Dal Makhni

Description

Dal makhani (“Buttery lentils”) is a restaurant based modern dish originating from the Moti Mahal restaurant in New Delhi, India. The primary ingredients are whole black lentils (urad), red kidney beans (rajma), butter(makhan) and cream. The dish gets its richness from the use of cream or butter, but it can also be achieved with yogurt, ghee, milk or no dairy.
Dal makhani is a staple in the Indian subcontinent. The dish was introduced by Kundan Lal Gujral, Thakur Dass and Kundan Lal Jaggi at their restaurant called  Moti Mahal in the locality of Daryaganj, Delhi, India.

Kundan Lal Jaggi is the inventor of dal makhani. This dish is recognized as a quintessential Indian dish, and variations of the dish are served in many different restaurants internationally. Dal makhani’s popularity is due in part to its versatility in a meal: the rich vegetarian dish can be served as a main meal, included as part of a buffet (thali), or used as an accompaniment to a meal. In India, soups and curries with a red or yellow lentil base are an important staple.
The traditional preparation of dal makhani involves a series of time-consuming procedures, which can take up to 24 hours to complete. With the availability of modern cooking equipment, namely pressure cookers, the preparation time of the dish has reduced significantly to 2–3 hours. The lentils, however, need to be soaked overnight or a minimum of 5-6 hours for the best flavor.