Name: Punjabi Dal Maharani
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 570 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¼ cup Whole Black Gram, sabut urad, soaked; ⅛ cup Red Kidney Beans, rajma, soaked; ⅛ cup Split Bengal Gram, chana dal, soaked; 1¾ cup Water, for boiling; ⅓ Onion, finely chopped; ⅓ cup Tomato Puree, fresh or canned; ½ tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste, generous amount; ½ tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder, for rich color; ⅓ tsp Garam Masala, added at the end; 1 tbsp Butter, divided; ⅛ cup Fresh Cream, for the royal finish; ½ tsp Salt, to taste; ⅓ tbsp Ghee, for sautéing masala

9 hr 30 mintotal

1 hr 30 min hands-on8 hr hands-off

Prep 30 min · Cook 1 hr

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Cook the soaked dals and beans in a pressure cooker with the water and salt for 8-10 whistles, until they mash easily.
Let the pressure release. Mash the contents against the sides of the cooker; the Bengal gram will help thicken the gravy.
Establish a masala base in a heavy pan by heating the ghee and a fraction of the butter. Caramelize the chopped onions to a deep golden brown.
Fry the ginger-garlic paste until the raw smell fades. Fold in the tomato puree and Kashmiri chilli, then cook until the paste darkens and releases fat.
Transfer the mashed lentil base into the reduction. Simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes so the dal thickens and the flavours deepen.
20–25 min
Turn off the heat. Fold through the remaining butter, garam masala and fresh cream. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
10 min

How to tell it's done

The dal should be rich and creamy, with tender black gram and kidney beans suspended in the gravy.

Getting it right

Tip

Bengal gram makes dal maharani heartier than dal makhani. It softens into the gravy while still giving a rustic body.

What to serve it with

Serve with garlic naan, jeera rice and raw onion salad.

Common mistakes

The dal is rich but the beans stay firm.: Soak overnight and pressure cook until the urad and rajma mash easily before adding cream.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate dal maharani in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat slowly until hot, adding water as needed; freeze for up to 2 months and add fresh cream after reheating.

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Ingredients