Dal Makhani: No soak pressure cook recipe

Dal Makhani for sure is the most loved lentil recipe of north India. Dal makhani is the buttery whole urad dal flavored with multiple whole spices, cooked to a level where it becomes creamy. This no soak, pressure cook recipe of Dal Makhani is perfectly creamy, earthy, spicy, and smoky.

It is made of whole urad dal, also known as Black Gram. Black gram has a beautiful earthy flavor. And, it does take a long time to cook. 

But, this time-consuming lentil recipe is definitely a crowd-pleaser. When cooked well, urad dal becomes creamy. This creamy, earthy lentil infused with the delicate flavor of whole spices, is must in a north Indian kitchen.

Traditionally it was cooked in open pots, taking good 6-8 hours. Yup... that’s true. My grandma tells me that they used to put the dal in a Haandi with all spices post breakfast in the morning and would let it simmer all day. 

Haandi! Yes. Haandi is a traditional heavy bottom pot with a narrow mouth, primarily used for cooking urad dal, chickpeas, beans, etc. 

Before dinner, a tempering would be prepared and added to the cooked dal in the handi.  

That was before pressure cookers were a household name.

Conventionally, the whole Urad dal is soaked overnight. But in the past years, I have made Dal Makhani without soaking. And it comes out just perfect.

Why make this Dal makhani recipe? 

• Creamy and buttery: This recipe yields buttery and creamy Dal Makhani
• Earthy flavor: Slow simmering enhances the earthy flavor of the urad dal.
• Quick: This is a comparatively quicker recipe in the sense that you do not have to soak it for 4-5 hours or overnight. It is a pressure cooker recipe. An open pot based preparation consumes a lot of time.
• Smoky: Using smoked paprika and dry roasted cumin adds a naturally smoky flavor to the Dal Makhani.
• Highly flavorful: Since the dal is simmered with various whole spices, the aroma of the spices augments the overall dense flavor of the whole urad dal.
• Can be easily made vegan: By just substituting butter with vegan margarine and using a vegan cream, this recipe can be made vegan. I have made it with Coconut cream. Coconut cream goes well with Urad dal. But if using coconut cream, do not add sugar to the recipe as coconut cream already has a mildly sweet flavor.

First, let us discuss Urad Dal or Black Gram.

For making Dal Makhani we use Whole Urad dal. It is the black gram dal with black skin intact. It's a pretty sturdy dal when it comes to cooking. It does take a lot of time to cook, but when it is fully cooked, it becomes super soft and creamy.

Sometimes you might have noticed that it takes much much longer to cook it. It is probably because the dal is very old. So, try to buy from a store that regularly gets new stocks. Older the dal, more time it takes to cook.

Whole urad dal can have some kind of adulteration in the form of seed weeds and stones. So, always take out the portion you wish to cook, in a plate, and scan through it. You will probably find a mini stone or two or some wild grass seeds that look very similar to black urad dal gains. Since both, the weed seeds and the stones, are black they are easy to miss out in a jar. No matter what brand you use, there is always a possibility. So I sincerely suggest you give a minute to sort the dal.

Beans or no beans?

Dal Makhani can be cooked with Rajmah ( Red Kidney beans), or Soya Beans, or on its own.

I like to use canned red beans instead of using raw Rajmah or Kidney beans.

This is simply because if we do not soak Rajmah, they sometimes take a little bit longer to cook than Dal. Also, every Rajmah is different. If you somehow buy a batch of Rajmah which is old or aged, it may take much longer to cook. 

If you choose to soak your dal and Rajmah overnight, then, it might not be a trouble, but if making the same day, I recommend to use soya beans or use precooked beans.

Dal to Water Ratio: Dal to water ratio will depend on:

1. The age of dal: Older the dal, longer it will take to cook. Hence it will need more water. There is no way to tell the age of dal, but just by making it, you can estimate if it is taking longer to look, it might be old. So, add more water next time. Also, try buying your lentils from a store which rapidly restocks its groceries.
2. Mode of cooking: The open pot method takes more water than pressure cooking.
3. Whether soaked or not: If the dal is presoaked for 6-7 hours, it will need at least ½ a cup less of water.

Let us talk about the aromatic spices that are the soul of Dal Makhani

Spices and condiments

Ginger and garlic: Add finely crushed ginger and garlic to whole urad dal for boiling. As the dal boils, they release their aroma and flavor into the dal. It is just amazing.

Whole spices:

• Greater cardamom: Crush 3 greater cardamoms and extract their seeds. Discard the hull and crush the seeds. I just love the way greater cardamom gives a smoky flavor to the Dal Makhani. If you do not have it, replace it with 1-2 green cardamom.
• Cloves: Adding cloves gives a very subtle flavor to the earthiness of Dal Makhani.
• Cinnamon: It adds the perfect sweetness to the dal makhana. Use a small cinnamon stick while cooking the dal. If you do not want to add sugar to the dal while tempering it, just add a pinch of cinnamon powder. Always take care while adding cinnamon in savory dishes. It has a very overpowering flavor. A little pinch goes a long way.
• Javitri or mace: It is the outer covering of nutmeg and has a dense flavor. Use a small bit equal to half of the flower. If using mace powder, add a pinch. This is totally optional.

Another thing I want to talk to about is the smokiness of Dal Makhani.

The smokiness in Dal Makhani

Since it was conventionally cooked on the fire, Dal Makhani had a naturally smoky flavor. Even today in India, many restaurants boil there dal on firewood. It can be easily achieved at home in the following ways.

• A teaspoon of smoked paprika can make up for the smokiness of the firewood.
• Dry roasted cumin: This is the most widely used substitute in north Indian families. Cumin is dry roasted in an iron pan to a level where it starts to get smoky. Just then, it is removed from the pan and crushed using a pestle and mortar. I make it in a larger batch and store it in an airtight container.
• Another possibility is liquid smoke. Use half a teaspoon of liquid smoke if you are really rooting for that smokiness.
• Dhungar method: Place a piece of burning charcoal in a small bowl. And place it over dal. Add a few drops of ghee or oil on charcoal and quickly cover the da. Let the dal absorb smoke for a minute or two. This method can be slightly tricky or messy at times.

I like to use a combination of smoked paprika and roasted cumin in my Dal Makhani.

Do give it a try and let me know.