I enjoy a big bowl of a hearty dal makhni, and although I've had many variations of it (dhaba-style, home-made style, five-star style) I longed to perfect a recipe of my own so I didn't have to long for my next serving. But like every other recipe, it took me a few trials and lots of errors before I finally got a method together that churned out the dal makhni of my liking.
Here's how I do it.
1. Soak about 3 fistfuls of whole udad, 1 fistful of rajma and 1 fistful of whole masoor for about 8 hours. Masoor lends creaminess to the gravy, but you can omit it from the recipe if you like.
2. Drain the water used to soak the lentils and add fresh water to the utensil. There should be little more than enough water to cover the lentils. Into this, add a couple of split green chillies, an inch of finely chopped ginger and about 4 finely chopped cloves of garlic.
I didn't add onions to the recipe earlier, but now I do because it gives a different flavour to the gravy. You can add it or not depending on availability or taste. Chop one medium-sized onion finely and add to the dal-spice-water mix. I've also noticed that white onions are milder in flavour than red ones, so if you get those, go for them.
3. Pressure cook this mix till they're fully cooked. It takes about 6 whistles for my cooker and it may vary for yours - the idea is to ensure the rajma is thoroughly cooked since it is the toughest of the lentil lot.
Once the dals are cooked, fish out the split green chillies.
4. I also boil about 4 medium-sized tomatoes - sometimes separately, sometimes in the same cooker. Once these are done, peel them and chop them up as finely as possible. Better still, purée them.
5. Heat some oil in a vessel. You might want to add ghee or butter to this oil or temper the dal wholly with butter or oil, whatever your choice of grease is. Add a dried bay leaf and jeera. Once it splutters, add the tomato. Turn it around for a while and once the oil starts to separate, add some dried red chilli powder and garam masala. Turn around the tomato for about a minute or two more and then add the cooked dal.
6. Now, I add about 4 cups of water and a cup of milk. The milk reduces and lends a smooth texture to the gravy. I've known people to add cream or butter, but although the gravy becomes that much richer, it becomes just as heavy. I prefer milk though you might want to continue with the cream or butter.
7. Add salt. Mix well and bring to a boil. Now reduce the heat to a sim. Add a few pinches of kauri methi or dried, crushed fenugreek leaves. Mix this well.
8. I let this mix boil for about an hour. It depends upon the consistency you want, so you can let the mix boil for a shorter while if the gravy has reached the creamy texture of your palate's dreams.
9. Drizzle some cream or molten butter on top when it's done. Serve it hot with rice or pulao or naan or roti... but me? I like my bowlful just like that!
