I will share all my tips and tricks to make restaurant-style dal makhani at home with easy-to-follow steps.
Simmer the dal on low heat for an extended period to unlock the best flavors. I understand that everyone has busy lives, but if possible, I highly recommend letting the dal simmer for at least 30 minutes—an hour or two is even better. Slow cooking enhances all the flavors and makes the dal wonderfully delicious and creamy. Many restaurants known for their amazing dal makhani simmer it all day.
To prepare the dal, boil the lentils until they are soft. While this is happening, you can make the masala, keeping the lentils simmering on medium-low heat. Once the masala is ready, add it to the dal and let it simmer for some more time. In this recipe, the dal simmered for approximately an hour and 15 minutes on low heat.
Be generous with the use of butter and cream—this is not a recipe for cutting down on fat. The butter and cream are essential for achieving that rich dal makhani flavor you love. So don’t just use 1 tablespoon of cream and butter if you want a restaurant-style taste.
When it comes to spices, less is more in dal makhani. After experimenting with various combinations over the years, I’ve concluded that this dish doesn’t need many spices. I’ve used 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala, but that's optional—you can skip it if you prefer. There's also just 1/2 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder for color.
No kasuri methi or cumin seeds are necessary. The main flavors of the dal come from using fresh onion, ginger, garlic, tomato puree, and a generous amount of butter and ghee. That’s all you need to make a great dal makhani.
Let it simmer for around 30 minutes further over a low flame.
- 250g, whole black lentils soaked in water for 2 hours
- 100g, chana dal soaked
- 1 tsp, Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ tsp, turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp, crushed coriander powder
- 200g, thick heavy cream
- water as required
- 150g, butter/margarine
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp ghee
- 1/2 cup, tomato puree
- 1 tbsp, onion (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp, crushed red chili
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp, ginger garlic paste freshly ground
- 3- 4 green chilies, chopped
- 1 tbsp, fresh coriander leaves (for garnishing)
- Drained and soaked lentils were transferred to the saucepan
- Add water, turmeric powder, and red chili powder and stir to mix well
- Bring it to a boil on a high flame, then reduce the flame to low-medium
- Cover the lid on the dal pan and cook it for about 20 to 30 minutes
- Meanwhile, keep stirring occasionally until well-tendered
- With the wooden spoon, mash some dal to mix well
- Add ghee and butter together and heat them over low-medium flame
- Then put onion slices and fry them till they turn golden brown, then add ginger-garlic paste and fry them with onion for a minute
- Right after adding cumin powder,garam masala, crushed red chili powder, and salt along with a little water, cookthe masala with the onion for 5 minutes over low-medium flame
- Now pour tomato puree into the onion masala and mix well
- Allow to cook for 5 minutes
- Put chopped green chilies while cooking the masala and then further mix well
- Allow cooking for another 2 minutes until oil comes on top
- Put all bhagar/tarka to the daal
- Stir to combine well
- Then add 1/2 cup water to the dal and stir to combine well
- Allow cooking another 5 minutes
- Then add cream and further stir to mix well
- Let it simmer for around 30 minutes further over a low flame
- Transfer the dal to the serving dish and garnish with heavy cream and coriander leaves
- Serve with Rice, paratha, and mixed veggies raita.
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