Dal Makhani is a comforting, creamy and buttery lentil dish where the lentils and beans are cooked until smooth then we build up with layers of aromatic flavours. It makes the perfect side dish to go with any curry.
To start off we need to soak the pulses. Rinse the lentils and kidney beans under cold water a few times then place them in a bowl.
165 g (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) black lentils (dried), 70 g (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) red kidney beans (dried)
Cover with cold water, enough to completely cover, and add an extra 2-3cms (about an inch)of water and leave to soak overnight (for at least 12 hours).
water for soaking
Making the dal
Drain the kidney beans and lentils then place them in a saucepan and pour over the water.
800 ml (3 + 1/3 cups) water
Bring them up to a gentle simmer and leave them to cook, uncovered, for about 90 minutes, until the lentils and kidney beans are really soft. NOTE: You'll want to give them a stir occasionally, to ensure they're not sticking. It it starts to look a little dry then add in a splash of water.
After 90 minutes, turn the heat down to very low and give them a gentle mash with a potato masher or the back of a fork to break up some of the lentils and kidney beans.
In a second saucepan add in the ghee and butter and heat over a medium heat.
1 tbsp ghee, 3 tbsp unsalted butter
Once the butter has melted, add the finely diced onion and stir often, until the onion has softened (about 5-7 minutes).
1 onion
Add in the ginger, chilli powder, garam masala, cumin, salt, and tomato puree (paste) and cook for 1 minute stirring continuously.