Daal Makhani/Maa ki daal

A North-Indian specialty, mostly made in craptacular lackluster fashion by so-called "Indian" restaurants. Fortunately, we can do much better even lacking a tandoor.

A quick note about the finishing step. If you want a richer taste, you would add cream. If you want a more "home down" taste, you would add yogurt (preferably home-made which has a slightly sour edge to it.) Both are traditional (and that's why the title has two names in it.)

The CC prefers the latter because it adds a slight piquancy to the dish.

Also, before the purists tan the living daylights out of the CC, he should add that the tomatoes are not totally traditional. However, they are also not not traditional. So you're on your own here.

The CC ate it with parathas but it's quite tasty with a simple pulao as well.

Ingredients

1 cup whole urad daal (aka maa ki daal)
1/8 cup rajma (red kidney beans)

1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
4-5 cardamom pods

1 large red onion (finely diced)

1 inch ginger
2-3 green chillies

whipped Greek yogurt (or cream)

Recipe

Soak the two daals overnight. This picture is taken after the soaking, when they were drained. You have two choices here. Either pressure cook the lentils before you add them (see below), or you can add them and simmer.

The mise-en-place. The stuff at the bottom is the ginger-green-chilli paste. Contrary to popular belief, the Indians don't add garlic to everything.

Dry roast the spices. The trick to the taste is the cardamom. Finely grind them in a coffee grinder.

Fry the onions at a medium heat. Add the ginger-green-chilli paste, and fry for a bit.

Now, here's the trick. Add only half the ground spices and fry them. We will use the rest to "finish" the dish. Naturally, the spices must be fried before the tomatoes. Be quick as it's a powder and will burn easily.

Add the lentils, and let them simmer for at least 20 minutes. You must gently scrape the bottom of the pot periodically or they will stick.

Note: this was the step they would've just sealed the pot (with dough,) and stuck it in the tandoor for a few hours. Lacking that, this is the best you're going to able to do.

Add the rest of the spices (not shown) followed by the finishing step -- the addition of the yogurt.

If you add yogurt, you must simmer it for a bit longer. Do not do this with cream or else you'll ruin the dish.

maa ki daal