Dal Makhani
Despite taking 6 hours this is very easy to make. Best cooked on a lazy weekend and then eaten throughout the week with other curries.
Live in Bangkok and in yet another "lockdown" so everyday is like a Sunday at the moment.
Recipe
300g Black urad dal
60g Tomato puree
30g Garlic and onion paste (I make mine with equal amounts of both with blitzed with oil)
1tsp Garam masala (I make my own and it contains dried chilli. If yours doesn’t add ½ tsp and reduce the garam masala to ½ tsp)
100g Butter
50ml Double cream
Salt as needed
Method
1. Rinse 300g Black Urad Dal in a sieve until you get clear water.
2. Put it in a large pan with at least 2 litres of cold water. You might think that there is way too much water but it will be cooking for a long time. The dal will swell and water will evaporate. Heat and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce temperature and simmer for about 4 hours. It is important not to let it boil or the dal will split, releasing too much starch too early. Check on it every 30 minutes and top up with warm water if needed. After 3 hours take small samples and press against a spoon or plate. You want the inside of the grains to be a smooth paste. Chew on some and check that there are no crunchy bits. Keep checking until you get the correct consistency. It may take longer than 4 hours.
4. Leave the dal to cool for 20 minutes and then strain in a sieve. Try not to be too rough with it
5. Make the following into a paste:
60g tomato puree
30g garlic and onion paste (I make mine with equal amounts of both with blitzed with oil)
1tsp garam masala (I make my own and it contains dried chilli. If yours doesn’t use ½ tsp and reduce the garam masala to ½ tsp)
6. Add 100g butter to a medium sized saucepan on a medium heat. Add the paste and cook for 5 minutes. This releases the oils from the spices and reduces the sourness of the puree making it slightly sweeter. You might be tempted to add more spices but it is important that the spices only act as a seasoning to the dish.
7. Add the dal to the saucepan. Pour on warm water so that it covers the dal by 3cm. Add 1 tbsp of salt.
8. Put the lid on and bring to a simmer. If you don’t have a lid, improvise so that it is covered. You need to reduce the amount of evaporation as much as possible.
9. Patience is needed now. Check it every 20 minutes or so. Give it a stir and check the consistency. It will start runny and get thicker over time as the starch is released. Taste a little bit each time and add salt if it needs it (it probably will).
9. It could take 2 hours or more to get to the right thickness. Try not to rush it.
10. Finally add 50ml double cream.