Dal Makhani - with no cream and very little butter

Yes yes - you read the title right. It is the same Dal Makhani ...... but there is no cream and there is very little butter. Don't even think that it wont taste rich or it will taste like other not so healthy cardboard kind of dishes. This tastes divine. And just as the 'Beejee' (from where I took the inspiration for this dish) says..... it flows like butter from your tongue into your throats and to your tummy.

Lets talk a little about where I got the inspiration for this dal from. I have a virtual friend named Ansh who blogs at 'SpiceRoots' - you must visit her blog to read her amazing stories and to see her beautiful pictures and of course to read and recreate her sumptuous recipes. She had posted the recipe for this dal makhani and the story of how "Beejee" had said that a real Dal Makhani need not have all the butter or cream - but, it should glide from your tongue into the throats and then to the tummy. You have to visit the page to read her story. Here is the link Dal Makhani - by Spice Roots

There is the use of mustard oil in this recipe - If you do not like to use mustard oil - its too bad! (just like Ansh says) you can very much use any other oil of your choice. Ofcorse this will alter the taste of the dal. 

I used to be intimidated by mustard oil - like so many other I know of. But, trust me. When you learn how to use mustard oil - its the best one to cook with. Food tastes amazing and the golden hue that the food gets because of this oil - well, that another dimension to the food altogether. 

I tried and made it a little easier for myself - Blame the shortcut 'Me'. In that process I made some changes, mainly the use of some extra spices to get some  spice aroma.

We love this Dal Makhani and it has become a staple at home and even at parties.

Ingredients

2 Cups Maa ki Dal (Whole Black Gram/Urad Dal)
1/2 cup Rajma (Red Kidney Beans)
1 medium onion - chopped
5 garlic cloves - grated
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 Tablespoon mustard oil (or any other oil of your choice)
1 medium tomato - chopped
1 inch ginger - julienned
1 Tablespoon red chilli powder
1 Tablespoon coriander cumin powder
2 teaspoons Ghee (Clarified Butter)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 black cardamom
2 green cardamoms
2 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
Salt to taste
chopped cilantro for garnish
1 Tablespoon butter for garnish (optional)
1 Tablespoon cream for garnish (optional)

Method

wash the Urad dal and the rajma and then soak them in 6 cups of water for atleast 12 hours (overnight soaking is a good idea to make the dal in the late morning/early afternoon).
When ready to make  the dal - first chop the onions and grate the garlic. Drain the urad dal and rajma and put them into a pressure cooker with 5 cups of water. To this add the onions, garlic, asafoetida, turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon of mustard oil. Pressure cook the dal and rajma for about 5 whistles. Shut the heat and let the pressure be released on its own - would take about 15 minutes.
I use my terracota pot (its similar to a clay pot) to make this dal - but, you can use a saucepan or a kadhai too. Place the pot on the stove and heat it. Add ghee to it - when it gets hot add the cumin and let it splutter. Add the ginger and the chopped tomatoes and saute till ghee leaves the sides. Add the coriander cumin powder, chiili powder and the cooked dal from the pressure cooker. Add salt to taste. Cover and let it come to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat and let it simmer on low heat. In the meantime - pound the black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon into a powder using a mortar and pestle. Add this to the cooking dal and mix well. If the dal is too thick, you can add a little water to get the dal consistency to your liking (remember this is a thick dal and is not runny).
Garnish with chopped cilantro, butter and cream. Serve hot with rotis, naan or white rice that has been steamed. Enjoy!

Lal Bhaji / Red Amarath Leaves Kholomba (Konkani Sambar)

Ingredients

1 cup toor dal
1 onion - chopped
1 tomato - chopped
1 bunch Red Amaranth leaves
3 teaspoons kholomba masala
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon cumin/jeera
5 to 6 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon oil/ghee
salt to taste



Method

Clean the Red amarath leaves - only leaves and wash them very clean and then roughly chop them. Take the tender stems of the amarath and wash then and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces. Wash and cook the dal along with the amarath stems and 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker upto 3 whistles.
Once the dal is cooked - just mash it with the bottom of a ladle/spoon. To this add the kholamba powder and tamarind pulp.
In a karahi add the oil/ghee. Once it gets hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, then add the jeera and the curry leaves. Then add the chopped onions and mix well till they sweat and become transparent. Then add the tomatoes and mix for about 5 minutes. Then add the chopped amarath leaves and mix well and let it cook covered for about 5 to 7 minutes. To this add the dal mixture and bring it to a boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Serve with rice.

Kholamba (Konkani Sambar)

Kholamba can be made with a variety of veggies - you can use only brinjals or just potaotes or even just drumsticks. I used all the veggies that i had as that is the only way I can make my husband eat his veggies :).

Ingredients

1 cup tur dal (split pigeon peas)
1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp (I have a bottle of tamarind concentrate that I use)
salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
5 curry leaves
2 whole red dried  chillies
2 to 3 teaspoons kholamba powder
1 potato
1 tomato
4 okras/bhindi
1 cup dices ash gourd
1 baby brinjal/eggplant
1 carrot
7 to 8 french beans
1 drumstick

Method

Wash and cook the dal with 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker upto 3 whistles. Cut all the veggies into bite size pieces and cook them with enough water untill soft - Add the carrots, potato and ash gourd first and  after 10 minutes add the other vegetables and a pinch of salt and let it all get cooked well.
Once the dal is cooked - just mash it with the bottom of a ladle/spoon. To this add the kholamba powder and tamarind pulp.
In a karahi add the oil. When it gets hot add the mustard seeds. when they splutter add the curry leaves  and the whole dried red chillies. To this add the dal and the cooked vegetables. Mix well and add salt to taste. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer covered for about 15 minutes. add chopped cilantro for garnish ans serve with rice.

Dhansak

Dhansak - well, the name itself says it - Dhan means grains and sak mans leafy veggies. This is a Parsi delicacy and it is traditionally cooked with goat meat - but, you can cook it with chicken too. The lentils and leafy veggies make it healthy and the meat adds to the glory. Traditionally this is cooked with split masoor dal (the orange colored dal) - but, I have made some variations here to suit my taste buds :)

Ingredients

1 pound mutton (goat meat) - cubed into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup of curds
1/2 cup split moong dal
1/2 cup split masoor dal
1/2 cup tuvar dal
1/4 cup channa dal
1/4 cup udad dal
1 bunch fenugreek leaves
1 bunch dill leaves
1 cup chopped spinach
1 cup cubed pumpkin pieces
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
7 to 8 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 inch ginger shopped
2 teaspoons ghee (clarified Butter)
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon dhansak masala (I used everest brand)
2 teaspoons dhania jeera powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder (you can add more if you want it spicy)
salt to taste

Method

Marinate the meat in salt, ginger garlic paste and curds and let it sit for 2 hours. Then add some oil to a pressure cooker and add the meat pieces there and cook for about 4 whistles. The meat should be cooked tender by then. If not then cook for another 2 whistles. Remove it into a bowl and let it sit.

Clean the pressure cooker well. Wash the grains atleast four times in water and keep aside. Chop all the green veggies. Now add the ghee. To this add the chopped onions and garlic and saute till the onions turn golden. Then add the tomatoes and the ginger and cook till the ghee leaves the side of the cooker. add all the chopped greens and the pumpkin and mix well. To this add all the grains and mix well. Add the dhania jeera powder, dhansak masala, turmeric powder, chilli powder and add 3 cups of water. Cover and let it cook for about 3 whistles. Once that is done, use a potato masher or a  buttermilk churner and churn the dal and veggies mixture. Add salt and check for seasonings - if you wish to add more masala or more chilli powder you can do that now. If the dal is too thick you can add some water. Add the cooked meat pieces to this mixture and let it simmer uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes. garnish with chopped cilantro.

Traditionally this is eaten with brown basmati rice - but, can be served with white rice, naan or even bread.

Toor Dal (Dal Tadkaa)

Ingredients

1 cup toor dal - soaked for at least 4 hours

1 onion - chopped

5 to 6 cloves of garlic - chopped finely

2 dried red chillies (I use the round ones - the Gujarati chillies)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons jeera

a pinch of asafoetida

2 tablespoons ghee

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoons ghee

salt as per taste

Method

Pressure cook the dal with the chopped onions in 2 cups of water. Mash the cooked dal with a potato masher, add some water if the mixture is too thick. Keep aside.

In a kadhai add the ghee. When the ghee gets hot add the jeera and the asafoetida. In 10 seconds add the garlic and reduce the flame to a medium low. Be careful not to let the garlic burn else the dal will turn bitter. To this mixture add the crushed red chillies and the cilantro. Mix all well and then add the mashed dal to this mixture. Add turmeric and salt to taste and let the dal come to a boil. You can now increase the flame on the burner.

Serve it with Rice, Chappati or Naan

Dal Panchratna

Ingredients

1/4 cup yellow moong dal
1/4 cup yellow tuar dal
1/4 cup yellow channa dal
1/4 cup red masoor dal
1/4 cup white udad dal
2 medium onions - chopped finely
2 medium tomatos - chopped finely
2 green chillis - chopped
6 cloves of garlic - chopped finely
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds
4 tablespoons of ghee/butter/oil
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt to taste

Method

In a pressure cooker add the oil/ghee/butter - when it gets hot add the mustard seeds to it. When they start spluttering add the cumin seeds and immediatly add the chillis and the garlic. When the garlic oozes its aroma, add the onions. Fry till onions are golden color. Then add the tomatoes and turmeric and mix well. After the tomatoes and onion mixture becomes a little mushy, add the washed dal and mix everthign well. Stir fry the dal in this mixture for about 5 minute. Now add 2 1/2 cups of water to this mixture and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Once the pressure is released (do not forefully release it - else dal will remain uncooked), add salt to taste and bring it to a boil without the lid on. If you want the dal to be a little watery, add some extra water now. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

You can serve this dal with Naan, Chappatis, Roti, Jeera Rice or even Plain Rice

Tur Dal with Spring Onions

Ingredients

1/2 cup tur dal
5 to 6 spring onions
6 to 7 cloves of garlic - crushed
2 green chillis
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

Method

wash and soak the tur dal for 2 hours. Chop the spring onions and the chillies. In a karahi, add the oil . when it gets hots add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the cumin and the green chillis and the crushed garlic. Immediately add the spring onions along with the turmeric and the dhania jeera powder. Fry for 2 minutes and then add the soaked dal along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer on medium heat, covered till dal is cooked thoroughly and you get the desired consistency of dal. Add salt to taste. garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice, chappatis or nann

Dal Makhani (Kali Dal)

Ingredients

1/2 cup sabut urad dal
1/4 cup rajma
2 onions finely chopped
1 tomato chopped
5 cloves garlic crushes
1 inch ginger grated
2 green chillies chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
4 teaspoons of oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
1 teaspoon paprika powder
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
2 teaspoons dhania jeera powder


Method

Soak the urad dal and rajma overnight. In a pressure cooker, cook the dal and rajma with water and 1 teaspoon of oil upto 3 whistles

In a kadhai, add the remaining oil. When it is hot add the cumin seeds followed by garlic, green chillies and then onions. Be careful not to burn the garlic else it will become bitter. When the onion is golden brown, add the tomatoes and the ginger. Mix well and then add the dhania jeera powder, paprika powder, garam masala powder and mix well. Now add the cooked dal to this mixture. If the dal mixture looks dry add a little warm water to it to get the desired consistency. Bring to a boil and add salt to taste. Then add the cream and garnish with coriander leaves.

Dal is ready to be served with jeera rice, paratha or naan

Yello Moong Dal

Ingredients

1/2 cup moong dal

2 green chillies

5 to 6 curry leaves

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon jeera

1 teaspoon seasme seeds

salt to taste

a pinch of asafoetida

a pinch of sugar
1 tomato - chopped

1 onion - chopped

1/2 inch ginger - chpooed finely

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons ghee (clarified butter)

Method

Wash the moong dal and soak it in water for half an hour. In a pressure cooker - mix the dal with 2 cups of water, the chopped onions and tomatoes and ginger. Add 2 drops of oil and turmeric and pressure cook untill 3 whistles. Once dal is cooked. Mash it with a masher and keep aside.

In a karahi add the ghee, when it melts add teh mustard seeds. When they splutter add the jeera and the seasme seeds and the asafoetida. Then add the curry leaves and the chopped chillies. Add the mashed dal, along with salt and sugar. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer till it thicked to desired consistency. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve with rice or rotis.