The dal bukhara or black lentils curry is everybody’s favourite. This is a lusciously thick, tomato based and subtly flavoured dal recipe. Moreover, the dal bukhara also has the goodness of butter and cream in it! Sounds so good right? I know you probably are wondering about the calories. But, you surely can treat yourself to this deliciousness once a while. This creamy dal, pairs amazingly well with parathas, naans or any Indian breads. And that is exactly how I have served it.
For those of you who are aware, there is another lentil curry, that looks very similar to this one. Yes, the dal makhani. Now, while both these dals look similar, there is a key difference between the two. In the dal bukhara, only sabut urad dal or black lentils are used. Whereas, in a makhani preparation, rajma or kidney beans are also added to the curry. Apart from this, the cooking method for both, are more or less similar.
Also see,
Cholar dal (Bengali chana dal)
Masoor dal masala – brown lentil curry
Cooking process
Now, while the recipe of this dal is really simple, the cooking time is lengthy. And that is because, the urad dal by nature is creamy and thick, so the longer you cook the better the dal’s consistency will be. Moreover, as far as the dal bukhara is concerned, you will also achieve a richer, deep brown colour with a longer cooking time. Again, while this dal can be cooked for more than even 12 hours, I have been able to get it right in almost 1.5 hours. Having said that, I’d still say, the longer you cook the tastier it is.
Also, like I said earlier, the black lentils by nature are creamy. So, if you, for health reasons, want to avoid using the butter and cream you could. However, when you do use them, the taste of the dal bukhara, will shoot through the roof! The butter and cream, apart from making the dal richer, also gives it a beautiful, silky consistency. And that is a sheer delight, when you dig into it with a piece of buttered naan. Additionally, I have friends who also enjoy this with steaming hot rice too. So, you could decide what combination you like the most.
Here goes the dal bukhara recipe. I hope you will love making it and devouring it with you near and dear ones. And yes, be sure to win accolades when you serve this one. 🙂
Eat hearty!
Dal bukhara
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Shallow cooking pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups sabut urad dal or black lentils soaked in 4 cups of water overnight
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes* canned
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 2 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp coriander seed powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves crushed
- ½ cup fresh cream
- 4-5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp oil/ghee
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the soaked and plumped up lentils well
- And add them to the pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until they are soft and well done
- Heat another cooking pot with the oil/ghee and add the cumin seeds
- When they are well roasted, add the ginger garlic pastes
- Sautee´until their raw smell goes off and then put in the tomatoes
- Cook until they turn mushy. Next add all the spice powders, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Now add the cooked dal and mix well while smashing some using a ladle
- Add about ½ cup of hot water and cook the dal or lentils over medium flame for about 30-40 minutes. The longer you cook the more creamy it will become
- Once the dal comes to the consistency you are happy with (it has to be thick and creamy), drop in the butter
- Mix well and then add the cream. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes and then remove from the flame
- Drizzle some more cream over the dal and serve this yummy dal bukhara with any Indian bread of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- If not using the canned ones, you can replace it with fresh tomatoes puree´
- In case you do not have a pressure cooker, you can also boil the black gram in an open pot with a lid. The only difference is that, the latter process will take longer
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
