Search results for: dal makhani
Dal Makhani- Black Lentils with a Cream Sauce
Diwali is coming up and this is a must in our house… people typically make this lentil dish for a special occasion but it is so simple… you can make it any day you want… yum!
- 1 cup whole urad dal (black lentils)
- ¼ cup rajma (red kidney beans)
- ¼ cup channa dal (gram lentils)
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 inch piece of ginger, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 3 tablespoons half and half
In a pressure cooker or sauce-pan, add the urad dal, rajma, channa dal, water, crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, salt, cayenne pepper, coriander powder, turmeric and ghee. If using a pressure cooker, then close the lid and cook on high till the pressure is built, then turn the heat on low and cook for an hour. Turn the heat off, and take the lid off- check the consistency. The dal should be like a thick soup or a think stew. If there is excess liquid, then turn the heat on high and begin to evaporate the liquid. Add the garam masala and half and half. Cook till the dal reaches desired consistency. Taste for seasonings.
If using a sauce-pan, then bring the mixture to a boil and lower the heat, cook for at least 2 hours or till the lentils are soft and mushy. Add the garam masals and half and half. Cook till the dal reaches desired consistency. Taste for seasonings.
India- Long Awaited Experience…
Just a couple days left until we fly back home. It has been a good trip, filled with great food, family visits and some shopping as well. I love going away on vacations to new and old places alike.. but more than that I love going home. I like relaxing and taking it easy where ever I am but I really look forward to going home and getting back into my routine- I feel a bit lost without it.
Anyway, I was saving the best for last. As I mentioned before, a trip to Delhi for me means a trip to Bukhara, which is a high-end Indian restaurants serving my favorite kind of cuisine- kebabs, etc. I saved this visit for almost the end of my trip- there really wasn’t any other time to go.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I also went to a place called Colonel Kababz, which is similar to Bukhara but very down to earth with prices to match. The food there was spectacular and I had something to compare to.
We walked into the very fancy Mauryas Hotel, covered in beautiful and expensive marble. A very pleasant, flowery aroma followed us to the restaurant in the back of the building. The space was exactly the same as I remember more than five years ago. We sat down and were brought the menu right away.
We ordered seekh kebabs (minced goat meat with spices cooked on a skewer), barrah kebabs (chunks of leg of goat with the bones, expertly marinated), bukhara dal (dal makhani) and two pudina paranthas (bread topped with dried mint- my favorite).
We sipped our bottled water and waited for the food. The kebabs, dal and bread came promptly. The barrah kebabs were delicious- perfectly marinated and super flavorful, especially with the bones intact. The seekh kebabs were okay- nothing special, especially since I was able to do a direct comparison with the other place. Colonel Kababz seekh kebabs were far more superior – they were tender and almost melted in my mouth.
The famous Bukhara dal was adequate- not as good as the one I had the other day. I was quite disappointed. I have no problem spending big bucks for fabulous cuisine- but it has to out of this world. This experience was good but nothing outstanding.
I am not sure if I will return to Bukhara- it doesn’t seem worth my time or money, especially when I can get better food for a quarter of the money.
India- Time for the real favorites…
More than a week has already passed. When we planned the trip, two weeks seemed a lot of time to do all sorts of things. The rest of the time will be spent eating my all time favorite part of Indian cuisine- tikkas. Tikkas are tender morsels of any meat, marinated in different spices to perfection and then cooked in a clay oven or tandoor. The result is melt-in-your-mouth taste that is out of this world. We do have decent restaurants in New Jersey serving these preparation, but nothing can compare to all the places here in Delhi.
We made our way to Colonel Kababz near by. I was super excited to try all sorts of things including dal makhani and pudina parantha. We ordered the malai kebab (tender chicken pieces in a creamy marination), kalmi kebab (chicken legs cooked to perfection), seekh kebab (minced goat meat with spices), dal makhani and lots of bread. The meal was delicious- the meats were prepared with just the right amount of spices and the dal was out of this world. We noticed the thick layer of butter on top of the lentils and for a second I thought of removing it- but then I proceeded to eat it exactly how they served it. The butter makes it more delicious. My daughter loved the chicken tikkas- found them a bit spicy but managed to eat it.
My next stop- Bukhara– my all time favorite place to go for this cuisine. It is a must for me every time I come back. This time it is after five years and I am really looking forward to it. Will take lots of pictures and report back….