dhaba style dal makhani

Dhaba style dal makhani recipe with step by step photos – it is one of the most popular dal recipe of India along with Dal tadka and Dal fry.

I have already shared a recipe of Easy instant pot dal makhani. well, this one-pot recipe is the way, my mil makes dal makhani at home and is liked by all. For a restaurant like taste, you can check this Dal makhani recipe.

The recipe posted here is how this creamy dal is served and relished in Punjabi dhabas. This is one dal that is made by every dhaba and is usually had with rotis or different varieties of parathas.

Like sarson ka saag and dal amritsari, the taste of dal makhani also improves with time. So you might like it even more on the second day. But keep in mind that it is a little heavy on the stomach and to get the best taste addition of makhan (butter) is a must. So eat in moderation, no matter how delicious you find this creamy dal.

The recipe of dhaba style dal makhani has been adapted from the book “The Dhabas of Amritsar” by Yashbir Sharma and a few more cookbooks. This recipe is the simplest recipe allowing the flavors of urad dal coming through in the dish.

Only tomatoes, ginger, garlic and red chili paste are used in the recipe. So there is a slight tang of the tomatoes in this mildly spiced dal makhani. The original recipe does not use rajma or kidney beans, but I have added them. Many people add rajma to it and many don’t.

It is best served with naan, rotis, paratha or plain rice. This dal goes very well with jeera rice or saffron rice or biryani rice or ghee rice.

How to make dhaba style dal makhani

1. Rinse and soak ¾ cup sabut urad dal (black gram) and ¼ cup rajma (kidney beans) in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.

2. After 8 to 9 hours, drain the water. Rinse the lentils very well in fresh water.

3. Then add them in a pressure cooker.

4. Add 3 cups of water.

5. Pressure cook on medium or high flame for 18 to 20 whistles.

6. Meanwhile, add 2 to 3 dry red chilies in ⅓ cup hot water for 15 minutes.

7. In a grinder jar add 1 cup roughly chopped tomatoes, dry red chilies (which had been soaked in the previous step), ½ tablespoon chopped garlic and ½ tablespoon roughly chopped ginger.

8. Grind till smooth puree is formed. There is no need to add water while grinding. Place this puree aside.

9. When the pressure settles down on its own, then remove the lid. Check if the lentils are cooked well. if they are not cooked then add some more water and pressure cook for some more time. They should be cooked well.

Making dhaba style dal makhani

10. Add 1 cup water and ground tomato puree.

11. Next add 3 tablespoons butter (or 2.5 tablespoon oil) and salt as required. Also, add ¼ cup low-fat cream.

12. Stir and mix well.

13. Simmer on a low to medium-low flame for 30 to 40 minutes without the lid.

14. If the mixture starts spluttering, then partly cover the cooked with its lid. Allow some steam to escape from the sides.

15. The lentils should be completely cooked and mushy. Do stir at intervals so that the dal does not get burnt from the bottom. Add more water if required.

16. Simmer till the consistency becomes medium and smooth. Mash some lentils with the back of a spoon to thicken the dal. Do stir often when the dal is simmering. The lentils should become so soft, that they should melt in your mouth. Check the seasoning and add more salt if required.

17. Simmer the dal till you get a creamy smooth consistency like the way you see in the dhabas and restaurants. Then add ½ teaspoon Punjabi garam masala powder, 1 generous pinch of nutmeg powder and ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). Crush the leaves while adding. Mix very well and keep aside.

18. Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes red hot. With the help of tongs, keep on turning the charcoal so that it evenly burns.

19. Place this burning charcoal on an onion shell or a small bowl.

20. Drizzle some oil and you will see the charcoal leaving smoke.

21. Immediately place this onion shell (or the bowl) in the pressure cooker and keep it covered for a minute.

22. After one minute open the lid. Remove the onion shell. Stir the dal one last time. serve dhaba style Dal makhani hot plain or topped with some butter or cream along with rotis or naan or lachha paratha or butter roti or plain rice or cumin rice or plain biryani.

More tasty recipes

• Chana dal
• Arhar dal
• Rajma recipe
• Black gram dal
• Dhuli masoor dal

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Dhaba Style Dal Makhani

4.79 from 19 votes

By Dassana Amit

This Punjabi dhaba style dal makhani is a delicious creamy lentil preparation as made in the dhabas.

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Prep Time 9 hrs

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 9 hrs 50 mins

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Cuisine North Indian, Punjabi

Course: Main Course

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Servings 3 to 4

Units

Ingredients

main ingredients

• ▢ ¾ cup sabut urad dal (black gram)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons rajma (kidney beans) - optional
• ▢ 1 inch ginger chopped
• ▢ 3 cups water, for pressure cooking
• ▢ 2.5 tablespoon oil or 3 tablespoon butter

other ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup water, added later
• ▢ ¼ cup cream, 25% to 35% fat
• ▢ ½ teaspoon punjabi garam masala powder or garam masala powder
• ▢ 1 generous pinch nutmeg powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi leaves (dried fenugreek leaves)
• ▢ salt as required

for dhungar method (optional)

• ▢ 1 small piece of charcoal
• ▢ ½ to ⅓ teaspoon oil
• ▢ 1 outer covering of onion or onion shell

for the red paste

• ▢ 200 grams tomatoes, chopped or 2 large tomatoes or 1 cup roughly chopped tomatoes
• ▢ 2 to 3 dry kashmiri red chilies
• ▢ ⅓ cup hot water for soaking dry red chilies
• ▢ 7 to 8 small to medium garlic, chopped or ½ tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
• ▢ 1 inch ginger, chopped or ½ tablespoon roughly chopped ginger

Instructions

preparation

• Rinse and soak the lentils in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.
• Drain and then add them in a pressure cooker.
• Add 3 cups water and pressure cook on high or medium flame for 18 to 20 whistles. 
• Meanwhile, add 2 dry red chilies in hot water. Soak the red chilies in ⅓ cup hot water for 15 minutes.
• Add 2 medium sized chopped tomatoes, dry soaked red chilies, chopped garlic and ginger into the grinder jar.
• Grind till smooth puree is formed. There is no need to add water while grinding. Place this puree aside.
• When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and check if the lentils are cooked. If they are not cooked then add some more water and pressure cook for some more time. They should be cooked well.

making dhaba style dal makhani

• Add 1 cup fresh water, tomato-chili puree, butter or oil, garlic, cream and salt to the cooked lentils in pressure cooker.
• Stir and mix well.
• Simmer the dal for 30 to 40 minutes on low flame without any lid. Keep stirring at intervals. 
• Mash some lentils with the back of a spoon to thicken the dal.
• The lentils should become so soft, that they should melt in your mouth.
• Check the seasoning and add more salt or red chili powder if required.
• Simmer the dal till you get a creamy smooth consistency like the way you see in the dhabas and restaurants.
• Then add garam masala powder, nutmeg powder and kasuri methi leaves which have been crushed. Mix very well. Switch off the flame. 
• Serve the dhaba style dal makhani hot plain or topped with some butter or cream along with rotis, naan, paratha or plain or jeera rice.

Notes

1. The consistency of this dhaba style dal makhani can be easily adjusted by adding more or less water.
2. If in the third stage of cooking the consistency becomes thick, add some water.
3. If the consistency is thin, then simmer the dal for a longer period of time till you get the desired consistency.

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