Pakistan – Daal Makhni (Butter Lentil)

by Arbaz Khan

Introduction

Daal makhni is an Asian dish originated in Indian Subcontinent. Its primary ingredients are black lentil, white beans and butter. The word daal means lentil and makhni means butter. There are many type of daal (lentils) dishes but butter makes this special. Cream can also be used as butter in this dish. Daal makhni Is eaten with rice and sometimes with chapatti. This dish contains high amount of carbohydrates which is a macro nutrient and primary source of energy. The recipe of daal makhni is given below

Ingredients

For daal makhni (butter lentil)

• 1 cup of whole black lentils
• Half cup of white beans
• 1 liter of water
• 4 tomatoes
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• Cooking oil = as required
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon of ginger and garlic paste
• Powder of red chilli = as required
• 1 and half teaspoon of powder of coriander
• Half teaspoon of powder of turmeric
• Salt = as required
• 2 green chilies
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 small piece of ginger
• 1 and half teaspoon of special kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tablespoon of dried leaves of fenugreek
• Chopped coriander = as required

For chawal (rice)

• 1 kilogram of rice
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 3 tablespoon of oil
• Water = as required

Procedure

For daal makhni (butter lentils)

• Take a pressure cooker and add black lentil, white beans and water, cover the cooker and boil it.
• Wait for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour take out the mixture of lentil and white beans on a plate.
• Now take a blender and pour the mixture in it and blend.
• After blending, take out the mixture and set it aside.
• Take required amount of tomatoes and cut them into slices with knife.
• Take a saucepan and add slices of tomatoes and water.
• Boil tomatoes for 5 minutes, then strain them and grind them with the help of a grinder and set aside.
• Take a wok and add oil in it, heat on medium flame and add cinnamon, cumin seeds and bay leaves and mix them.
• After some time, add garlic and ginger paste, grinded tomatoes and again mix them.
• Now add all spices (coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, salt and special kashiri powder, mix them and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add ginger, grinned lentil and green chilies.
• After that, take out bay leaves from it.
• Add some water and cook the mixture on medium flame for 15 minutes.
• Now add fresh coriander, dried leaves of fenugreek and butter and cook for 5 minutes.
• Take out the mixture on a plate and serve with butter!

For chawal (rice)

• Take a wok, add water, and heat on medium flame until it boils.
• Add 1 tablespoon of salt in water and rice in water.
• Wait for 20 minutes, remove water from wok.
• Add 3 tablespoon of oil to leftover rice, cover the wok and cook on a medium flame for 10 minutes.
• Serve your chawal (rice) with daal makhni!