Discover how to make a very quick and healthy dal makhani in less than 30 minutes. This recipe can be made vegan or vegetarian and is a low cost, easy meal.
Currently I have 2 food obsessions, my pressure cooker and dry food bins at the local whole foods super market. The food bins are amazing because they contain all manner of legumes, dry foods and cereals and I can pick and choose as much as I like, so they offer up so much choice in terms of what to cook.
They also offer me a low cost option for dinners and lunches but still provide a lot of options in terms of healthy eating.
My electric pressure cooker is my other love because it allows me to cook all of my legumes fast and without pre-soaking! It also locks in a lot of the goodness that might ordinarily be cooked out of vegetables and legumes with prolonged cooking. So, I’m a big fan of pressure cooker cooking! Also, I am pretty useless at remembering to pre-soak my legumes the night before, and now thanks to my trusty pressure cooker, soaking can be a thing of the past.
Nom, nom, nom! This Makhani Dal (Indian butter lentils) is a gluten free, delicious meal that I think is so beautiful to make for vegans and vegetarians, because with or without cream, it has an amazing amount of creaminess. It is also incredibly filling, so it is perfect for dinner and you might even have leftovers for lunch!
I make my dal makhani quite spicy as I use a very hot chilli powder. If you don’t want it as spicy then use a less spicy chilli powder or leave it out altogether, but I do think this dish is better with a bit of spice.
If you are not vegan, then feel free to add the cream into the dal makhani recipe. I added it into mine just so I could taste both. The cream definitely gives it additional oomph in terms of creaminess – err makes sense right? But, if you don’t want to add the cream, fear not! It’s still super creamy.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker then feel free to make this dish on the hob. You should soak the lentils over night and then it will take a couple of hours to cook. So it does take a little more preparation, but it’s absolutely do-able! So, don’t be put off if you don’t have a pressure cooker.
I hope you find this recipe super yum! It’s healthy, creamy, inexpensive to make and tastes deeeelicious!
x
Lisa
- 200g uncooked black lentils (I use black beluga lentils)
- ½ tin kidney beans, drained
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 brown onion, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic, crushed
- 1½ tsp ginger, crushed
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- ½ tin tomatoes
- ½ tsp chilli powder (I use an extra hot one)
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 red or green chilli, chopped
- 1 Tbsp olive oil spread (or butter)
- ¼ cup single cream (optional, leave out if making vegan)
- salt for seasoning
- In a pressure cooker add the lentils, chilli powder, half of the ginger, and 3 cups of water. Cook in the pressure cooker on high for 9 minutes.
- in a pan add the olive oil spread (or butter) and the cumin seeds. Cook until the cumin seeds start to change colour then add the onions, garlic and the other half of the ginger. Cook on a low heat for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- To the pan add the chopped tomatoes, the kidney beans, half of the tin of tomatoes and the chilli and cook on a high heat until the tomatoes have reduced to a pulp.
- Remove the lid from the pressure cooker and add the onion/tomato mixture to the pressure cooker.
- Stir in the garam masala and season with salt.
- Cook for another 6 minutes with the pressure cooker setting on high.
- Once cooked, mash up some of the mixture with a potato masher or if you prefer allow it to cool a little and blend ½ of the mixture in a blender or food processor.
- Stir the blended and unblended mixtures together.
- If you are adding cream then stir it in now.
- Season again with salt and serve hot with coriander on top and a splash of cream (optional).
Hey Lisa
I made this as a warm dip for my dinner party. I served it with some mini popadoms and pita chips. It was a winner!!!
An absolute winner as a main meal or a spicy dip.