Dal Makhani (Maanh Sabat) (Serves 6)

Ingredients

1 cup urad saboot (whole black beans)
2 tbsp channe ki dal (split gram dal)
2 tbsp rajmah (kidney beans) -- optional -- soaked for at least 6 hours or overnight
1 tbsp ghee or oil
5 cups of water, 11/2 tsp salt
1" piece ginger
4 flakes garlic (optional)
2 dry red chillies -- soaked for 15 minutes
4 tomatoes -- pureed in a grinder
3 tbsp ghee or oil
2 tsp dhania (coriander) powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup fresh malai, beaten well and mixed with 1/4 cup milk to make it 1/2 cup.

Method

Clean, wash dals. If you want to add rajmah, soak both the dals and rajmah, soak both the dals and rajmah together in a pressure cooker for 6 hours.

Grind ginger, garlic and dry red chillies together to a paste.

Discard water from the dals and add 6 cups of fresh water.

Pressure cook both the dals and rajmah with 1 tbsp ghee, salt and half of the ginger-garlic paste. Keep the left over paste aside.

After the first whistle, keep on low flame for 40 minutes. Remove from fire. After the pressure drops, mash the hot dal a little. Keep aside.

After the first whistle, keep on low flame for 40 minutes.Remove from fire. After the pressure drops, mash the hot dal a little. Keep aside.

Heat ghee. Add tomatoes pureed in a ginger. Cook untill thick and dry.

Add the left over ginger-garlic paste, garam masala and coriander powder. Cook untill ghee separates. Cook further for 1-2 minutes.

Add this tomato mixture to the boiled dal. Add butter.

Simmer on low flame for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring and mashing the dal occassionally with a kadchhi against the sides of the cooker.

Add beaten malai mixed with milk. Mix very well with a kadchhi.

Simmer for 15-20 minutes more, to get the right colour and smoothness. Remove from fire. Serve hot.

Note: Originally the dal was cooked by leaving it overnight on the burning coal angithis. The longer the dal simmered, the better it tasted.

Sukhi Maanh Di Dal (Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 cup urad dal (split black beans) - soaked for ½ hour
½ “ piece ginger - very finely chopped
2 green chillies -- very finely chopped
½ tsp haldi
11/4 tsp salt
1 cup water

Tadka/ tempering

3-4 tbsp desi ghee
1 big onion - finely chopped
1” piece ginger - cut into match sticks
1 big tomato - finely chopped
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp garam masala
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method

Clean, wash the dal. Soak it in water for ½ hour. Strain dal.

Pressure cook dal with 1 cup water and all the other ingredients. When the first whistle comes, slow down the fire and keep for one minute only.

Remove from fire. Open the cooker only after the pressure drops down. Keep aside.

At the time of serving, heat ghee. Add onions. Cook till light brown.

Add ginger match sticks and stir for a few seconds till onions turn brown.

Add tomatoes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add ½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp garam masala. Cook for ½ minute

Pour the hot oil or ghee over the dal. Mix gently.

Serve hot sprinkled with chopped coriander.