This dal bukhara is a rich recipe with the amount of butter and cream gone in its preparation. To get the real taste I would not suggest reducing the cream or butter. As I have tried with a lesser amount of butter and cream and it just had that ‘something is missing or just not right’ point. I have used unsalted white butter and amul cream (25% low fat). You can use any good brand of butter and low-fat dairy cream (25% to 30%) or whipping cream.
Ingredients
- ▢1.5 cups whole urad dal or whole black gram
- ▢250 grams tomatoes or 3 medium to large tomatoes
- ▢1 inch ginger + 4 to 5 medium garlic cloves – crushed finely in a mortar-pestle – about 2 teaspoons of ginger garlic paste
- ▢1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch – if using a hotter variety then use ½ teaspoon
- ▢½ teaspoon garam masala
- ▢90 to 100 grams white butter or regular butter – about 6 to 7 tablespoons white butter
- ▢7 to 8 tablespoon low fat cream or 25% to 30% fat or 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ▢4.5 to 5 cups water for pressure cooking the lentils
- ▢1 to 1.5 cup water to be added later
- ▢1 inch ginger – julienned for garnish (optional)
- ▢1 tablespoon butter or cream for garnish (optional)
- ▢salt as required
Instructions
Preparation For Dal Bukhara
- 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.
Making Dal Bukhara
- 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.
- Lastly sprinkle garam masala powder and stir well.
- While serving dal bukhara, dot with the butter or cream. Garnish with ginger juliennes.
- Serve hot with cumin rice or with Indian flatbreads like naan, paratha or rotis.
How to make dal bukhara
1. Soak 1.5 cups whole urad dal (whole black gram) 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 for about 18 to 20 minutes. Pic below of the soaked and drained lentils.
2. Meanwhile when the lentils are getting cooked, make a puree of the 250 grams tomatoes (3 medium to large tomatoes) in a blender. Crush the ginger and garlic to a paste in a mortar-pestle (½ inch ginger + 4 to 5 medium garlic or about 2 tsp of ginger garlic paste).
3. When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid of the pressure cooker. The lentils should be cooked well and soft.
4. Now add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato puree, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, 6-7 tbsp white butter, 7-8 tbsp low fat cream, 1 to 1.5 cup water and salt.
5. Stir very well and keep the pressure cooker without its lid on a low flame.
6. Let the dal simmer for about 1 hour or more. Meanwhile keep on stirring often, so that the lentils don’t stick at the bottom of the cooker. The lentils become viscous and start to stick at the bottom if not stirred. The lentils would become creamy and the consistency of the dal will keep on thickening. You can add some hot water to reduce the dal bukhara from getting too thick. Also, mash some of the lentils while stirring.
7. Towards the end, check the taste and add more red chili powder or salt if required. Lastly, sprinkle ½ tsp garam masala powder and stir well. The consistency of dal bukhara is like dal makhani.
8. While serving dal bukhara, dot with 1 tbsp butter or cream. Garnish with ginger juliennes and Serve dal bukhara hot with cumin rice or with Indian flatbreads like naan, paratha or roti. It goes best with naan. I served with cumin rice and onion rings salad.
