History

Dal Makhani (buttery) is a signature staple food that originates from Punjab - a state in the north west of India. It is also known, as Maah-ki-dal (mother’s dal)Dal Makhani is favorite dish to order when dining out in most parts of India. Like the people of Punjab the dish is robust one and not for calorie watchers. This is a holiday favorite for home cooking. It's leisure time cooking because it may take four to six hours to it cook it the traditional style however, with modern stoves and pressure cooker it can be cooked in 30-45 minutes. Dal Makhani is not only Punjab's most characteristic signature dish it finds favor on both sides of India’s borders and even in UK where a sizable Indian community lives. It is high in protein--an important attribute in primarily vegetarian cultures. When the Peshawaris (from the north-western frontier city of Peshawar now in Pakistan) migrated to the Indian side after the partition brought brought the best recipes of dal makhani with them. Since they were also the early restaurateurs they popularized in their eateries. Many restaurants in northern India claim to be the originators of dal makhani; however, dal makhani is also a favorite for travelers eating in dhabas (eateries by the highway).
Dal Makhani typically cooked with Urad Dal (black whole pulses) and Rajma (kidney beans). The spice used has high quantum of heat to give strong flavors. One of the common methods is soak the dal and rajma overnight in water and some salt. The dal and rajma is boiled on low heat for four to six hours. The use of modern day pressure cooker reduces the process to 25 minutes of boiling. Dal Makhani pairs well with butter chicken, chicken curries, chicken tikkas, and paneer (Indian cottage cheese) dishes. It is generally eaten with rotis (Indian flat bread), tandoori roti or rice.
Dal makhani Though the recipes of dal makhani have evolved over a period, each household or restaurant would have closely guarded secret variations in either spices or durations of cooking. Indian houses would find snob value in telling their guests that the recipe they have cocked the dal makhani from specially given by some celebrity cook or associate name of popular restaurants with their recipe. Knowing to cook dal makhani well can also be ticket to finding a good matrimonial alliance for the girls. However, here is a typical recipe to four to six persons:

Ingredients y
• 150g whole urad dal (whole black lentils)
• 50g rajma (red kidney beans)
• 50g channa dal is optional (Bengal gram dal, also Ok to use chickpeas/garbanzo beans)
• 10g ginger, peeled
• 2 – 3 garlic cloves
• 2 green chillies
• salt to taste
• two medium onions
• 2 red dry chillies
For tadka (tempering)
• 50g ghee (Clarified butter)
• 1 tspn cumin
• 2 – 3 garlic cloves
• pinch Asafoetida powder
• 0.5 tspn fenugreek seed or kasuri methi or better flavouring
• 100g tomato paste or puree

To finish
• 100g butter
• 30 ml of wiping cream
• 0.5 tspn or more chilli powder
• whole garam masala

Method
Soak all of the lentils (urad, rajma and channa dal) in water for 6 hours, or preferably overnight. Wash four times, changing the water each time. Boil the soaked pulses and simmer for over four hours on low flame in an open vessel. In case of pressure cooker increase the water by about 10% and bring it a boil before closing the lid of the cooker. Allow four whistle of the cooker then simmer on low flame for 20 to 25 minutes.
Chop the garlic, ginger, de-seeded green chillies, and two cloves of garlic finely. Also, chop onions and tomatoes finely. You can also add a table spoon of tomato puree. Blend all the chopped items in a food processor.
Take a heavy bottom pan and heat it on medium flame. Pour a table spoon of any oil. Fry cumin seed, whole garam masala until the cumin seeds splutter. Add pureed mixture from the blender and until golden brown. Add one tea spoons each of turmeric, coriander power, and red chilli powder. You have add more of chilli powder depending the heat you wish. It is done when the mixture begins to release the absorbed oil. Add two cups of water and bring to boils. Then add the boiled pulses. Bring it to simmer the pulses come to a coil, cook for five minutes and then add butter. Add some water if the consistency is too thick. Cook for another ten minutes. When the pulses have reddish black colour add salt to taste and as optional add a tea spoon of chat masala. Cook for a few for minutes and take it of the flame and add half a cup of wiping cream and the put it back on the flame for five more minutes. Your dish is done serve hot.