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.

NEW POTATOES AND SPRING PEAS IN A TANGY TOMATO GRAVY

Get ready to tingle your tastebuds with these new potatoes and spring peas in a tangy tomato gravy

This winter, let's make these beautiful New Potatoes with Spring Peas in a tangy tomato gravy. This is a fantastically easy dish to make and it's pretty tasty too!! It's a classic Punjabi dish which is very popular in the northern part of India and goes well with Indian breads or rice. It is popularly known as Aloo-Matar in India.

It was a huge hit with everyone in my house. I love the combination of new potatoes and spring peas. It's different and very delicious. You can make this flavorful dish by combining these two veggies in a tangy tomato sauce.

You can add any type of potato in this dish and cut them in small or large chunks. Since, I'm adding the new potatoes in my dish. I don't feel the need to cut them as they are already very small in sizes.

Let's talk about these two veggies. Peas is considered as a 'starchy vegetables'. They are widely grown as a cool season vegetable. I like all kinds of peas, spring peas is one of them. Spring peas are very sweet and tender. They are a seasonal vegetable. They are grown and harvested in Spring when the weather is cool.

Potatoes are the most humble and versatile ingredient which is widely used in all types of cuisines. It is the fondest root vegetable which is loved by everyone. There are various types of potatoes but new potatoes are my favorites. New potatoes are the first potatoes that are dug in spring or early in summer. Since, new potatoes are harvested before reaching maturity, their skin is very thin and tender. They have a delicate sweet flavor and creamy texture. They can be stored in a paper bag but should be eaten within a week.

I usually don't boil new potatoes. I prefer to cook it with the traditional low and slow cooking method which gives it an intense flavor. I lower down the heat, loosely cover the pan and simmer the flame for about 18-20 minutes. Simmering cooks the food gently and slowly. It allows various tastes to mingle and layer one over the other. It helps to keep the flavor of ingredients separates and also helps to keep the crunchy texture.

This dish is cooked without onion and garlic. There are many people who think, if they don't use onions and garlic in their curry, the end result will be bland but let me tell you, it is just a myth. It is very much possible to make the gravy flavorful and richer without using onion and garlic. It's purely a tomato based curry. It's very easy to make and it's delicious too!! I do hope you try this recipe out. Serve this dish with Indian breads or rice and you'll love it.

NEW POTATOES AND SPRING PEAS IN A TANGY TOMATO GRAVY

Preparation time: 7-8 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Author: The Food Root

INGREDIENTS
4 medium size tomatoes - puree
4-5 new potatoes
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
2 cups of water
1/2 inch ginger - peeled, grated
2 tablespoon - ghee/clarified butter or oil
1 or 2 green chilli, chopped
pinch of asafoetida
1/4 teaspoon - red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon - coriander powder (sukha dhania)
1/4 teaspoon - turmeric powder
1/4 - garam masala
Salt to taste
coriander leaves (chopped)

METHOD
1. Prepare the tomato puree tempering: Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan, add a pinch of asafoetida powder followed by ginger. Fry them until they are golden brown. Now, add 1 cup of tomato puree and 2 chopped green chilli and sauté it for about 5-6 minutes on low flame. Next, add in the spices - 1/4 teaspoon of red chili powder, 1/2 tea teaspoon of coriander powder, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder and stir it well. Let the mixture cook until the oil separates.

2. Add the raw new potatoes: Now add 4-5 raw new potatoes and cover the pan. Let them cook for around 6-7 minutes on low medium flame. When the potatoes are cooked, add salt and mix it well.

3. Add the peas: Next, add 1 cup of peas and cover the pan for next 4-5 minutes on a low flame.

4. Prepare the gravy: Add 2 cups of boiling water and cook it for about 7-8 minutes. Once boiling point is achieved boil it gentle over a low heat of 2 minutes.

5. Garnish and serve: Next, add 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala and chopped coriander leaves and stir it for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove it. Serve it with roti, naan or rice.

NOTES
1. You can save your time and add the cooked (boiled) potatoes in the dish if you wish. I like the crisp flavor of the new potatoes so I didn't boiled them.
2. You can add any type of potatoes in this dish and cut them in small or large chunks. Since, I'm adding the new potatoes in my dish. I don't feel the need to cut them as they are already very small in sizes.
3. You can also add the frozen peas, just allow it to warm for 5-7 minutes before adding them in the pan.
4. The peas will always remain bright green if the salt is added while preparing the tomato puree tempering. In this case, add salt, after cooking the potatoes.

DAL PAKWAAN

Scoop the dal with a bite of crispy pakwaan!

Dal Pakwaan an authentic delicacy among Sindhis, mostly served as breakfast or brunch. It's a combination of Dal (lentils) and Pakwaan (crunchy snack). It's one of the easiest, and yet lip smacking dish. It's my favorite among the few Sindhi dishes that I have relished so far and is something that is often prepared in our kitchen. It's an ideal dish for brunch which you would love to serve to your family.

Pakwaan is deep fried crisp flat bread prepared with all-purpose flour (maida), carrom seeds (ajwain) and crushed black pepper which is served alongside with Dal.

I added both bengal gram (chana dal) and black gram split (urad dhuli) in this. Though, urad dhuli is not the part of original recipe but I added both the lentils in equal quantity. This dal will give you a perfect nutty sweet texture of bengal gram and a creamy texture of black gram. In punjabi we call it as 'maah choleyan di dal'. I don't like chana dal so I always add urad dhuli to get the right flavors. If you don't like urad dhuli you can make it with chana dal. The method is same.

I haven't soaked the lentils here, I directly pressure cooked it. This process will take 15-20 more minutes. I find it better because you can control how far you can take it and this method will give you perfect flavors and creamy texture.

To get the authentic taste of Dal Pakwaan, add some dry mango powder (amchur) in the dal. Sprinkle some chaat masala, squeeze in the lemon juice and it will taste delicious. Scoop the dal with a bite of crispy pakwaan and enjoy it with onions, pickle or your favorite chutney. Yummmm!!!

DAL PAKWAAN

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Author: The Food Root

FOR DAL
Ingredients
For Cooking Lentils
1/2 cup or 100 grams - bengal gram (chana dal)
1/2 cup or 100 grams - black gram split (urad dal dhuli)
2.5 to 3 cups - water
1 teaspoon - salt
1/2 teaspoon - turmeric powder
1 - 2 chopped green chilli
2 cloves (lavang)
1/2 inch cinnamon (dalchini)

For Tempering

2 tablespoon - clarified butter or oil
1/2 inch ginger - peeled, grated
5-6 cloves - garlic, finely minced
2 medium size onions - chopped
2 medium size tomatoes - chopped
1/4 teaspoon - red chili powder (lal mirch)
1/2 teaspoon - coriander powder (sukha dhania)
1/2 teaspoon - garam masala
1 teaspoon - dry mango powder (amchur)
coriander leaves (chopped)

For Garnishing
1 teaspoon - chaat masala
1 teaspoon - lemon juice

Method
1. Wash 1/2 cup of chana dal, under the running water. Drain it completely and add into the pressure cooker. Next, add 3 cups of water and pressure cook it for 1 whistle on high flame. After 1 whistle, turn off the heat and wait for the pressure to release completely before opening it.

2. Open the lid and add washed 1/2 cup of urad dal dhuli and the spices - 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2 cloves, 1/2 inch of cinnamon and 2 chopped green chillis. Add water if required and pressure cook it again for 1 whistle. After 1 whistle, switch off the flame and remove it.

3. Heat about 2 tablespoon of clarified butter or oil in a pan and add ginger and garlic paste and sauté it for 40 to 50 seconds on low to medium flame. Next, add 2 chopped onions and stir it. Keep stirring and adjusting the flame so that the onions cook slightly golden brown.

4. Add 2 chopped tomatoes and sauté it for around 5 minutes on low to medium flame. Next, add 1/4 teaspoon of red chilli powder and 1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder and stir it well.
Let the mixture cook till the oil separates.

5. Now, add the cooked dal in the pan. Stir it for next 10-15 minutes till it's nicely cooked. Add 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of dry mango powder, chopped coriander leaves and mix it well. Stir it again for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove it.

6. Transfer the dal to a serving bowl. Sprinkle some chaat masala, squeeze in the lemon juice and it will taste delicious. Scoop the dal with a bite of crispy pakwaan and enjoy with onions, pickle or your favorite chutney!!


FOR PAKWAAN
Ingredients
1 cup or 200 grams - all-purpose flour (maida)
1 cup - lukewarm water
1 teaspoon - salt
1 teaspoon - carrom seeds (ajwain)
1/2 teaspoon - crushed black pepper
1 tablespoon - oil

Method
1. In a bowl, add the all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of carrom seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of crushed black pepper, 1 tablespoon of oil and mix it well.

2. Add sufficient water and knead into a semi-soft dough.

3. If the dough feels sticky, brush it with 1 tablespoon of extra dough and make it smooth. Set the dough aside and let it sit for atleast 15 minutes or longer.

4. Divide the dough into 7-8 balls and roll it into 4 inch diameter. Use your hand or a rolling pin to lightly flatten each ball. If the dough is sticking to the surface put couple of oil on the surface.

5. Prick the rolled dough with a fork all over, so that they don't puff up while frying.

6. Now, heat oil in a deep frying pan till the smoking point. Fry the each pakwaan on low heat till it turn golden and crisp. Fry one pakwaan at a time, make sure you press down the pakwaan when it's fluff up.

7. Remove the pakwaan on tissue paper to absorb the extra oil.

Notes

1. I added both bengal gram (chana dal) and black gram split (urad dhuli) in my dish. Though, urad dhuli is not the part of original recipe but I added both the lentils in equal quantity. If you don't like urad dhuli you can make it with chana dal. The method is same.

2. I haven't soaked the lentils here, I directly pressure cooked it. This process will take 15-20 more minutes. I find it better because you can control how far you can take it and this method will give you perfect flavors and creamy texture.

3. In order to obtain crisp, crunchy pakwaan prick the rolled dough with a fork so that they don't puff up while frying.