This Dishoom black daal recipe is the famous London restaurant’s take on the Indian classic Daal Makhani. Dal Makhani is definitly up there in my top 3 Indian dishes. It originates from the heart of Punjab in Northern India. Like most classic dishes it is traditionally a peasant dish, born out of simplicity, made with humble ingredients like whole black lentils (urad dal) and sometimes kidney beans (rajma). It is slow-cooked for hours over a low flame. However over time, Dal Makhani evolved into a dish rich in flavor and culture, becoming synonymous with Indian celebrations and parties. At the same time it is one of India’s most popular comfort foods.
The word “Makhani” translates to “buttery,” which hints at the creamy richness that defines this dish. Butter (or Ghee) and cream are what makes this dish so delicious. However these two ingrediants can be dialled back to make the dish healthier. The key to not lose the creamy texture is to slow cook the daal. I achieve this by using a slow cooker.
Given Urid daal takes a long time to cook (over 24 hours in a slow cooker!) I jump start the process by soaking the daal overnight in water then initially cooking it in a microwave. I wanted to come up with a recipe that can be made in one day. In this recipe I start cooking in the morning and the daal is ready for dinner that night.
Dishoom Black Daal Ingrediants
- 300g of black urid daal
- 12g of finely chopped garlic (2-3 cloves)
- 10g chopped fresh ginger
- 70g of tomatoe paste/puree
- 8g salt
- 2/3 teaspoon of red chilli powder
- 1/3 teaspoon of garam masala
- 90g of unsalted butter
- cream to garnish
Method
- Put the daal in a bowl. Cover the daal in fresh water and leave it to soak overnight (at least 12 hours).
- Rinse the daal with clean water. Place in a pyrex dish and cover with 1 inch of boiling water. Microwave on high for 25 minutes.
- Drain the daal and place in the slow coker with 1000ml of clean boiling water. Cook on HIGH for 5 hours.
- Drain the daal using a seive
- Add the daal back to the slow cooker, along with 450ml of fresh boiling water
- Add the remaining ingrediants (except for the cream) and stir.
- Cook on low for 4 hours, stirring occaisionally
If you love Indian cuisines, I would highly recommend the Dishoom: From Bombay with Love recipe book. This is where I saw the original recipe which I have adapted here.
Related: If you like this try our Dhaba Style Mung Dal Recipe
