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Mumbai: Street Food and Night Markets Tour
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History
Dal makhani is credited to the same Moti Mahal cooks in Daryaganj who made butter chicken famous. Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral, refugees from Peshawar, wanted a vegetarian dish to sit beside their chicken, and a regular diner suggested building one from urad dal. At Bukhara in ITC Maurya, opened in 1978, the house version is simmered for close to 24 hours.
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Jaipur
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Heritage Walk & Street Food Tasting in Jaipur
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Common allergens: Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 250g whole black urad dal
- 50g red kidney beans (rajma)
- 1.5 litres water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 60g butter
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 200g tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 100ml double cream
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
Method
- Soak the dal and kidney beans together overnight, then drain.
- Simmer them in the water with the salt for 1.5 to 2 hours, or pressure cook for 30 minutes, until completely soft.
- Mash about a quarter of the lentils against the side of the pan to thicken the pot.
- In another pan melt half the butter, fry the ginger garlic paste for a minute, then add the tomato puree and chilli and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir the tomato mixture into the lentils and cook on the lowest heat for at least 1 hour, stirring often and adding water if it catches.
- Finish with the garam masala, the remaining butter, the cream and the crushed fenugreek, and simmer 10 minutes more.
Tip from the editors. The longer and lower it cooks, the better; many cooks make it a day ahead and reheat.
Where to eat dal makhani
Dal makhani in Delhi
Bukhara ★ 4.8
Bukhara has served the same North-West Frontier menu at ITC Maurya in Delhi since 1978: tandoor kebabs, table-wide naan and a black dal simmered for 24 hours.
OrderDal Bukhara, the black dal simmered close to 24 hours, with a tandoori kebab and naan.
TipEating with your hands is part of the ritual, and the naan arrives as wide as the table; book ahead for dinner.
Gulati ★ 4.3
Gulati is one of the Punjabi dining rooms of Pandara Road Market in Delhi, open until midnight for butter chicken, murgh malai tikka and handi gosht.
OrderButter chicken and murgh malai tikka, with dal makhani and garlic naan.
TipThe kitchen runs until midnight, so it suits a late dinner after India Gate; expect a wait at peak weekend hours.
Kake Di Hatti ★ 4.0
Kake Di Hatti has baked stuffed tandoori naans and dal makhani on Church Mission Road in Old Delhi since 1942, a vegetarian kitchen open until 01:00.
OrderA stuffed paneer naan shared with a bowl of dal makhani.
TipOver 100 naan varieties are listed, in sizes from Nikka and Baby up to the house Kake size; the family dining room is upstairs.
Rajinder Da Dhaba ★ 4.3
Rajinder Da Dhaba began as a fish fry stall in 1968 and now fronts Safdarjung Enclave Market in Delhi, serving butter chicken and dal makhani from 15:00.
OrderButter chicken with dal makhani and tandoori roti.
TipIt opens at 15:00, not for lunch; there is outdoor seating along the market front, and portions are generous.
More cities are in research. Want dal makhani covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.