Dal Bukhara

Dals or Lentils play a major role in my house or say any Indian Household. Whenever I make Indian food, it has to be one vegetable dish, one lentil dish, roti, rice and salad/raita. So it become complete meal. If you like Dal Makhani , you will love this too. This dish is from very famous restaurant in Delhi , named, Bukhara, in Moruya Sheraton. thus the name, saw it on  I guess some food show., since then I wanted to make this.

 Its has very similar main ingredient in it which is whole black gram or sabut arhar ki dal. But the main difference in this dal is that its more in based on tomatoes , while makhani is more creamy in texture and rajma (Kidney beans) or chana dal (split yellow lentils) added. I was very tempted to add half and half milk  in this to give creamy texture but stay back and I am glad that I did not do it. Served hot with hot rice or dip the roti in it, and you will have satisfy meal. Generally here in US I don't soaked my lentils overnight particularly like this or any other dals. Only soaking is soy beans, chana or rajma. But if you are outside India and your lentils need to soak it overnight please do so and then go ahead make the dal.

Ingredients :

1 cup whole black grams / whole udad dal
1 nice big size onion, finely chopped
3 big tomatoes finely chopped
2 tbsp. tomato puree
2 tbsp. ginger, garlic and green chili paste, pref. fresh one.
1 tsp. Jeera / Cumin
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. Turmeric powder
2 tsp. red chili powder
2 tsp. cumin coriander powder
1/2 tsp. hing / asafoetida
2 tsp. crushed kasoori methi / dried fenugreek leaves
salt to taste
3 tsp. white butter / if not then mix butter and oil please for the best result
lots of fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnish

Method:

Soak lentils in double the amount of water overnight.
Next day, wash it and go thru it, this is the one lentil which has stones in it and it same color as lentils and if you are not careful enough it will ruin your dish.
Take a pressure cooker, add dal and bay leaf and enough water to cook it.
Put the pressure on and cook it for god 7-8 whistle. You need perfectly cook and soft lentils, if its little mushy , very good, we need that kind of it only.
By the time lentils are cooking, prepare for its masala.
Heat a pan, add butter/oil mixture in , add jeera in it. and let it change color.
Then add hing and onion and cook till its soften.
Then add ginger garlic paste and tomatoes.
Add salt in tomatoes and cook till its mushy.
Then add all powder masala, tomato puree  and cook for a minute or two.
Add cooked dal in it and check the salt and other spices.
Let it simmer on low to medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Check the consistency of dal and add water if its too thick.
When its done, add crushed kasoori methi and mix it.
Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves and mix it and pour over hot rice and enjoy it.

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