Do you have people in your life who you feel like you were fated to meet? We’re lucky to have several of those people in our lives, and one of them is Dan. We like to joke that Dan is more of a brother than a friend—so much so that we created a new word for it (yep, he’s our briend). Our briend Dan lives two houses down and is always up for a front-porch chat or a walk to the corner brewpub. While I was travelling, Dan kept Alex company and convinced Alex to try a dish he’d been craving from his recent trip to India. With Dan at the helm, they created this easy dal makhani, a spicy lentil and bean stew. Keep reading for the dal makhani recipe!
What is dal makhani?
Dal translates to “lentils” in Hindi; you may find it spelled daal or dahl. Makhani translates to “buttery”, so this dish literally means “buttery lentils”. It’s a traditional Indian dish made with black lentils, beans, butter and cream. This version is lightened by using butter and milk. This spin on an easy dal makhani is intensely flavorful and delicious. We topped it with sour cream and sopped it up with whole wheat pita. But if we’d had naan on hand we’d have gone with that. It was so, so good that we knew we had to share it here. Another great dal recipe? This Masoor Dal (Indian Red Lentils). Masoor dal translates as “red lentils” in Hindi. It comes out cozy and nuanced, with just the right amount of gentle flavoring.
How to make this easy dal makhani
The ingredients list for this easy dal makhani recipe looks intimidating, but it’s primarily spices and flavorings you likely have in your pantry already. Making this Indian dal makhani is surprisingly simple. First, sauté cumin seeds until they start to brown (your kitchen will smell heavenly!) and then add onion, fresh ginger, and garlic to the pan. Next, add in a slew of different spices, a few tablespoons of butter, and some milk. Dump in the pre-cooked lentils and beans, and gradually add in the rest of the milk until the dal makhani has thickened up nicely. We used dairy milk in this recipe, but if you’re dairy-free you might be able to substitute your preferred milk of choice. We haven’t made this easy dal makhani using non-dairy milk, so I can’t speak to how that will affect the taste. However, I’m sure that as long as you’re using plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk the end result will be tasty! This easy dal makhani keeps well in the fridge for a few days and actually tastes better the longer it sits.
Looking for more easy Indian recipes?
Outside of this easy dal makhani recipe, here are a few more easy Indian inspired recipes:
Masoor Dal (Indian Red Lentils) Thai Curry Naan PizzaIndian-Spiced Squash Soup with Crispy Quinoa Quick Coconut Curry Lentils with GreensSamosa Stuffed Poblano PeppersSimple Chickpea Curry with Tart Cherries
This easy dal makhani recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. 4 from 1 review
