Dal Makhani, a rich, creamy, and buttery lentils dish made from whole black lentils and red kidney beans is one of the most popular dishes from the North Indian cuisine.
I'm sharing how to make the best dal makhani recipe at home with easy to follow steps using Instant Pot and Stovetop method.
Dal Makhani is an extremely popular lentils dish that originated from Punjab, India.
From roadside Dhaba's to five-star restaurants, from special functions (weddings or parties) to everyday household meals, you are sure to find this Punjabi Dal Makhani on the menu.
"Dal" means lentils and "Makhan" means butter so the literal translation of Dal Makhani is lentils cooked in a buttery sauce. This dal is known for its signature dark color and creamy texture.
The components that contribute in making this dal so special are the lentils combo whole black urad dal (black lentils or black gram), rajma (red kidney beans), along with few whole spices, butter and cream, a good quality tomato puree, and last but not least simmering and slow cooking this dal for hours.
To make it a restaurant-style version with a smoky flavor, use the dungar method (the technique of infusing smoky charcoal flavor to food).
I usually don't do dungar for everyday cooking just when I making this dal makhani for a party or special events.
Without further ado, lets see, how to make dal makhani recipe!
Step by Step Instructions
Traditionally, the dal makhani recipe was made on the stovetop and cooked and simmered for long hours.
Pressure cooker and Instant Pot are used nowadays to cook the lentils making the process faster without losing any flavor.
I have used a traditional pressure cooker previously but nowadays I make my Dal Makhani in Instant Pot and love the convenience of one-pot cooking.
Here is the step by step for making dal makhani using Instant Pot.
Please see the recipe card for the traditional pressure cooker and stovetop cooking.
Soaking the lentils
Wash the whole black lentils (sabut urad dal) and red kidney beans (rajma) a couple of times and then soak both overnight or at least for 5-8 hours.
You can soak these together. Soaking helps the lentils cook faster and also makes it easier to digest.
Making the Dal
1 - Start the Instant Pot on saute mode and once hot add the butter (or oil/ghee). Stir in the cumin seeds, bay leaf, black and green cardamom, and asafoetida.
2 - Once the seeds splutter and then add the onions and saute until golden brown.
3 - Stir in the ginger garlic and cook until the raw garlic smell disappears.
4 - Add in the tomato puree and cook for 2 mins.
5 - Stir in the spice powders - red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and pepper and mix well.
6 - drain the water off the soaked lentils and add them to the pot along with 3 cups of water, give it a good mix.
Close the Instant Pot lid with vent to sealing position and pressure cook on manual or bean chilli mode for 30 mins. Allow a natural release.
7 - Open the instant pot lid, crush the kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) between your palms and add it along with 1 cup of water to the cooked dal.
8 - At this point, the dal is cooked but needs simmering to get that creamy and unique dal Makhni flavor and texture.
Slow cooking
This step is important since the flavor gets better and dal creamier as it simmers longer. I would recommend simmering the dal for at least 30 mins.
As the dal simmers it gets thicker so adjust the consistency by adding ¼ cup of water at a time as needed while simmering.
Start Instant pot back on saute (low) and bring the dal to a simmer. Keep stirring intermittently and mashing the dal with the back of the spoon a few times. Add water ¼ cup at a time and as needed.
9 and 10 - After 15 mins, add in a dollop of butter (optional), cream and mix well.
11 and 12 - The dal will get lighter in color after adding cream. Simmer for another 15-20 mins and you will notice the dal getting darker, thicker, and creamier. Dal Makhani is ready to be served.
If you prefer the Punjabi Dhaba or restaurant-style dal makhani with smoky flavor then follow the below steps for Dungar Method. This step is completely optional and your dal will still taste delicious without it.
Dungar Method (optional)
Dungar is a old age technique of infusing smoky charcoal flavor to food. In this technique, the food is exposed to charcoal smoke in a closed container for a few mins to infuse the flavor.
Below is the step by step how you can infuse the smoky flavor to dal makhani.
13 - Using tongs place a small piece of charcoal on the flame until it red hot, turning occasionally so all sides are evenly hot.
14 - Place the hot coal piece into a small stainless steel bowl (that would fit inside the pot). Place the stainless steel bowl on a trivet inside the pot.
15 and 16 - Add ½ tsp of oil/ghee over the charcoal. You will see it immediately starts to smoke. Cover and keep it closed for a minute or two to infuse the smoky flavor to the dal.
Keeping it for too long may lead to excessive smoky flavor so make sure not to exceed more than a min or two.
Remove the bowl and mix the dal. That's it, creamy and smoky Dal Makhani is ready to be served.
Serving suggestions
Dal Makhani has a thick creamy luscious texture so it pairs extremely well with Indian flatbreads like Garlic Naan or plain Naan, Tandoor roti or paratha or simple homemade roti.
You can also serve it with plain cooked basmati rice or cumin flavored rice called zeera rice.
Add a side of green chutney, salad (kachumber), or raita (yogurt dip) and make it a complete and colorful meal.
If you are planning a party don't forget to include this dal on your menu. You can make it a day ahead as honestly it tastes way better the next day as the flavor soak up.
Recipe Notes and Tips
The recipe for dal Makhani is not difficult in fact it is quite easy to make but you need patience. To make the best dal Makhani recipe, I would say even better than that served at restaurants follow these simple tips and tricks.
- Soak the whole black lentils and red kidney beans as it makes them easier to digest as well as reduces the cooking time.
- Don't skimp on butter and cream. These are one of the main components of Dal Makhani. Using butter to cook the onions adds a lot of flavor.
- Add freshly grated ginger-garlic for more depth of flavor. I use my food processor for getting the finely chopped consistency of onions, ginger, and garlic.
- Use store-bought tomato puree since its more concentrated and gives a great flavor and dark color which is the signature trademark of this dal.
- After many tries, I've found the combination of a few whole spices and ground spices gives the perfect flavor.
- Last but not least, slow cook or simmer the dal on low heat for a minimum of 30 mins to a couple of hours to get that deep flavor and thick and creamy texture. The more this dal simmers the more creamy it gets and better it tastes.
- Try the dungar method for that smoky Dhaba style or restaurant style dal makhani taste.
FAQ's
Yes, if you have forgotten to soak the lentils you can still make dal makhani. Just add additional 1.5-2 cup water since usually when we soak the beans swell so we have to account for expansion. For Instant Pot, cook on manual high for 50-60 mins followed by natural release. For pressure cooker give 7-8 whistles.
Smoked Paprika is the easiest way to get a smoky flavor to your dal. Replace red chilli powder with smoked paprika or use in combination.
If you prefer to make this dal vegan, simply replace the butter with oil or vegan butter and the cream with cashew cream. Alternately, you can skip the cream and simmer the dal for longer to get that creamy flavor without cream.
Yes, Dal makhani can be stored in refrigerator for 2-3 days and frozen for longer use. Allow it to cool completely before you refrigerate or freeze . Thaw overnight in fridge and reheat. Add water as needed to adjust consistency.
Any substitution will cause the taste to alter but the closest substitute is split black urad (split black gram with husk on).
More Punjabi recipes :
Hope you enjoy this Dal Makhani recipe!! If you give this recipe a try, please rate by clicking stars ⭐️ in the recipe card. Thank you ❤️ ! You can also follow me on Facebook | Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!
Dal Makhani
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole black lentils sabut urad dal or black gram
- ¼ cup red kidney beans rajma
- 2 tbsp butter + dollop more for finishing (optional). Use oil or vegan butter to make it vegan
- 1-2 black cardamoms
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 green cardamoms
- ½ tsp cumin seeds (zeera)
- ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 inch piece ginger grated or 1 tbsp minced
- 6 garlic cloves minced or 1 tbsp minced
- 1-2 green chillies finely chopped optional, adjust to taste
- 1 cup store bought tomato puree or (use 2-3 tomatoes pureed approx 1 cup pureed + 1 tbsp tomato paste)
- 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ¼-½ tsp garam masala
- pinch black pepper adjust to taste
- 2 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp kasuri methi
- ¼ cup cream skip for making it vegan or add cashew cream
For Dungar Method (optional):
- 1 smalll piece of charcoal
- 1 tsp oil or ghee
For Serving
- 1 tbsp butter or as needed
- 1-2 tbsp cream or as needed
- few ginger slices thin julienne, optional
- 2-4 tbsp cilantro leaves optional
Instructions
Soaking the Lentils:
- Wash whole black lentils (sabut urad dal) and red kidney bean (rajma) a couple of times and soak them both together overnight or at least for 5-8 hours.
For Making Dal Makhani in Instant Pot:
- Start the Instant Pot on saute mode and once hot add the butter (or oil). Stir in the whole spices bay leaf, black and green cardamom along with cumin seeds and asafoetida (hing).
- Once the the seeds splutter, add the onions and some salt and saute until onions are golden brown.
- Stir in the ginger garlic and saute until the raw garlic smell goes away.
- Add in the tomato puree, cook for 2 mins then add the spices red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Drain the water off the soaked dal and add them to the pot along with 3 cups of water, give it a good mix.
- Close the Instant Pot lid with vent to sealing position and pressure cook on manual or bean chilli mode for 30 mins followed by natural release.
- Open the lid, crush the kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) between your palms and add that along with 1 cup water and mix. At this point the dal is cooked but it needs to be simmered or slow cooked to get that creamy and unique dal Makhni flavor and texture.
- Start instant pot back on saute (low) and bring the dal to a simmer. Keep stirring intermittently and mashing the dal with back of the spoon a few times. As the dal simmers it gets thicker too so adjust the consistency by adding ¼ cup of water at a time as needed while simmering.
- After 15 mins, add in the dollop of butter (optional), cream and mix well. The dal will get lighter in color after adding cream.
- Simmer for another 15-20 mins stirring intermittently and you will notice the dal getting darker again and creamier.
- Our delicious Dal Makhani is ready to be served. Serve the dal makhani topped with some more butter, drizzle of cream, some cilantro and ginger slices (optional) with side of rice or roti/naan and some salad and chutney.
- Optional - Follow the steps for Dungar Method below to get that restaurant style dal Makhani with smoky flavor.
Fo Making Dal Makhani in Pressure Cooker
- Drain the water off the soaked dal and add it to pressure cooker with 4 cups water, whole spices bay leaf, black and green cardamom cardamom, asafoetida and 1 tsp salt. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles on high and then turn the heat to low and cook for another 30 mins. Switch off the heat and allow the steam to escape completely before opening the lid.
- Now in a pan melt the butter (or oil), to this add the cumin seeds. Once they splutter add the onions and cook until golden brown. Then add ginger garlic green chillies and cook until the raw garlic smell goes away.
- Stir in the tomato puree and cook till the water evaporates. At this point add in spices - salt, pepper, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well and cook till the masala starts oozing oil from sides. Add this tempering to the cooked dal and mix. Crush the kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) between your palms and add to the dal.
- On low flame simmer the dal for 30mins -2 hours. Longer the better. Mash the dal with back of spoon for a few times and keep stirring intermittently and scraping the sides. Add water ¼ cup at a time to adjust consistency in between. Lastly add cream and dollop of butter and give it a good stir. Simmer for another 15-20 mins.
- Our delicious Dal Makhani is ready to be served. Serve the dal makhani topped with some more butter, drizzle of cream, some cilantro and ginger slices (optional) with side of rice or roti/naan and some salad and chutney.
- Optional - Follow the steps for Dungar Method below to get that restaurant style dal Makhani with smoky flavor.
For Making Dal Makhani on Stove top
- Follow the same process as mentioned for cooking in pressure cooker. First cook the lentils in thick bottomed pan for 50mins-1 hours covered stirring intermittently until they are soft. Make the tempering in a separate pan and once the lentils are cooked add tempering to cooked dal and then simmer for 1-2 hours on low flame. Finish with cream and dollop of butter.
Dungar Method (optional):
- Using tongs place a small piece of charcoal on flame until it red hot, turning occasionally so all sides are evenly hot.Place the hot coal piece into a small stainless steel bowl (that would fit inside the pot). Place the stainless steel bowl on a trivet inside the pot.
- Add ½ tsp of oil/ghee over the charcoal. You will see it immediately starts to smoke. Cover and keep it closed for a minute or two to infuse the smoky flavor to the dal. Keeping it for too long may lead to excessive smoky flavor so make sure not to exceed more than a min or two. Remove the bowl and mix. Dal Makhani is ready to be served.
Notes
- Soak the whole black lentils and red kidney beans as it makes them easier to digest as well as reduces the cooking time.
- Don't skimp on butter and cream. These are one of the main components of Dal Makhani. Using butter to cook the onions adds a lot of flavor.
- Add freshly grated ginger-garlic for more depth of flavor. I use my food processor for getting the finely chopped consistency of onions, ginger, and garlic.
- Use store-bought tomato puree since its more concentrated and gives a great flavor and dark color which is the signature trademark of this dal.
- After many tries, I've found the combination of a few whole spices and ground spices gives the perfect flavor.
- Last but not least, slow cook or simmer the dal on low heat for a minimum of 30 mins to a couple of hours to get that deep flavor and thick and creamy texture. The more this dal simmers the more creamy it gets and better it tastes.
- Try the dungar method for that smoky Dhaba style or restaurant style dal makhani taste.
- Use my homemade Punjabi garam masala that goes very well with this recipe.
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Thank you!
Hi Shweta,
Thanks for the recipe it looks delicious!!!
I would like to give it a try however it does not specify the quantity for the garam masala in the ingredients but in the instructions it mentions to add it. Can you please confirm the quantity?
Hi, Thank you for catching that! I've updated the recipe now. You can add 1/4 -1/2 tsp garam masala. Start with 1/4 and adjust based on heat preference. Hope this helps!! Excited for you to try it!!