🍛 Dal makhani

Name: Dal makhani
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: India · Punjab
Ingredients: 200 g whole black lentils (urad), soaked overnight; 1 litre water; 30 g butter; 3 garlic cloves, grated; 250 g tomato purée; 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp chilli powder; 60 ml cream; Salt

Origin: India · Punjab

425kcal

per serving · 250 g

170kcal

per 100 g

20 gProtein8 g / 100 g

22 gFat9 g / 100 g

42 gCarbs17 g / 100 g

Dal makhani is a rich Punjabi dish of whole black lentils slow-cooked until creamy, then finished with butter and cream in a garlicky tomato sauce spiced with garam masala. It is velvety, deep and slightly smoky, much heavier than everyday dal. It is served with naan or jeera rice and is a favourite at restaurants, weddings and festive meals.

Diets

✓

Vegetarianno meat or fish in a typical recipe

✓

No pork

✓

Gluten-freeno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

Not veganbecause of: butter, cream

Contains dairybecause of: butter, cream

Not keto17 g carbs per 100 g

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Milk

What it is made of

black lentilsbuttercreamtomatogarlicgaram masala

Recipe

4 servings90 min

Ingredients

200 g whole black lentils (urad), soaked overnight
1 litre water
30 g butter
3 garlic cloves, grated
250 g tomato purée
1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp chilli powder
60 ml cream
Salt

Method

Drain the lentils and simmer them in the water for about 60 minutes until very soft; mash some against the side of the pot.
Melt the butter, fry the garlic for 1 minute, add the tomato purée, chilli and salt and cook 10 minutes.
Add the lentils with their liquid and simmer on low heat for 20–30 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the garam masala and cream, heat through and serve.

How to make it lighter

Butter and cream carry most of the fat: halve both and simmer the lentils longer for creaminess.
A restaurant bowl is often 300 g or more; a 200 g serving with salad fits a calorie budget more easily.
Pair it with plain rice or one roti rather than butter naan.

History

Dal makhani is often said to have been developed by Punjabi cooks in Delhi after 1947, the same restaurant circle credited with butter chicken. Today it is a fixture of Punjabi restaurants and celebrations across India.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →