Dal Bukhara

1.5 cups whole urad dal or whole black gram

250 grams tomatoes

½ inch ginger

4 to 5 medium garlic – crushed finely in a mortar-pestle

about 2 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste

1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder

1 tsp deghi mirch – if using a hotter variety then use

½ teaspoon garam masala powder

90 to 100 grams white butter or regular butter

100 gms Butter

100 gms low fat cream

30 gms white Butter

1 gms kasoori methi powder

10 gms Ginger Julienne’s

5 cups water for pressure cooking the lentils1 to 1.5 cup water to be added later

soak the lentils in enough water overnight or for 7 to 8 hours.
drain them later and add the drained lentils in a 3 or 4 litre pressure cooker.
add 4.5 to 5 cups water and pressure cook the lentils for 16 to 18 whistles or about 18 to 20 minutes.
meanwhile when the lentils are getting cooked, make a puree of the tomatoes in a blender and crush the ginger and garlic to a paste in mortar-pestle.

when the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid of the pressure cooker.
then add the ginger garlic paste, tomato puree, kashmiri red chili powder, butter, cream and salt. also add 1 to 1.5 cups of water.
stir very well and keep the pressure cooker without its lid on a low flame. let the dal simmer for about 1 hour or for 1 hour 30 mins.
meanwhile keep on stirring often, so that the lentils don’t stick at the bottom of the cooker. also mash some of the lentils while stirring.
if the dal bukhara becomes thick, then add some hot water. once done, check the taste and add more red chili powder or salt if required.
At last sprinkle garam masala powder and stir well.
While serving dal bukhara, garnish with butter, cream, ginger julienne and kasoori methi powder..
Serve dal bukhara hot with jeera rice, naan, paratha or rotis. Enjoy you classic Traditional north Indian Lentil full of rich and buttery flavor.

secure firmly a small piece of the coal between a tong.
heat it in the flame till it becomes red.
Now place the hot coal on a silver foil and placed in side the cooked dal pour little butter and cumin powder on the top and cover the lid for 5 to 10 minutes.
Now you will have this delicate smoky flavor in your dal bukhara.

Published by Avtar Singh Rana