Dal Makhani: What It Is, How It Is Made and What to Eat It With

In short: Dal makhani is a Punjabi dal of whole black urad (black gram) and rajma (kidney beans), simmered slowly for hours and finished with butter and cream until it is thick, smoky and velvety. "Makhani" means "with butter". Our Amritsari Dal Makhani (₹160, 250 g, serves about 2) is ready to eat in 3 to 4 minutes.

Where does dal makhani come from?

It is a dish of Punjab, where whole urad dal (maa ki dal) has long been slow-cooked overnight. The rich, buttery restaurant version is widely credited to Delhi's Punjabi restaurants after 1947, and it is now on almost every North Indian menu.

What goes into it?

Whole black urad and rajma, soaked and cooked very slowly with tomato, ginger and garlic, then finished with butter and cream. The long cooking is what makes it creamy. Ours is whole black udad and rajma with a little chana, simmered with tomato, ginger and garlic and finished with desi ghee, butter and cream. It contains milk.

How is it different from dal tadka?

Dal tadka is a quick, everyday dal of split yellow lentils (toor or moong) with a tempering of spices in ghee. Dal makhani uses whole black lentils and beans, cooks for hours and is much richer. See types of dal, explained, or try our Dal Tadka.

What do you eat it with?

Naan, butter roti or laccha paratha, or over Jeera Rice. For guests, pair it with a paneer curry; see our Punjabi classics.

How do you heat it?

Drop the sealed pouch into boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, or empty it into a pan for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium flame. It keeps 12 months at room temperature, so there is nothing to thaw. Once opened, eat it straight away, or refrigerate it and finish within 24 hours. More in how to heat a ready-to-eat pouch.

It is cooked in small batches in our family kitchen in Morbi, sealed in a foil pouch at 121°C with no preservatives, and delivered across India (2 working days in Gujarat, 3 to Mumbai, 3 to 5 elsewhere; free delivery above ₹799). See all our dals.

Questions people ask

Is dal makhani healthy?

It is rich in protein and fibre from the lentils and beans, and also rich in butter and cream, so it is best as part of a balanced meal.

What is the difference between dal makhani and maa ki dal?

Maa ki dal is the homely Punjabi whole urad dal; dal makhani is the richer version finished with butter and cream.

Does dal makhani have onion and garlic?

Most recipes do; ours is cooked with garlic and ginger, so it is not Jain.

How long does ready-to-eat dal makhani keep?

12 months unopened at room temperature, with no preservatives.