Dal Makhani, the slow way

What you need

• 1 cup whole black urad dal, soaked overnight
• 1/4 cup rajma (kidney beans), soaked overnight
• 3 tbsp butter, plus more to finish
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 cups tomato puree (fresh, not tinned, if you can)
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/3 cup cream
• 1 tsp kasuri methi, crushed
• Salt to taste

How it goes

1. 1

   Pressure-cook the soaked urad and rajma with salt and 4 cups water until completely soft — 6 to 8 whistles. They should crush between two fingers with no resistance.

2. 2

   Mash about a third of the dal against the side of the pot. This is where the creaminess starts — not from the cream.

3. 3

   In a heavy pan, melt the butter and cook the onion low and slow until deep golden, 10–12 minutes. Don't rush this.

4. 4

   Add ginger-garlic paste, cook 1 minute, then the tomato puree and Kashmiri chili. Cook until the masala releases its fat and darkens, 8–10 minutes.

5. 5

   Fold the cooked dal into the masala with a cup of water. Now the important part: simmer on the lowest flame for at least 45 minutes, stirring and scraping every 10. Longer is better.

6. 6

   Finish with cream, garam masala, and crushed kasuri methi. Simmer 5 more minutes.

7. 7

   Rest 10 minutes off the heat, top with a knob of butter, and serve with something to mop it up.

Watch it made

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Worth knowing

• Restaurant versions simmer overnight. If you have a slow cooker, 6 hours on low after step 5 gets you there.
• Smoke it: rest a piece of hot charcoal in a steel bowl on the dal, drizzle ghee on it, lid on for 2 minutes.