Black Dal or Kaali Dal is the tasty combination of urad dal and rajma. It is a popular North Indian dish, flavored with butter and ghee. Kaali Daal is also called as Ma Ki Daal (mom’s lentils) and another popular name is Daal Makkhani.
You can serve this delicious black dal with any vegetable side dish and plain roti.
This spicy and heavy dal preparation is a typical Punjabi speciality of whole black gram.
The creamy and flavorful black dal is sure to tempt all, when served with jeera rice and tandoori roti (tandoor baked flatbread).
Ingredients required for making Black Dal:
How to make Black Dal Recipe:
Black Dal Recipe or Kaali Dal is the tasty combination of Urad dal and Rajma. It is one of the most famous Punjabi Dal dish can be easily made at home. Learn how to make Black Dal Recipe with step by step instructions and images.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rajma (black kidney beans)
- 2-1/2 cups split urad daal (black lentils)
- 4 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, julienne
- 6 cloves garlic, fine chopped
- 1/6 tsp asafoetida
- 2 big onion, thinly sliced
- 4 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup thick milk cream
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1/2 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
- 2 tbsp oil /ghee
- Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp butter (for tempering)
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (for tempering)
Instructions
- Soak the urad dal and rajma in separate bowls of water for overnight. Next morning, combine both lentils in a pressure cooker. Add little bit of salt and 2 cups of water. Pressure cook and boil it for 6 whistles.
- Melt ghee or oil in a big frying pan / vessel and add chopped onion. Saute on a moderate flame until onion translucent. Add green chillies, asafoetida, ginger and garlic. Saute for another 1-1/2 minutes.
- Simmer the flame and add chopped tomatoes. Stir continue, till tomatoes tender and oil begins to separate. Add salt to taste and mix very well. Now add boiled dal, milk and 1/2 cup of water to make a thick gravy. Pour in the whisked cream. Taste and season with salt. Mix all dry spices and cover the pan. Keep the flame very low and leave dal to cook for 6-8 minutes.
- Add good amount of chopped coriander and Mix well and turn off the fire. Heat a saucepan and melt butter in it. Add cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Pour over dal (it will all sizzle) and mix well.
- Serve hot with rice, roti or naan.
Notes
Thick butter milk can be used instead of fresh cream. Soaking the rajma and urad dal for over 24 hours makes the cooking process more easy. You can make this dal less spicy or more spicy by adjusting the proportion of red chili powder and green chilies. This dal can be made thick or thin depending on what you prefer. I generally serve this dal with Roti/ Phulkas, some rice, few sliced onions and bowl of fresh curd. It makes a hearty and protein rich meal.
Further Reading:
You may like to read some more Punjabi Recipes.
