dhaba style dal makhani recipe with step by step photos – dal makhani is one of the most popular dal recipe of india along with dal tadka and dal fry. i have already shared one pot way of making easy dal makhani recipe. well, this one pot recipe is the way, my mil makes dal makhani at home and is liked by all. for restaurant like taste, you can check this restaurant style dal makhani recipe.

the dal makhani recipe posted here is how this creamy dal is served and relished in punjabi dhabas. this is one dal which 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 little heavy on stomach and to get the best taste addition of makhan (butter) is 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 dal makhani and many don’t.

dal makhani 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

few more similar recipes you may like are:

• chana dal
• arhar dal
• rajma recipe
• black gram dal
• dhuli masoor dal

4.37 from 19 votes

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dhaba style dal makhani recipe

punjabi dhaba style dal makhani - a delicious creamy lentil preparation as made in the dhabas.

course main course

cuisine north indian, punjabi

prep time 9 hours

cook time 50 minutes

total time 9 hours 50 minutes

servings 3 to 4

author dassana amit

ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

main ingredients for dal makhani

• 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 for dal makhani

• 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

how to make dhaba style dal makhani recipe

preparation for dhaba style dal makhani

1. rinse and soak the lentils in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.

2. drain and then add them in a pressure cooker.

3. add 3 cups water and pressure cook on high or medium flame for 18 to 20 whistles. 

4. meanwhile, add 2 dry red chilies in hot water. soak the red chilies in ⅓ cup hot water for 15 minutes.

5. add 2 medium sized chopped tomatoes, dry soaked red chilies, chopped garlic and ginger into the grinder jar.

6. grind till smooth puree is formed. there is no need to add water while grinding. place this puree aside.

7. 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

1. add 1 cup fresh water, tomato-chili puree, butter or oil, garlic, cream and salt to the cooked lentils in pressure cooker.

2. stir and mix well.

3. simmer dal makhani for 30 to 40 minutes on low flame without any lid. keep stirring at intervals. 

4. mash some lentils with the back of a spoon to thicken the dal.

5. the lentils should become so soft, that they should melt in your mouth.

6. check the seasoning and add more salt or red chili powder if required.

7. simmer dal makhani till you get a creamy smooth consistency like the way you see in the dhabas and restaurants.

8. then add garam masala powder, nutmeg powder and kasuri methi leaves which have been crushed. mix very well. switch off the flame. 

9. serve the dal makhani hot plain or topped with some butter or cream along with rotis, naan, paratha or plain or jeera rice.

recipe notes

1. the consistency of 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 dal makhani for a longer period of time till you get the desired consistency.

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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 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 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.

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 dal makhani 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 makhani does not get burnt from the bottom. add more water if required.

16. simmer dal makhani 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 dal makhani 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 a 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 makhani one last time. serve the 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 jeera rice or nei choru or plain biryani.

dassana amit

Founder, Designer, Recipe Developer, Food Photographer || MORE ABOUT US

i started vegrecipesofindia.com in feb 2009. it is a pure vegetarian blog and shares recipes with step by step photos that will help you to make delicious and tasty vegetarian food easily.

i am passionate about cooking from childhood and learnt cooking from my elders. having a home science degree greatly enhanced my cooking & baking skills and took it to a different level which i now share as foolproof recipes. i was trained both in mainstream indian as well as international cuisines.