Dal Makhani

Traditionally, this dal would take a whole day of cook. With the invention of pressure cookers, the time to cook this dal was reduced drastically, but it still remains one of the North Indian dals which take the longest time to cook , probably because most of the time the dal is cooked on low heat . Back home, mum would prepare this along with plain white rice as a feast for herself on the night of karvachauth....and i can now relate that probably after a day of fasting, this dal acts like a great filler....Enjoy this king of dals...Dal Makhani!

Ingredients:

Urad Saboot ( Whole black beans )- 1 cup
Channa Dal- 2 tbsp
Rajma- soaked for 5-6 hours- 2 tbsp
Ghee or oil- 1 tbsp
Water- 5 cups
Salt- 1 1/2 tsp
Ginger- 1" piece
Garlic- 4 flakes
Dried red chillies- 2
Tomatoes- pureed in a grinder- 3
Yogurt- 1/4 cup
Fresh Cream- 1/2 cup
Ghee or oil- 3 tbsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Garam Masala powder- 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powder- 1/4 tsp
Butter- 1 tbsp

Method:

• Grind ginger, garlic and dry red chillies together to a paste.
• Wash dals with water.Pressure cook both dals and the soaked rajma with 1 tbsp ghee, water, salt and half of the ginger garlic paste .
• Keep the left over paste aside.
• After first whistle, keep on low flame for 40 minutes. Remove from gas and keep aside.
• Heat ghee in a separate pan. Add tomato pureed in a grinder.
• Cook till ghee separates and it turns thick. Add yogurt and cook till ghee separates and it turns red in color again.
• Add left over ginger paste, garam masala and coriander powder. Cook for a few seconds. 
• Add this tomato mixture to the boiled dal. Add butter.
• Simmer on slow fire for 8- 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add cream and nutmeg powder. Remove and serve.