Midnight Dal Bukhara
The legendary black lentil dal that put ITC Maurya hotel on the culinary map, this dish slow-simmers whole urad dal and kidney beans overnight until they melt into a velvety, smoky gravy enriched with butter and cream. Dark as midnight and impossibly rich, one bowl will make you understand why this humble dal became world-famous.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole black urad dal (sabut urad), soaked overnight
- 1/4 cup rajma (kidney beans), soaked overnight
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
+ 9 more ingredients
Instructions
Drain the overnight-soaked urad dal and rajma. Place in a pressure cooker with 5 cups of water, turmeric, and a teaspoon of salt. Pressure cook for 20-25 minutes (about 12-15 whistles) until the beans are completely soft and breaking apart. Alternatively, simmer in a pot for 2-3 hours.
Mash the cooked dal lightly with the back of a spoon, leaving some whole beans for texture. The consistency should be thick but pourable.
In a separate heavy pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Add the chopped onion and cook until deep golden, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato puree. Cook until the mixture darkens and the butter separates, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the Kashmiri chili powder and stir for 30 seconds.
Pour this masala into the cooked dal and stir well. Simmer the dal on the lowest possible heat for at least 2-3 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes. The longer it simmers, the better it gets.
Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, heavy cream, and garam masala in the final 10 minutes. The dal should be dark, thick, and glossy.
Serve in a deep bowl with a generous swirl of cream and a pat of butter melting on top. Accompany with hot naan.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI