Dal makhani is a popular lentil curry from north India, specifically Punjab, and is served in Indian restaurants across the world. It is made with black whole urad dal or whole black lentils and kidney beans.
Traditionally dal makhani is slow-cooked for 10-12 hours. But it can be made in an easy way by cooking it in a pressure cooker.
This restaurant-style Instant Pot dal makhani can be made at home with just a few easy steps. It is a popular vegan and gluten-free Indian lentil dish and is commonly served with naan and basmati rice.
Dal makhani translates to buttery lentils in English. Another name used for dal makhani is Madras lentils.
Ingredients
Dal makhani is made with skinned whole black urad dal, also known as matpe beans. A handful of kidney beans are also added.
It is best to rinse and soak the dal and beans for about 6 hours or overnight. After soaking the dal will change to greenish color. Dal makhani can be made without soaking the lentils as well by pressure cooking it longer.
This is a no-onion dal makhani recipe so only tomato puree is used along with some ginger garlic paste. A few basic spices used in Indian cooking are added to get the flavor.
Spiciness can always be adjusted to taste by using more or less red chili powder and garam masala.
Dal makhani is creamy and usually, a lot of butter is added while cooking and after cooking. Some amount of cream is also added but it is optional.
Finally while serving, add some lemon juice and garnish it with some chopped cilantro.
Instructions
Traditionally dal makhani is slow-cooked for 10-12 hours in a slow cooker or on a stovetop. With the Instant Pot, a restaurant-style creamy dal makhani can be cooked in just about an hour's time.
First turn the saute mode on, once the Instant Pot is hot, add ghee (or oil for vegan). Once the ghee is hot, add the bay leaf, and cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute it for a few seconds and then add the tomato puree and all the spices. Give it a good mix and allow it to saute for 2-3 minutes.
This is a no-onion dal makhani recipe, if you want to add onions you can add them before the tomato puree and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add the water and deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot liner with the help of a spatula. Now add in the soaked dal, beans, and salt and give it a quick mix.
Press cancel and come out of the saute mode. Close the lid with the pressure knob in the sealing position. Pressure cook on high-pressure mode for 30 minutes followed by a natural pressure release.
Adjust salt and garam masala to taste. Dal makhani has a creamy texture, I have not added too much butter to keep it healthy, but butter or heavy cream can be added at this stage.
Remove the bay leaf and then insert the hand blender and give it a few quick pulses to make it creamy and smooth in texture. Do not over blend, you are looking for a creamy texture and don't want to end up making a paste.
While serving, add some lemon juice and garnish it with some chopped cilantro.
Substitutions
Heavy cream - to make it vegan, you can use cashew cream or coconut milk.
Butter - to make it vegan, use oil or vegan butter.
Variations
Onions - This is a no-onion dal makhani recipe, if you want to add onions you can add them before the tomato puree and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Spicy - Spiciness can always be adjusted to taste by using more or less red chili powder and garam masala.
Dal paratha - Leftover dal makhani will dry up a bit once stored in the fridge and is perfect for making stuffed flatbread or paratha. You can add some chopped onions and mix them in the dal for the stuffed paratha filling.
Serving suggestions
Dal makhani goes well with Indian bread like naan, roti or chapati, laccha paratha. It is also served with plain rice, brown rice, jeera rice, or peas pulao.
To make a complete meal, a few accompaniments like raita (yogurt condiment), papad (lentil crackers), and pickles, can be served on the side.
Equipment
This restaurant-style dal makhani is made in the 6 qt. Instant Pot. To blend it into creamy buttery lentils after cooking, I have used the Cuisinart immersion hand blender.
Storage
Dal makhani can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and it can simply be reheated in a saucepan, microwave, or in the Instant Pot before eating.
Leftover dal makhani will dry up a bit once stored in the fridge and is perfect for making stuffed flatbread or paratha. You can add some chopped onions and mix them in the dal for the stuffed paratha filling.
Dal makhani works well for meal planning and is one of the perfect one-pot make-ahead meals to freeze. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once it completely cools down you can portion it and store it in freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags.
When you are ready to eat, simply thaw it by putting the container in the fridge overnight. If you forget or run short of time, you can defrost it in the microwave.
FAQ
Do we need to soak dal for dal makhani?
Personally, I like to soak the dal and kidney beans for about 6 hours or even overnight. It helps get rid of any residue and debris.
The best part of pressure cooking in the Instant Pot is that dal makhani can be made without soaking the dal in case you forget to soak it. Dal makhani made with unsoaked dal will take a little longer to cook.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Dal Makhani
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole black urad dal (matpe beans, soak overnight)
- ¼ cup Red Kidney beans (rajma) (soak overnight)
- 3 cup Water
- 1 cup Tomato (pureed from 2 medium tomatoes)
- 1 ½ tablespoon Garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste
Oil and spices
- 2 tablespoon Oil (or ghee)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 count Bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder (adjust for spiciness)
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
For Finishing
- Chopped cilantro
- Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Butter (optional)
- 2 tablespoon Heavy cream (or coconut milk, optional)
Instructions
- Drain the water used for soaking the dal and beans.
- Turn on the saute mode on the normal setting.
- Once the Instant Pot is hot add the oil (or ghee).
- Once oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.
- Add bay leaf, ginger paste, and garlic paste.
- Saute it for a few seconds and add the tomato paste.
- Add all the remaining spices and salt (from oil and spices* ingredient list).
- Saute for about a minute or two and then add the water.
- Deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot liner with the help of a spatula.
- Add dal and beans.
- Press cancel to come out of the saute mode.
- Lock the lid with the pressure knob in the sealing position.
- Cook on the high-pressure mode for 30 minutes followed by the natural pressure release.
- Open the lid and give the dal a quick mix.
- With the immersion blender attachment of a hand blender, give a few quick pulses (about 8-10) to make the dal of a creamy consistency.
- Adjust salt and garam masala to taste, if needed.
- Optionally, add 1-2 tablespoons of butter and heavy cream (or coconut milk for vegan) after cooking.
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