mah ki dal or kaali dal

at home all my folks are fond of black lentils. in punjabi these are called mah di dal.

thanks to renu, one of the readers, i came to know that it is actually mah ki dal and not maa ki dal. while speaking, the word ’h’ is not stressed and obviously one hears it as maa ki dal…. ( read comments below)

at home too everybody called whole black lentils as maa di dal. in fact in the beginning it was a bit strange to me to get acquainted with the punjabi lingo.

so let me tell you what is the difference between mah ki dal and dal makhani, so that you don’t get fooled or misled.

kaali dal or mah ki dal is made from whole black grams only. there are many ways of making it. it can be spicy or bland as well. it is also not a very rich and heavy dish as no extra cream, butter is added to it.

whereas dal makhani is made from a mix of whole black grams, kidney beans/rajma, and some times chana dal. it is a rich dish as it is made with butter, cream and sometimes yogurt too. it is a makhani dish. makhani means buttery. the word makhani is derived from the punjabi word makhan which means butter. so dal makhani is a buttery creamy rich dish.

so kaali dal or mah ki dal is not dal makhani. they are two different dishes… got it friends?

just to let you know there is another punjabi dish called maa cholon di dal – this is made from black lentils and chana dal… it is a staple at my home. but never blogged as whatever i cook at home like dal fry, dal tadka, various sabjis, pulao, khichdi, idlis, dosa, sambar… i never blog about. for me these are simple, comforting foods and i think mostly everybody knows how to make these.

this reminds me that though i make idlis and dosa regularly, i never write about them. after some readers’ requests, very soon i will share with all of you how to make soft fluffy idlis at home.

talking about names being used synonymously and sometimes getting fooled too, i am reminded of sia’s excellent post here where she has explained very well the difference between palak paneer and saag paneer. a must read.

this recipe of kaali dal is a light recipe with a spicy touch to it. i have made this with sunflower oil… no butter or ghee. but you can make it with butter or ghee … you could also add some cream in the end if you prefer.

the main ingredients of this star dish is onion, green chilies, tomato puree and crushed ginger garlic bhunaoed/sauted with indian spices.

generally the daal is cooked and simmered in a pot. in a modern day life we don’t have the luxury and leisure to let our dals cook in pots. the black lentils take a lot of time to cook in a pot. i have cooked the dal in a pressure cooker. it is a quick cooking method and what might take hours, just gets over in 30-40 minutes.

this dish is excellent with rotis, naan and even rice. the hubby also loved it.

so if you are fond of punjabi dishes, then do try this awesome kaali dal recipe. you and family are going to love it… you don’t have to trust me. you have to make this at home and relish the mah ki dal.

mah ki dal step by step recipe follows… just for a change i am going to let the pics speak for themselves….

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ok.. now i have to write…. cover the pressure cooker with its lid and pressure cook the dal for some 20-25 minutes till its soft. once opened let it cook… mash some dal with the spoon whiles its cooking. cook till you get a creamy consistency. i kept the dal a little liquidy as we prefer thin dals in summer.

garnish with coriander leaves and serve mah ki dal hot with naan, kulcha, rotis or rice…

mah ki dal or kaali dal recipe details are below: