Dal makhani
Dal Makhani (Hindi: दाल मखनी, Punjabi: ਦਾਲ ਮੱਖਣੀ) ("Lentil rich sauce") is a staple food originating from the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. The dish differs from other popular Punjabi dal dishes, such as dal tadka,[1] in that the primary ingredients in dal makhani are whole black lentil (urad) and red kidney beans (rajma), rather than red lentil (masoor).
Dal makhani was popularized in India following partition, when many people from the Punjab migrated to the northern regions of India.[2] As the Punjabi diaspora migrated across India and internationally, the dish was introduced to local consumers by entrepreneurial Punjabi migrants who opened restaurant businesses. Dal makhani is now universally recognized as a quintessentially Indian dish, and variations of the fare are served in a wide variety of eateries and restaurants internationally. Dal Makhani’s popularity is due in part to its versatility and the rich vegetarian dish can be served as a main meal, included in a buffet (thali) or as an accompaniment to a principal meal. In India, soups and curries with a red or yellow lentil base are an important staple; however, due to dal makhani's rich texture and lengthy preparation process, many Indians only consume the dish on days of significance, such as birthdays, national holidays, weddings and religious observances.
The traditional preparation of dal makhani involves a series of time-consuming procedures, which can take up to 24 hours to complete. However, with the availability of modern cooking equipment, including electric pressure cookers, the preparation time of the dish has reduced significantly to 2–3 hours.
