Usha Singh

This post was started on the 4th December 2011, and I have just been experiencing problems loading my pictures, and i can assure you that i have been trying on a regular basis and eventually got it right this morning, Yipee for me!!!

Dhall Makhani is a popular North Indian Vegetarian dish that used to be served to royalty, and therefore it is traditionally made with lots of butter and cream. Dhall Makhani is a popular vegetarian dish that is enjoyed all over the world. It can be a very nutritious and healthy dish if some of the ingredients and the cooking method is changed. I have taken the original recipe and modified it so that it is a healthy option for a vegetarian meal, and it can be served with either  basmati rice or whole wheat roti or freshly baked naan bread

Dhal Makhani

125ml whole black urad dhal

125ml green mung beans

75ml pigeon peas

75ml brown lentils

75ml red kidney beans

50ml each of split, mung beans, split chick peas, split black lentils

100ml chopped onion

200ml grated tomato

10ml grated ginger

10ml grated garlic

15ml cumin and coriander powder

2.5ml turmeric powder

5ml chilli powder

5ml coriander powder

125ml fat-free yoghurt

125ml cream (can substitute with fat-free yoghurt)

TARKA SPICES

25ml butter and oil

1-2 dry chillies

2-3 green chillies

10-15 curry leaves

1-2 cloves fresh garlic cloves-chopped

5ml cumin seeds – roasted

5ml fennel seeds

5ml mustard seeds

10ml salt (or to taste)

5ml garam masala (used to garnish)

100ml chopped coriander leaves (used to garnish)

70ml chopped spring onions

Method

1.  Soak beans, whole lentils and split lentils over night
2. Wash the beans and lentils, add enough water and pressure cook for about 25 minutes
3. Add cream and yogurt and remove from heat
4. Heat oil in a small frying pan and add curry leaves, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, chillies and onions and allow to fry for a minute
5. Add tomatoes and all dry spices and allow to fry for a few more minutes
6. Add this to the bean and lentil mixture and stir continuously on low heat until it reaches boiling point and remove from heat
7. Garnish with chopped coriander and garam masala
8. Serve hot with fresh naan bread, whole wheat roti or basmati rice and pappadams and a glass of Lassi

• When placing the beans and lentils into the pressure cooker, add the tomatoes, chopped onions and half the quantity of all the powder spices and ginger and garlic paste and cook for 25minutes
• remove from heat and allow to cool in the pressure cooker, once cool add the yogurt and i used 250ml yogurt instead of half cream and half yogurt, and mix throughly
•  heat oil and butter in a small saucepan and add the tarka (tempering spices), once the spices splurrter and the aroma of the spices arise, immerse the sauce pan into the the cooked lentils and allow all of the tarka spices to mix with the dhall mixture
• place the dhall mixture on the stove and heat through and then remove from heat.
• garnish with the garam masala, chopped coriander and chopped spring onions

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