Dal makhani with jeera rice
Whole black urad and a little rajma, soaked overnight, pressure-cooked soft and simmered slowly with butter, tomato and cream until velvety: the weekend and party dal of Punjab and Delhi, here with jeera rice. Put the urad and rajma to soak the night before (not counted in the time). The everyday Punjabi version, maa ki dal, has far less butter; Jain homes leave out the ginger-garlic paste.
- 1 h 30Time
- 35 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 18 gprotein per portion
- 620kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 150 gSabut urad (whole black urad), soaked overnight
- 50 gRajma, soaked overnight
- ≈ 1 lWater, for the dal
- to tasteSalt
- 4Tomatoes, pureed
- 3 tbspButter, for the masala
- 1 tbspGinger-garlic paste
- 1 ½ tspKashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbspButter, to finish
- 3 mlGaram masala
- 1 tspKasuri methi
- 100 mlFresh cream
On the side
- 300 gRice, basmati
- 1 tbspGhee
- 1 tspCumin, seeds
- 1Bay leaf
- ≈ 650 mlWater, for the rice
Method
- Drain the soaked urad and rajma and put them in the pressure cooker with the water and salt. Close the lid and cook on a high heat until the first whistle.
- Turn the heat to low and cook for 35 minutes more, then let the pressure drop by itself. The urad should be completely soft and mash easily between your fingers.
- Blend the tomatoes to a puree. Melt the butter for the masala in a heavy-bottomed pot over a medium heat and fry the ginger-garlic paste for a minute. Add the tomato puree and Kashmiri chilli powder and cook, stirring, until thick and the butter separates, about 12 minutes.
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and leave it to soak in fresh water.
- Mash the dal lightly with the back of a ladle and tip it, with its cooking water, into the masala.
- Simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes until creamy, stirring every few minutes so it doesn't catch and adding hot water if it gets too thick.
- For the jeera rice, heat the ghee in a pot and let the cumin seeds and bay leaf sizzle. Add the drained rice and stir gently for a minute, then add the water and a little salt and bring to the boil.
- Cover and cook the rice on the lowest heat for 12 minutes, then let it stand, covered, off the heat for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the butter to finish, the garam masala, the kasuri methi crushed between your palms and the cream, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Serve the dal with the jeera rice.
