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Dal makhani Creamy dal makhani served in a bowl with a spoon lifting a rich, velvety portion, showcasing traditional Indian lentil curry.

Dal Makhani (Restaurant Style)

This creamy, flavorful Dal Makhani is made from black lentils, kidney beans, ghee, butter, and cream, delivering a rich, comforting dish that's perfect for any occasion.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Soaking time 8 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Indian, Punjabi
Calories: 410
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup urad dal Indian black lentils, also known as whole black gram
  • ¼ cup rajma red kidney beans, or substitute with more urad dal
  • 4 cups water for pressure cooking the dal, more if cooking in a pot
  • To Temper/Masala:
  • 2 tablespoons ghee clarified butter, or substitute with oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cultured butter is preferred
  • ½ cup onions finely chopped, about 1 small to medium onion
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste or use ¾ tablespoon each grated ginger and garlic
  • 1 cup tomato puree either bottled or homemade from 2-3 medium tomatoes blended
  • ¾ to 1½ teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder adjust to preference
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala plus an additional ½ teaspoon for finishing
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt adjust to taste
  • 2 cups hot water for later use
  • 1 tablespoon kasuri methi dried fenugreek leaves, optional for extra flavor
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup heavy cream use cooking or whipping cream, extra for garnish if desired
  • Whole Spices optional:
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 black cardamom

Method
 

  1. Rinse the urad dal and rajma thoroughly, rubbing them together. Drain and repeat the rinse twice more. Soak the beans in 4 cups of water overnight. Once soaked, drain and rinse them again. prep
  2. Add the soaked beans to a pressure cooker with 4 cups fresh water. Pressure cook on medium heat for 10 whistles or in an Instant Pot on high pressure for 20 minutes. If cooking in a pot, cook until soft, adding more hot water as needed. prep
  3. After cooking, check if the lentils and beans are soft. Mash with a spoon, and if they don’t mash easily, add an extra ½ cup hot water and cook for 3-4 more whistles. prep
  4. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat ghee over medium heat. If using whole spices, add them now and let them sizzle for about 1 minute. prep
  5. Add finely chopped onions and sauté them until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the ginger garlic paste and cook for another minute until fragrant. prep
  6. Pour in the tomato puree, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala, and salt, and cook the mixture for an additional 4-5 minutes until thickened and aromatic. prep
  7. Add the cooked dal with its stock into the pot, along with 1 cup of hot water. Stir to combine. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 60 minutes. prep
  8. Once the dal thickens, add another ½ to 1 cup hot boiling water, and continue cooking for 30 more minutes. The total cooking time should be around 90 minutes. finish
  9. Crush the kasuri methi between your palms and stir it into the dal. Add the cream, and cook for another 6-8 minutes until the dal becomes creamy and thick. Taste and adjust salt or garam masala if needed. Stir in butter before serving. finish

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 15gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 1217mgPotassium: 350mgFiber: 16gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 664IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 5mg

Notes

This slow-cooked Dal Makhani is a comforting Indian dish, rich in flavor with the perfect balance of spices and cream. It pairs beautifully with naan or basmati rice.

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