Dal makhani, a complex dish known for its velvety taste and creamy rich gravy, comes in various variations. Some like it creamy, while some add kidney beans to get a healthy dal makhani. That said, since this dish contains lots of cream and butter, which is one of the reasons why vegan people avoid it.
If you are one of them, don’t worry, we are here to pull you out of your misery. Dal makhani made with chickpeas requires just a handful of ingredients and is completely dairy-free. Aside from this, dal makhani with chickpeas is also soy and gluten-free.
Keep on reading to know more about this recipe.
Dal makhani with chickpeas
The special thing about dal makhani is that in addition to its delicious buttery taste, it isn’t too spicy, making it suitable for all kinds of palates. The velvety texture and mouthfeel conceal a rich flavor profile of spicy, acidic, sweet, and bitter undertones.
That said, how can one replicate the taste of butter without using it? Let’s find out.
| Course | Dal, main course |
| Cuisine | North-Indian gluten-free curry |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 20 minutes |
| Servings | 5-6 people |
| Calories | 131kcal |
| Dal cooking time | 1 hour 30 minutes |
Ingredients
- 1 cup urad dal (black gram dal)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup dried chickpeas
- ¼ cup red kidney beans (optional)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- Cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom and cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic
- 1 tablespoon dry fenugreek leaves (crushed)
- 2 cups fresh tomato puree
- Baking soda
- 2 tablespoon raw cashews/ pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 tablespoon paprika or degi mirch powder (if available)
- Salt to taste
Nutrition chart
| Calories | 131kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 18g |
| Potassium | 276mg |
| Vitamin A | 625 iu |
| Vitamin C | 7mg |
| Calcium | 25mg |
| Iron | 3mg |
| Protein | 7g |
| Fat | 4g |
Cooking instructions
- Start by taking black urad dal, chickpeas, and rajma in a bowl filled with water. Now, rub the beans gently using your hands so that the dirt stuck on the surface of the beans gets washed off. Repeat this process by changing the water 3-4 times. You can also scrub the lentils if they are completely black in color. This helps in removal of the top layer and leads to a nice reddish brown color at the end.
Note : Kidney beans are added since they contrast with the rich creamy taste of the dal. However, you can even skip this ingredient if it is not available. Kidney beans also add some extra cooking time.
- Then, fill a few inches of water in a bowl and soak the beans along with a teaspoon of baking soda overnight. Keeping them soaked for at least eight hours is recommended.
- After 8 hours have passed, drain the pulses and clear out all the water. Now put these dry pulses into a saucepan and boil it by adding some water and salt. Wait for about ten minutes and then you will notice that your beans have become soft. In case you are using the Punjabi dal makhani instant pot method, you can avoid pre-cooking the beans.
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- Then, place a colander on top of the bowl and drain all the water out. You can leave some stalk water inside too. Then, add about 3-4 cups of water which will later be boiled along with the gravy.
- Now it’s time to mash the kidney beans and black gram to get a thicker and more even dal. You can mash it using a wooden spatula or a potato masher.
- Then, heat a saucepan with a thick base (due to the extra cooking time) over medium-to-high flame with some oil. Now start adding whole spices starting with cumin seeds. Once the cumins start crackling, add cinnamon stick, cardamom, bay leaf and cloves. Toast this mixture until you can smell the aroma of all the ground spices.
Tip: You can also prepare an exclusive spice-blend, just for this dish! Know more about dal makhani masala powder.
- You can then add onions (if you are using them) into the saucepan and cook them until they turn golden brown in color. This should not take more than 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add some ginger garlic paste which should be prepared by blending both the ingredients finely. Make sure to keep stirring frequently.
- Now add all the spices such as chili powder, coriander, salt, pepper, etc. Then take some tomato puree and pour it into the pan.
- Cook this for 60-90 seconds so as to form a paste while stirring constantly. You can also add some finely diced tomatoes from top and cook for another three minutes.
- Now bring this paste to a boil by adding around 3 cups of water and mashed pulses that you put in the colander earlier.
- Once your dal starts to boil, turn down the heat by a slight extent and keep stirring it every ten minutes. If you see any kind of white colored layer of scum form over the dal, dish it out using a spatula.
- Cook the dal makhani for 40-50 minutes, or till the color changes into the classic dark brown. Then bring the flame to its lowest setting and cook it for another 30 minutes. You will now see that the black gram lentils have become extremely tender along with the kidney beans which are so soft that they may seem to break anytime.
Tip: The longer you cook this recipe, the better it will turn out. If you are in a hurry, you may use a pressure cooker, but cooking it on slow flame over a stovetop for at least two hours is said to give the best results. It is as simple as putting the dal on a flame and going to watch some TV. Just be mindful to check on your dish every once in a while.
- Your dal will get quite thick after an hour has passed. Check if the consistency is to your liking. If not, add some freshly boiled water on top and mix thoroughly.
- It’s now time for the ghee substitute, i.e, coconut milk or cashew cream. This cashew cream can be prepared by grinding & blending the cashews along with some water.
- Voila! You have now prepared the yellow dal makhani recipe successfully.
Tip: You may use cashew cream on top while serving to get a creamy taste. In case you don’t want to eat nuts or cashews, you can churn out a creamy paste using pumpkin seeds and water.
While most home-based cooks stop here, you can try out the Dhungar method if you want to infuse a restaurant-style smoky taste into the dal makhani. This method entails using a clay oven or wood fire, but you can also replicate this Asian cooking technique by using a small stainless steel bowl. Here’s how :
- Put the stainless steel bowl such that the dal makhani is distributed all around it. Then pick up a 1-inch piece of lump charcoal and pour it down the cavity of the bowl.
- Before putting it in the bowl, make sure to light it using a pair of tongs so that it turns red. This just requires you to hold it over an open flame for about three minutes.
- Once you place it amidst the dal, pour half a tablespoon of oil onto the charcoal. This will create plenty of smoke which will then be infused in your dal makhani.
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Which dal is used in dal makhani?
Lentils or black urad dal is a primary ingredient in dal makhani with chickpeas. Cooked to a smooth, somewhat slippery consistency, this lentil has a little nutty taste and a spherical, ivory-white color with thin black skin that gives this dal exactly the flavor it needs.
In the absence of the lentil, you may even use split white urad dal, which is used in idlis and dosas, but you won’t get the same texture. Thus, chefs also prefer to add green or brown lentils, Beluga lentils, French puy lentils and kidney beans to get a thick gravy.
Yellow dal is another Indian delicacy that is equally healthy. Check out the yellow dal makhani recipe.
Is dal makhani vegan?
Just like most Indian dals, dal makhani is also prepared with clarified butter/ghee and cream. Thus, it cannot be considered a vegan dish. However, you may use sesame oil for seasoning and depth of flavor in place of butter, which makes this dish vegan.
Not using butter also adds to the health prospect of this dish. It is rich in calcium (helps strengthen bones) and is also rich in fiber.
