Dal Makhani (Buttery, Curried Lentils)

Dal Makhani (Buttery, Curried Lentils)

Dal makhani is a gem of Punjabi cuisine. Curried Indian black lentils and kidney beans are cooked in tomatoes, spices, butter and cream. The result is a smooth, rich and intensely flavorful dal that's worthy to be served with some warm naan/rice as a complete meal, or as a side with your main dish.

Course Brunch/Dinner

Cuisine Indian

Keyword dal makhani, Indian lentils recipe, instant pot dal makhani, lentils

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Resting Time 8

Total Time 8 50

Servings

Calories 254.2kcal

Author Saima Zaidi

Equipment

6-quart Instant Pot Duo

Ingredients

1 ½ cups black lentils
½ cup red kidney beans
2 tablespoon cooking oil
1 medium onion sliced
1 inch piece ginger minced
8 cloves garlic minced
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
4-5 cloves
3-4 cardamom
½ cup tomato puree
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup heavy cream
2-3 sprigs cilantro leaves chopped
sea salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Wash and soak the black lentils and kidney beans together in enough water to cover the lentils completely. Keep overnight. Drain the excess water when ready to cook.
Switch on your instant pot to sauté, and when the display shows HOT, add the oil followed by the whole spices. Let the spices sizzle for a few seconds.
Add the onions. Fry them until caramelized, then tip in the ginger and garlic followed by the tomato puree, powdered spices and salt. Sauté for 5 minutes, adding splashes of water to keep the masala from sticking to the bottom.
Add the drained lentils and kidney beans and 2 cups of water. Cancel sauté, make sure the steam release handle is sealed and close the lid. Press the bean/chili mode.
When the timer beeps, wait for the pressure to release naturally, open the pot and mash the dal slightly with the back of a large spoon. If the dal is still liquidy, press sauté again and cook the dal for 5-10 minutes.
Add the butter and cream. Cook for 5 minutes and add cilantro leaves right at the end. Serve hot with warm naan or rice and a salad.

Notes

Whole black lentils are also called black gram, sabut urad or sabut kaali maash. Easily available online or in Indian stores.
Instead of tomato puree, you can also use 2 big tomatoes, chopped fine. Choose ripe and red tomatoes if you can find them.
It is best to soak the lentils and beans before cooking (8 hours minimum or overnight). However, if you forgot to soak them, you can still make dal makhani. Choose the pressure cooking mode, set the timer to 45 minutes and do a natural release.

Nutrition