it cool for some time.

3. Blanch Broccoli: Wash the broccoli and cut them into large individual florets. You can also cut the stem into thin circular pieces. Bring in a large pot of water to boil. When water starts to boil, add broccoli florets and a pinch of salt into it. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with cold water preferably with ice cubes in it. Set it aside. After 3-4 minutes remove the florets with slotted spoon in a colander or a sieve. Now immediately, plunge the florets into the bowl of cold water. After a minute, strain them. Keep it aside.

4. Roast Veggies: Wash the pepper, slice it into half, remove the excess seeds and slice off the thin strips length wise. Heat olive oil in a skillet, add chili flakes followed by sliced bell pepper and sauté until it turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Sauté it and season them with salt and garlic cloves. Toss it for about a minute on medium flame and turn off the flame. Set it aside.

5. Chop Raw Veggies: Chop any raw veggies you like. It depends on your taste. I added fresh cucumber in my bowl.

6. Prepare the Dressing: To make a dressing, whisk 1/4 cup almond butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced ginger and 2 tablespoons water in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Assemble: Assemble your bowl, add red kidney beans, rice, broccoli, roasted bell peppers and sliced cucumber. Season the bowl with salt and pepper. Drizzle the yummy almond butter lime dressing and gently toss them to combine. Enjoy!!

ENJOY YOUR RAINBOW BUDDHA BOWL, AND LET US KNOW HOW YOU LIKE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!